News

May 2010: Viking Aerospace Releases Wolverine III Electric Helicopter UAS

The Wolverine III is an all electric, fully automatic (wePilot1000 FCS), helicopter which can be operated with, or without a ground control station. Novatel GPS position and velocity control is available without a ground station. With a ground station, programmable waypoint tracking, automatic takeoff and automatic landing is easily accomplished. The flight control system is housed in a rugged machined aluminum enclosure which is positioned completely within the side-frames of the helicopter. This not only protects the flight control system, but also minimizes the number of cables which are outside the core autopilot box, therefore increasing reliability and ease of maintenance.

In order to achieve high endurance, robust flight control methodologies are used in concert with a flybarless rotorhead designed by Minicopter.

Click here for the Wolverine brochure: Wolverine III Brochure.pdf (2.3MB)

The Wolverine III Helicopter UAS is Available in 2 and 3 Blade Configurations

January 2010: Antarctic UAV Missions

Viking Aerospace has returned from a successful UAV campaign in McMurdo, Antarctica. Viking provided piloting and engineering services for the Meridian UAS to the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets ( www.cresis.ku.edu) at the University of Kansas. Viking team members spent 6 weeks at McMurdo station in Antarctica supporting both Meridian and Yak-54 UAV operations from the Pegasus Ice Runway. Both of these vehicles use the wePilot 2000 as their primary flight control systems. Details of the operation are described in an article in Scientific American here.

Fall 2009: The Meridian UAV

Viking Aerospace supports National Science Foundation Science and Technology Program CReSIS (Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets www.cresis.ku.edu). Viking’s deliverables for the program include development of the automatic flight control system for Meridian UAV, integration support, flight test support, and 2 UAV flight test pilots. Initial flight tests have been conducted at Fort Riley Kansas and Dugway Proving Grounds Utah. The Meridian UAV (pictured right) was developed by the Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Kansas (www.ae.engr.ku.edu). CReSIS is an international center headquarted at The University of Kansas with the mission of developing new technologies and computer models to measure and predict the response of sea level change to the mass balance of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica.

August 2009: Helicopter Autopilot for CalPoly

Viking completes initial autonomous flights of 150lb RMAX UAV helicopter contributed by Northrop Grumman. Using its wePilot helicopter flight control system, Viking was able to achieve fully automatic flight of the uav in several days onsite at CalPoly San Louis Obispo, who now retains and maintains the system as part of their Unmanned Systems Laboratory.

October 2009: Virginia Tech RMAX Autopilot

Viking has successfully completed integration of our wePilot complete automatic flight control system into a Virginia Tech Yamaha RMAX helicopter UAV in support of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency program deliverables. The system was delivered complete with automatic camera triggering capabilities which enables this portion of the payload operation to be an autonomous capability of the system.

Our Mission

Viking Aerospace develops and markets fixed-wing and helicopter uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAV) and systems (UAS) achieving customer needs by combining modern design tools and system theory with advanced sensor technologies and state-of-the-art embedded computing.

Viking Aerospace strives for a leading role as in the field of uav autopilots and systems for the world-wide civil and defense UAV market. We are focused on the development, and integration of uav autopilots, both fixed-wing uav autopilots and helicopter uav autopilots. Furthermore, we aim to achieve strategic partnerships with synergistic impact for development.

Our Strengths

The personnel at Viking Aerospace have many years of aerospace vehicle and systems experience specializing in uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAV) and flight control systems. Recent and on-going activities involve small, agile and highly robust surveillance Unmanned Systems (UAS) and aerobatic, research and training UAV systems.

Our Commitment

Viking Aerospace is committed to providing its customers with quality products, services and solutions. We are dedicated to the successful completion of all our projects, and look forward to working with you!

The Meridian UAV Developed by the University of Kansas

The Meridian taxiing to the Pegasus Ice Runway in Antarctica.