Vertical take-off tech introduced to micro aircraft

The army and police use micro air vehicles for surveillance and security. The little devices with a wingspan of just about 15 cm are good enough to move without attracting too much attention. Ironically, the best part is also the worst, this small size means the vehicle is tough to maneuver and the flaps need to be adjusted continuously, which negatively affects speed and available power.

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Christian Boller and Chen-Ming Kuo from the University of Sheffield have proposed a solution where the device is controlled by moving the engine itself. This technique, widely used in VTOL jets, is called Thrust Vectoring. When applied to micro aircraft the technique will reduce the number of times flap adjustments must be made, which automatically translates into increased range and efficiency.

Via: New Scientist