Israel firm shows off ‘vulture’ drone with horizontal, vertical flight prowess

Israeli drone designer and manufacturer APG on Monday showcased its new family of unmanned vehicles, which have the capacity to fly both horizontally and vertically and transition from vertical takeoff to horizontal flight.

The Peres family of drones — named after the Hebrew word for bearded vulture — was developed using unique engineering methods, the company said, and can be used for a variety of military missions, civilian applications, and commercial uses, such as takeoff and landing on ships, accessing offshore drilling rigs, logistical support of ground forces, delivery of packages and precision farming.

The Peres can take off and land in a five-meter (16-foot) square area. It is among the first systems of its kind whose four engines enable it to transition from horizontal to vertical flight, the company said in a statement. This design beats competing drones that are under development, which are “shackled” by dedicated engines for each flight direction. These must be powered on and off, limiting the weight they can carry because of their “burdensome design.”

The Netanya-based company said it has successfully conducted final flight tests of the Peres 2 in preparation for aviation licensing and regulatory approval. The drone has a wingspan of more than two meters (seven feet) and a maximum takeoff weight of 93 lb. (42 kg). It can fly for up to eight hours with a payload of 7¼ lb. (3.3 kg), a 93-mile (150 km) mission radius, and a cruising speed of 55 knots at an altitude of 8,000 feet.

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To date, Peres 1 and Peres 2 version drones have been developed, ground-tested and flight-tested, the statement said. The near-term plan is to design and build Peres models 3 and 4, which will weigh more than 440 lb. (200 kg) and have a 12- hour flight endurance.

APG was established in 2013 by Eran Gross and Shlomo Tsach, an aerospace engineer with over 40 years of experience in the aerospace industry. The company has 15 employees and has raised to date some $3 million from private investors.