Engineering services company, Kalscott Engineering Inc. of Lawrence, Kansas just landed a Phase 1 STTR grant from the Department of Defense, Air Force, for $149,680 to develop an unmanned aerial system that can be configured in the field to carry people or equipment, or to peek over a hill – and that the system be electric, with vertical take off and landing ability. In military jargon, it’s an eVTOL UAM.
The Air Force wants the system to come in a kit of standardized parts that can be configured by one or two people, in the field, by following assembly instructions from an app. As the parts are assembled by the team, following the apps visual instructions, the vehicle’s autopilot should recognize each part and configure its flight management algorithms. The design should be scalable from 5 pounds to 2000 pounds. This Phase 1 calls for a detailed design and fabrication of the key components. If a Phase II follows, a full vehicle will be built and flight tested.
Dun & Bradstreet reports that Kalscott is headquartered in Lawrence, KS, has five full time employees, was founded in 2002 and generates $500,000 in sales of its engineering services. According to the company’s website, the small firm has brought in millions in grants and contracts from the U.S. military since its founding.
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