• 31 Aug 2024 07:10 AM
• 0

Honeywell to Support Odys UAS

On July 24, Aerospace supplier Honeywell Aerospace Technologies announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Odys Aviation to collaborate on the design of a new ground control station (GCS) to support the rollout of Odys’s Laila hybrid-eVTOL uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) in Oman, as well as the potential for other countries in the Middle East and the Pacific. Honeywell noted that its GCS “can be scaled to meet the needs of any VTOL platform, enables remote pilots to manage multiple vehicles simultaneously, over long distances, and without direct visual contact.” Automation features, such as traffic awareness, contingency management, and groundbased detect-and-avoid, help reduce pilot workload to increase the safety and efficiency of UAS operations. Pilot programs using Laila and the new GCS are expected to begin next year.

The California-based eVTOL developer is designing Laila (shown) for logistics missions and has secured funding from the US Department of Defense for 10 pre-series-production aircraft, delivery of which is expected to begin in 2025. Laila is expected to have a payload capacity of 130 lb (59 kg) and range of 450 miles (724 km). It features the same flap-based thrust vectoring approach that is being developed for the company’s planned nine-passenger, hybrid-eVTOL regional airliner.