Deepinder Goyal@deepigoyal
We just completed a successful flight for our tech demonstrator, Lat One v0.2.
Lat Aerospace is building ultra-short takeoff and landing aircraft using blown wing technology. Think fixed-wing performance with near-helicopter access.
A couple of months ago, v0.1 achieved uSTOL but crashed shortly after. That was expected. v0.2 was about completing the full mission, and it did. The blown wing concept worked in reality. Closed-loop control got validated. We'd predicted a cruise speed of 30-32 m/s and cruised comfortably at 33. No thermal issues despite a burning afternoon. The quick-detach wings held through aggressive turns. Was in the air for over 6 minutes. Smooth touchdown, and ready to fly again.
But the thing that makes me the happiest isn't any of that. It's that our CFD studies, aerodynamic models, SIL simulations, and flight logs all match, almost perfectly. That's what real engineering looks like. I am so proud of our team.
A long way to go, and we are getting there.
@lataerospace @surobhidas