Transcend Air announces it has been awarded an AFWERX Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research and development contract, in partnership with Auburn University, to develop Simplified Vehicle Operation and flight control laws for high speed VTOL "nap of the Earth" flight with the Vy 400 Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft.

"Nap of the Earth" is the term for a demanding flight regime where an aircraft stays low and follows the contours of terrain to remain undetected. Transcend Air is working with Professor Imon Chakraborty and his Vehicle Systems, Dynamics, and Design Laboratory (VSDDL.com) to implement control software to enable the Vy 400 aircraft to automatically fly nap of the Earth while being safely operated by a non-pilot crew member.

Through this joint R&D contract, Transcend Air's Vy 400 VTOL aircraft is being customised to provide military support for small unit resupply and casualty evacuation missions. The 405 mph speed of the Vy 400 is two and one half times faster than the helicopters currently used for these missions, which would allow it to conduct rescues over areas more than six times as large.

AFWERX is an arm of the United States Air Force that supports aircraft technology development for commercial and military purposes. VSDDL is part of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama.