Event 38 Unmanned Systems has been commissioned by a university research team to build a heavy lift electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) for a highly specialized physics payload. The partnership will allow the university to perform a cutting-edge research project and allow Event 38 to expand its portfolio of uniquely capable unmanned aircraft.

The team at Event 38 is responsible for building the eVTOL to lift a 150-pound payload and hold it almost completely motionless for data collection purposes. The aircraft will be impressive in size – 11’ x 11’ and 600lbs all up weight with a flight time of 30 minutes.

Event 38 was selected for this opportunity due to their deep understanding of aerodynamics, electronics, and flight software using Ardupilot and PX4 flight controllers. Possessing these capabilities makes the team uniquely qualified to take on such a challenging aircraft build.

“The work we do at Event 38 lends itself perfectly to this research because the size and sensitivity of the payload require careful design consideration,” said Event 38 Founder and President, Jeff Taylor. “It’s a more economical solution and poses less risk to personnel compared with using a manned helicopter.”

Event 38 believes this technology has many applications including disaster response, personnel recovery and industrial logistics. The first flight is currently scheduled for Q4, 2020 with additional development to follow.