Orb Aerospace Inc — Department of Defense STTR Phase I: AFX20D-TCSO1

Description

Wind Craft Aviation is an Aerospace company developing 2nd generation, small form factor, hybrid-electric Orb technology able to out-compete existing turbine solutions both in terms of cost and utility. Our proposed 6-seat aircraft detailed in this proposal is being developed for commercial applications but will undergo a feasibility study on modifications required to service air force needs through a broad sweeping customer discovery campaign and prototyping. Our Airframe is designed with forward flight efficiency as a priority, and thus uses high efficiency propulsion incorporated into the structure of the aircraft in a low-profile configuration. The airframe incorporates rugged, lightweight, long-travel suspension and a wing design that allows for an efficient cruise, favorable forward flight handling and the ability for 8 fully assembled aircraft to fit in a C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft, making our platform globally deployable with minimal effort in a matter of hours. Our powerplant options are scalable, with significantly greater energy density compared to lithium-Ion batteries able to bring the cost of energy down to 6$/Kwh . The sustainable electrocatalytic solution has zero-emission, uses an agricultural by-product that is readily available, affordable and has existing global distribution. The Turbine generator solution has high-power density and is scalable even beyond the proposed 6 seat iteration of our technology. Our avionics introduce advanced situational awareness and synthetic vision with an entirely re-engineered ergonomic user interface. Our flight control system is being developed for push-button autonomy on the commercial level, with options for conventional pilotage, remote pilotage, or unmanned operation. Michigan Technological University, as our research partner, is validating our technologies through the Phase 1 STTR Feasibility Studies.