UAS Advanced Development:
Kestrel

The Kestrel Organic Air Vehicle (OAV), developed for Honeywell and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is a fully autonomous vertical take-off and landing UAV using a lift augmented ducted propulsion system. AeroVironment developed two prototype systems, each weighing less than 12 pounds, that demonstrated fully autonomous take-off, waypoint navigation, and landing. The prototype was also the first ducted fan system of its type to demonstrate transition from hover to high-speed, forward flight, and back to hover. The prototype systems included color EO and IR payloads, and was developed, fabricated, and demonstrated in just nine months, accomplishing approximately 250 flights.