Quad Turbine VTOL Drone
JetQuad is the world's smallest and most powerful jet-powered drone with vertical take-off and landing capabilities. It is like an unmanned, scaled-down version of the Harrier Jump-Jet
The AB5 JetQuad "Везделет" is a new type of aircraft. This is not a quadcopter, nor a helicopter, nor an airplane. Four micoturbine jet-engines produce a combined 200-Horsepower at full throttle and are all coupled with proprietary Thrust Vectoring Systems. We refer to this design as the "H-Configuration" - this is the first ever configuration in which the jet-engines alone provide the power for both vertical and horizontal flight as well as complete attitude control of the vehicle. The result is a compact, fully-autonomous, all-diesel drone, that can take-off and land virtually from any surface and capable of high speeds and payload capacity. FusionFlight has been developing JetQuad since 2016, check out some of the articles published over the years.
In addition, the high-precision Thrust Vectoring System TVS) offer unprecedented advantages over modern multi-copters. The TVS are actuated by high-torque servos which have significantly faster response time then the electrical motors/propellers used on these drones. As a result, the JetQuad is more agile and more controllable. The TVS also allows the channeling of engine exhaust from all four turbines in the aft direction of the drone during horizontal flight. Consequently, JetQuad can utilize the power of all four engines and attain top-speeds unthinkable for similar-by-size VTOL aircraft.
Compact and Lightweight
The AB5 JetQuad is specifically designed so that it can easily be carried by a single person. Empty and unloaded, the drone weighs 50lbs and has convenient rails to hold onto. In addition, the small footprint of the drone means it can be transported using most common ground vehicles. The production version of the JetQuad will contain retractable landing gear equipped with shock-spring systems to further cushion the aircraft during landing and provide additional flexibility for taking-off and landing from uneven terrain.
Extensive Payload Accomodations
The naturally sleek and flat configuration of the JetQuad allows for both highly aerodynamic horizontal flight as well as the ability to accommodate many different style payloads. Payloads of various weights and sizes may be easily mounted on the front, back, and top. Extra-large payloads may be easily mounted underneath the vehicle in a very similar configuration to the NASA Mars Curiosity Rover Sky Crane System.
In the "Sky-Crane" configuration, the JetQuad would hover about 15ft at the payload drop off location, and slowly lower the payload to the ground using four electric reels. The Thrust Vectoring Systems are designed specifically to divert all hot gases away from the vehicle during hover allowing for the undercarriage payload to remain cool throughout the flight and payload deployment operation. In addition, the jet-engines can also generate plenty of on-board electricity to power sophisticated computer vision systems necessary for the safe operation of such high-speed drone.
Simplicity and Scalability
The JetQuad design is simple and elegant. The drone is built from several modules put together - each module may be disassembled and replaced with minimal effort. The complete design of the drone contains only eight moving components - four turbines and four servo-motors. Such a small quantity of moving parts leads to superb reliability and reduced manufacturing costs, especially when compared to the same-class helicopter. For comparison, helicopters may have hundreds of moving parts and require frequent and often-time expensive maintenance.
The simplicity behind the AB5 JetQuad design also leads to scalability. A scaled-up version of the JetQuad, fitted with larger fuel tanks, may accommodate all aviation-grade jet-engines. Such a drone can support ultra-heavy cargo capacity missions without the expensive price-tag of renting out a similar (by size) helicopter. The same scaled-up platform would also enable the construction of the first flying car that does not have any external propellers; such a machine would look and feel like an ordinary car and be able to park in standard parking space.
Furthermore, the jet-engines are inherently simple and reliable devices that may also be augmented with additional features to greatly boost their performance, resulting a faster and even more capable vehicle. Afterburners, for example, can be readily combined with the proprietary Thrust Vectoring Systems to allow the JetQuad to travel faster then the speed of sound - no other VTOL drone technology in the world today has such potential. Finally, the form-factor of the JetQuad is ideal for use within a Lifting-body shell. The lifting-body will greatly improve aerodynamics and most importantly provide natural lift during high-velocity cruise. Additional lift means the engines can be slightly de-throttled, ultimately saving fuel, and greatly extending the endurance and range of the vehicle.
Key Advantages: Jet-Engines and Diesel
The performance of the AB5 JetQuad surpasses all other drone technologies for two main reasons: the use of jet-engines for propulsion, and diesel for fuel. The microturbines (small jet-engines) have the highest power-to-mass and power-to-volume densities of all known air-breathing engines. This means that when compared to similar-sized Internal Combustion Engines or electrical motors (as used in most modern drone designs) the jet-engines can output significantly more power. Furthermore, diesel fuel which is readily available anywhere in the world has 40-times more energy density then conventional Lithium Polymer batteries and takes minutes to refuel instead of hours that it takes to recharge batteries. When combined together, the product is a very compact and reliable drone that can go faster and carry more then any other drone of similar size.
Patent Pending "AirBooster Technology"
All manned and unmanned designs that utilize our current platform (AB5 - horizontal engine "H" configuration) as well as our previous platform (AB4 - vertical engine configuration) are protected by the pending patent - "AirBooster Technology". The patent has been filed in 2016 and is currently under review by USPTO.
