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Starburst Announces Expansion Into Washington, DC With New Office

PRnewswire | March 30, 2023 | Read time : 03:14 min

Starburst Announces Expansion Into Washington, DC With New

Starburst, the leading global Aerospace and Defense (A&D) startup accelerator and strategic advisory practice, today announced its expansion into Washington, DC. With a new office and the addition of Rob Ganim, who has joined Starburst's DC office as Director of Government Affairs and Business Development, Starburst is developing deeper relationships within this significant region. These new routes of engagement with the US government and the greater entrepreneurial community strongly positions Starburst to continue leading innovation efforts throughout the industry.

The US Aerospace and Defense industry's wide-ranging activities, which include commercial aviation, national security, and space exploration, are critical to the economic health and strength of our nation. According to the Aerospace Industries Association, the industry's workforce generated $892 billion in combined sales in the past few years and is continuing to grow. The US government invests heavily across aviation, space, defense, and enabling technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing, but there are many challenges today that threaten existing systems. "To continue to meet the demands of today and rise to the future, it is imperative that we build new channels for the government to adopt cutting edge technologies from non-traditional sources, specifically startups," says Starburst's US Managing Director, Elizabeth Reynolds.

Given the fast rate in which the market is moving, sincere collaborations between startups and the government must keep pace in order to stay competitive and maintain a high level standard of readiness in defense. Government support of innovative A&D companies that capitalize on new emerging technologies will ensure economic growth and prosperity in addition to national security.

Starburst bridges the critical gap of emerging technologies through their continuous and consistent efforts of tackling different components within the innovation life cycles using their accelerator programs and investments. Starburst helps entrepreneurs who are building novel technologies have success within commercial industries and in government contracts. Starburst plans to continue to develop government relationships with the new hire of Rob Ganim, based in Washington, DC.

"Bridging the gap between startups and the US government brings forth the best technology and ultimately propels the flywheel of innovation in aerospace and defense on a macro scale for both the economic health and national security position for the entire nation," Reynolds adds.

Robert Ganim is a national security policy and business professional, bringing to Starburst over 13 years of experience rooted at the intersection of business, policy, and geopolitics. Throughout his career, Rob has worked on an array of topics within the national security policy portfolio in the US Senate, at the US Department of Defense, and as a government relations consultant and startup executive. Rob is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and holds certificates from the US Air Force's Air Command and Staff College and Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation.

"In an era of great power competition, the United States' robust innovation ecosystem is a key competitive advantage. Starburst's accelerator programs put it in a prime position to leverage this advantage to help DoD deliver critical capabilities to the warfighter and address broader national security needs. I am excited to work with the Starburst team to develop and grow its partnerships with government and industry leaders," says Ganim.

About Starburst

Starburst is an innovation catalyst in the Aerospace and Defense industry. They are the first and only global aerospace accelerator, connecting startups with corporates, investors and government, while providing strategic growth and investment consulting services for all. With offices in Los Angeles, Paris, Munich, Singapore, Seoul, Tel Aviv, and Madrid, the team has built an ecosystem of key players with 15,000+ startups in our network. Starburst's flagship accelerator program helps startups scale their business in aviation, space, and defense with access to the largest group of corporate representatives, government stakeholders, and private venture investors in the world to help startups win their first contracts.

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Massive Aircraft Order

Hainan Airlines Group ordered 100 aircraft from Comac spread across two aircraft types for their future operations. The deal is being labelled as a test move by the group to understand the capabilities of Cormac's aircraft, in any case, the deal is a substantial one for the planemaker.

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Aviation Capital Group Announces Delivery of One A320neo to Spirit Airlines

Business Wire | March 24, 2023

Aviation Capital Group LLC (“ACG”) announced the delivery of one new Airbus A320neo aircraft on long-term lease to Spirit Airlines. Powered by the ultra-efficient Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, this is the first of four aircraft scheduled to deliver to the airline from ACG’s order book with Airbus. This is ACG’s first aircraft delivery from Airbus’ facility in Mobile, Alabama. “We are thrilled to be delivering our first new Airbus A320neo aircraft to Spirit Airlines, which also marks ACG’s first aircraft delivery from Mobile, Alabama,” said Alan Mangels, Vice President of Marketing for ACG. “We are also proud to partner with Spirit Airlines in working towards a cleaner and more sustainable future by investing in fuel-efficient, new technology aircraft that produce lower emissions, use less fuel and create less environmental noise.” About Aviation Capital Group Aviation Capital Group was founded in 1989 and is one of the world’s premier full-service aircraft asset managers with approximately 470 owned, managed and committed aircraft as of December 31, 2022, which are leased to approximately 95 airlines in approximately 45 countries. ACG is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Century Corporation.

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Ameriflight Becomes First Part 135 Cargo Airline to Receive Exemption to Operate Drones

Businesswire | June 05, 2023

Ameriflight, the nation’s largest Part 135 Cargo airline, today announced it has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate drone aircraft, making Ameriflight the first existing Part 135 Cargo airline to receive such exemption. The newly granted exemption allows Ameriflight to conduct UAS operations under its current Part 119 Air Carrier Certificate for Part 135 operations. Moreover, the company has approval to add the Matternet M2 to its fleet, enabling the launch of the first fully operational, large-scale drone operation in the United States.’ Through its partnership with Matternet, the developer of the world’s leading urban drone delivery system, Ameriflight intends to operate the Matternet M2 drone for commercial delivery, focusing on health care and e-commerce deliveries to customers located in dense urban and suburban environments across the country. Ameriflight will deploy the M2 fleet of drones using Matternet's software platform from a central remote Network Operations Center, allowing the company to safely expand its network, while maintaining the highest level of pilot operator supervision and flexibility. Ameriflight intends to operate its uncrewed aircraft as a supplement to its crewed operations, not replacing the current flying operation, aircraft, or pilots. “Adding this state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly aircraft and launching our UAS division allows us to expand our service offerings to off-airport alternative sites for time-sensitive small package needs,” said Ameriflight President and CEO Alan Rusinowitz. “Matternet’s technology is at the forefront of autonomous innovation and provides a revolutionary solution for customers. We’re looking forward to launching our first M2 flights very soon, and, as we move forward into future flight, developing additional areas of drone delivery.” Medical samples and small batch pharmaceuticals will be the initial cargo for the M2, offering a fix to the slow and unpredictable delivery times of today’s ground transportation method, resulting in increased reliability. In addition to healthcare, Matternet is expanding into e-commerce, where drone delivery can enable ultra-fast delivery of small packages. The approval to add drones to our operation positions Ameriflight, once again, at the forefront of innovation in the aviation industry. Moving forward with the future of our newly operative UAS division allows us to expand into a largely untapped delivery market with a lot of room for speed and safety logistic improvements,” said Ameriflight Owner and Chairman Jim Martell. “After having accomplished this unprecedented milestone, we are more than excited to continue our partnership with Matternet, a best-in-class developer of cutting-edge drone delivery technology. “We are thrilled to enable the nationwide deployment of our drone delivery system and to have Ameriflight, a leading cargo airline with a strong track record of reliability, safety, and performance, at our side,” said Andreas Raptopoulos, Co-Founder and CEO of Matternet. “This partnership enables us to offer our customers turnkey access to fast and reliable on-demand delivery capabilities today. This is not a test program or a future deployment concept – this is the real, scalable, and safe drone-based solution that customers are looking for.” This marks Ameriflight’s third announcement this year regarding its expansion into the drone world after having signed with Sabrewing Aircraft on the purchase of its Rhaegal-A aircraft, a 1-ton payload, medium-haul feeder uncrewed aerial vehicle, and just prior having signed with Natilus on the purchase of its Kona aircraft, a 3.8-ton payload, short-haul feeder uncrewed aerial vehicle. Ameriflight intends to use all three fleet types in tandem with its current operation. The company’s goal is to build diversified aviation services, and this fits well with that vision. About Ameriflight: Ameriflight is the nation’s largest Part 135 cargo airline. Founded in 1968, Ameriflight has grown from a small air charter and cargo service carrier to an international operator with 14 bases, 1,500 weekly departures, and 200 destinations. The company is headquartered in Dallas, TX and has more than 500 employees including over 150 pilots and over 100 aircraft. Ameriflight provides feeder services for overnight express carriers, as well as on-demand cargo charter services for customers with an array of priority shipping needs through its Expedited Supply Chain Solutions department.

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Piasecki Aircraft Corporation Acquires Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Heliplex in Coatesville, Pennsylvania

News wire | June 01, 2023

Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC), a pioneer in advanced rotorcraft technology, announced today that it has acquired the former Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Heliplex facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, which previously served as a production and delivery center for Sikorsky's S-76 and S-92 helicopters. The company will transform the 219,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility into an advanced R&D center for next-generation Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and related enabling technologies. Notably, the company's forthcoming PA-890 helicopter, the world's first zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell rotorcraft, will be built and tested there. The facility — which includes engineering development, aircraft assembly, paint and finishing facilities, and a well-equipped production flight test and delivery center — will open its doors to employees in the fall and is expected to attract about 400 workers by 2028. "This world-class facility will serve as a strong foundation for future growth and will enable us to expand our R&D and production capabilities as we deliver transformational vertical lift technologies to the defense and commercial markets," said John Piasecki, CEO of PiAC. "We chose to expand our development capabilities in the Delaware Valley because of its deep roots within the helicopter industry, its highly-talented workforce, and its robust supplier network. PiAC is committed to creating local jobs by fostering cutting-edge innovation and we're excited to support a community that has long prided itself on delivering aviation excellence." "Chester County is home to some of the most talented manufacturing and tech workforces in the country," said U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district. "Piasecki's expansion into Coatesville is further testament to what many of us have known for years - Chester County is a great place to grow your business. It's incredibly exciting to see a company like Piasecki, a long-time aviation industry innovator, continue their commitment to developing new technologies like the PA-890 hydrogen fuel cell-powered helicopter right here in PA's sixth district. These advancements have the potential to transform vertical lift flight and help eliminate carbon emissions. Piasecki's Coatesville expansion will revitalize the manufacturing facilities which were formerly home to Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky Heliplex. I'm proud to support their vision and will continue to support innovations such as hydrogen fuel cell development through my work in Congress." Piasecki's acquisition and expansion into the Heliplex facility was enabled by the strong support from Pennsylvania Governors Tom Wolf and Josh Shapiro; Chester County Commissioners; the Chester County Economic Development Council; Senator Robert Casey; and Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan. 80 years of innovation — now pioneering the next generation of vertical flight "2023 marks 80 years of PiAC innovation in vertical flight, a legacy that began in 1943 with the PV-2, the second successful helicopter to fly in America, now on display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. Shortly after, PiAC developed the world's first tandem rotor helicopter — a revolutionary design that has been instrumental in countless life-saving missions around the globe since WWII — and which lives on in Boeing's CH-47 Chinook helicopters," said Piasecki. "PiAC is building on this legacy with a truly groundbreaking vertical lift technology portfolio, including advanced digital flight control and flight automation technology, hydrogen fuel cell and hybrid propulsion systems, morphing aerostructures, and more. We work closely with partners in government, academia, and industry to advance these technologies and develop platform and system-level air vehicle integrations as well as conduct flight tests." Major PiAC R&D programs currently being executed: • Hydrogen Fuel Cell PA-890 eVTOL — The PA-890 eVTOL aircraft is the first zero-emission hydrogen-powered compound helicopter. The slowed-rotor winged helicopter is intended for use in a variety of missions including Emergency Medical Services (EMS), delivery of high-value On-Demand Logistics (ODL), On-Demand Mobility (ODM) personnel air transport, and many other commercial applications. In addition to zero carbon emissions, the PA-890 eVTOL enables up to a 50% reduction in direct operating cost and reduced noise compared with today's fossil fuel turbine helicopters. PiAC is collaborating with ZeroAvia, a leader in hydrogen-powered fixed wing aviation, to develop and implement its revolutionary High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) hydrogen fuel cell technology for PA-890 and other VTOL applications. Investment from the U.S. Air Force in the ground testing of a 660kW HTPEM hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system is accelerating the development, certification, and production fielding of the PA-890 to address the needs of the military as well as the $40 billion commercial light helicopter market. • Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) — ARES is a modular multi-mission tilt duct VTOL vehicle that can be operated unmanned (UAS) or with an optional manned flight module. ARES is designed with a small landing footprint to enable shipboard and expeditionary operations as well as provide embedded multi-mission C4I, ISR, combat, and logistics support to small distributed combat forces operating over extended distances and in complex terrain. Rapidly-reconfigurable Mission Payload Modules deliver mission flexibility that significantly reduces overall logistics footprint and cost. The ARES Demonstration Vehicle was developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin with funding from DARPA. With follow-on funding from the U.S. Air Force and Army, PiAC and Honeywell are developing and integrating a triplex fly-by-wire flight control system to initiate ARES flight testing by the end of this year. • Adaptive Digital Automated Pilotage Technology (ADAPT™) — ADAPT™ is a flight control software package designed to achieve unprecedented improvements in safety/survivability, performance, and affordability for U.S. military and commercial aircraft. ADAPT™ exploits the inherent redundancy of control effectors present in advanced VTOL platforms and modified legacy fleet rotorcraft to automatically allocate control commands between effectors to respond to aircraft damage or to optimize the control configuration of the aircraft for increased performance, maneuverability, reduced vibration or fatigue loads, or for a weighted combination of these attributes. About Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC) PiAC is an award-winning developer of vertical lift aircraft. It specializes in the design, fabrication, and flight testing of experimental rotorcraft and unmanned air vehicles and has developed and flown more than 25 advanced VTOL and UAV aircraft to date. Customers include the U.S. Air Force Research Lab and AFWERX; the U.S. Army Futures Command Aviation and Missile Center and Medical R&D Command; NAVAIR; DARPA; and SOCOM; as well as leading OEMs such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing. PiAC is a recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential National Medal of Technology, Smithsonian Air & Space Achievement Award, and the prestigious Tibbitts Award for small business innovation from the U.S. Department of Defense.

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Aviation Capital Group Announces Delivery of One A320neo to Spirit Airlines

Business Wire | March 24, 2023

Aviation Capital Group LLC (“ACG”) announced the delivery of one new Airbus A320neo aircraft on long-term lease to Spirit Airlines. Powered by the ultra-efficient Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, this is the first of four aircraft scheduled to deliver to the airline from ACG’s order book with Airbus. This is ACG’s first aircraft delivery from Airbus’ facility in Mobile, Alabama. “We are thrilled to be delivering our first new Airbus A320neo aircraft to Spirit Airlines, which also marks ACG’s first aircraft delivery from Mobile, Alabama,” said Alan Mangels, Vice President of Marketing for ACG. “We are also proud to partner with Spirit Airlines in working towards a cleaner and more sustainable future by investing in fuel-efficient, new technology aircraft that produce lower emissions, use less fuel and create less environmental noise.” About Aviation Capital Group Aviation Capital Group was founded in 1989 and is one of the world’s premier full-service aircraft asset managers with approximately 470 owned, managed and committed aircraft as of December 31, 2022, which are leased to approximately 95 airlines in approximately 45 countries. ACG is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Century Corporation.

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Ameriflight Becomes First Part 135 Cargo Airline to Receive Exemption to Operate Drones

Businesswire | June 05, 2023

Ameriflight, the nation’s largest Part 135 Cargo airline, today announced it has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate drone aircraft, making Ameriflight the first existing Part 135 Cargo airline to receive such exemption. The newly granted exemption allows Ameriflight to conduct UAS operations under its current Part 119 Air Carrier Certificate for Part 135 operations. Moreover, the company has approval to add the Matternet M2 to its fleet, enabling the launch of the first fully operational, large-scale drone operation in the United States.’ Through its partnership with Matternet, the developer of the world’s leading urban drone delivery system, Ameriflight intends to operate the Matternet M2 drone for commercial delivery, focusing on health care and e-commerce deliveries to customers located in dense urban and suburban environments across the country. Ameriflight will deploy the M2 fleet of drones using Matternet's software platform from a central remote Network Operations Center, allowing the company to safely expand its network, while maintaining the highest level of pilot operator supervision and flexibility. Ameriflight intends to operate its uncrewed aircraft as a supplement to its crewed operations, not replacing the current flying operation, aircraft, or pilots. “Adding this state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly aircraft and launching our UAS division allows us to expand our service offerings to off-airport alternative sites for time-sensitive small package needs,” said Ameriflight President and CEO Alan Rusinowitz. “Matternet’s technology is at the forefront of autonomous innovation and provides a revolutionary solution for customers. We’re looking forward to launching our first M2 flights very soon, and, as we move forward into future flight, developing additional areas of drone delivery.” Medical samples and small batch pharmaceuticals will be the initial cargo for the M2, offering a fix to the slow and unpredictable delivery times of today’s ground transportation method, resulting in increased reliability. In addition to healthcare, Matternet is expanding into e-commerce, where drone delivery can enable ultra-fast delivery of small packages. The approval to add drones to our operation positions Ameriflight, once again, at the forefront of innovation in the aviation industry. Moving forward with the future of our newly operative UAS division allows us to expand into a largely untapped delivery market with a lot of room for speed and safety logistic improvements,” said Ameriflight Owner and Chairman Jim Martell. “After having accomplished this unprecedented milestone, we are more than excited to continue our partnership with Matternet, a best-in-class developer of cutting-edge drone delivery technology. “We are thrilled to enable the nationwide deployment of our drone delivery system and to have Ameriflight, a leading cargo airline with a strong track record of reliability, safety, and performance, at our side,” said Andreas Raptopoulos, Co-Founder and CEO of Matternet. “This partnership enables us to offer our customers turnkey access to fast and reliable on-demand delivery capabilities today. This is not a test program or a future deployment concept – this is the real, scalable, and safe drone-based solution that customers are looking for.” This marks Ameriflight’s third announcement this year regarding its expansion into the drone world after having signed with Sabrewing Aircraft on the purchase of its Rhaegal-A aircraft, a 1-ton payload, medium-haul feeder uncrewed aerial vehicle, and just prior having signed with Natilus on the purchase of its Kona aircraft, a 3.8-ton payload, short-haul feeder uncrewed aerial vehicle. Ameriflight intends to use all three fleet types in tandem with its current operation. The company’s goal is to build diversified aviation services, and this fits well with that vision. About Ameriflight: Ameriflight is the nation’s largest Part 135 cargo airline. Founded in 1968, Ameriflight has grown from a small air charter and cargo service carrier to an international operator with 14 bases, 1,500 weekly departures, and 200 destinations. The company is headquartered in Dallas, TX and has more than 500 employees including over 150 pilots and over 100 aircraft. Ameriflight provides feeder services for overnight express carriers, as well as on-demand cargo charter services for customers with an array of priority shipping needs through its Expedited Supply Chain Solutions department.

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Piasecki Aircraft Corporation Acquires Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Heliplex in Coatesville, Pennsylvania

News wire | June 01, 2023

Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC), a pioneer in advanced rotorcraft technology, announced today that it has acquired the former Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Heliplex facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, which previously served as a production and delivery center for Sikorsky's S-76 and S-92 helicopters. The company will transform the 219,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility into an advanced R&D center for next-generation Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and related enabling technologies. Notably, the company's forthcoming PA-890 helicopter, the world's first zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell rotorcraft, will be built and tested there. The facility — which includes engineering development, aircraft assembly, paint and finishing facilities, and a well-equipped production flight test and delivery center — will open its doors to employees in the fall and is expected to attract about 400 workers by 2028. "This world-class facility will serve as a strong foundation for future growth and will enable us to expand our R&D and production capabilities as we deliver transformational vertical lift technologies to the defense and commercial markets," said John Piasecki, CEO of PiAC. "We chose to expand our development capabilities in the Delaware Valley because of its deep roots within the helicopter industry, its highly-talented workforce, and its robust supplier network. PiAC is committed to creating local jobs by fostering cutting-edge innovation and we're excited to support a community that has long prided itself on delivering aviation excellence." "Chester County is home to some of the most talented manufacturing and tech workforces in the country," said U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district. "Piasecki's expansion into Coatesville is further testament to what many of us have known for years - Chester County is a great place to grow your business. It's incredibly exciting to see a company like Piasecki, a long-time aviation industry innovator, continue their commitment to developing new technologies like the PA-890 hydrogen fuel cell-powered helicopter right here in PA's sixth district. These advancements have the potential to transform vertical lift flight and help eliminate carbon emissions. Piasecki's Coatesville expansion will revitalize the manufacturing facilities which were formerly home to Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky Heliplex. I'm proud to support their vision and will continue to support innovations such as hydrogen fuel cell development through my work in Congress." Piasecki's acquisition and expansion into the Heliplex facility was enabled by the strong support from Pennsylvania Governors Tom Wolf and Josh Shapiro; Chester County Commissioners; the Chester County Economic Development Council; Senator Robert Casey; and Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan. 80 years of innovation — now pioneering the next generation of vertical flight "2023 marks 80 years of PiAC innovation in vertical flight, a legacy that began in 1943 with the PV-2, the second successful helicopter to fly in America, now on display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. Shortly after, PiAC developed the world's first tandem rotor helicopter — a revolutionary design that has been instrumental in countless life-saving missions around the globe since WWII — and which lives on in Boeing's CH-47 Chinook helicopters," said Piasecki. "PiAC is building on this legacy with a truly groundbreaking vertical lift technology portfolio, including advanced digital flight control and flight automation technology, hydrogen fuel cell and hybrid propulsion systems, morphing aerostructures, and more. We work closely with partners in government, academia, and industry to advance these technologies and develop platform and system-level air vehicle integrations as well as conduct flight tests." Major PiAC R&D programs currently being executed: • Hydrogen Fuel Cell PA-890 eVTOL — The PA-890 eVTOL aircraft is the first zero-emission hydrogen-powered compound helicopter. The slowed-rotor winged helicopter is intended for use in a variety of missions including Emergency Medical Services (EMS), delivery of high-value On-Demand Logistics (ODL), On-Demand Mobility (ODM) personnel air transport, and many other commercial applications. In addition to zero carbon emissions, the PA-890 eVTOL enables up to a 50% reduction in direct operating cost and reduced noise compared with today's fossil fuel turbine helicopters. PiAC is collaborating with ZeroAvia, a leader in hydrogen-powered fixed wing aviation, to develop and implement its revolutionary High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) hydrogen fuel cell technology for PA-890 and other VTOL applications. Investment from the U.S. Air Force in the ground testing of a 660kW HTPEM hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system is accelerating the development, certification, and production fielding of the PA-890 to address the needs of the military as well as the $40 billion commercial light helicopter market. • Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) — ARES is a modular multi-mission tilt duct VTOL vehicle that can be operated unmanned (UAS) or with an optional manned flight module. ARES is designed with a small landing footprint to enable shipboard and expeditionary operations as well as provide embedded multi-mission C4I, ISR, combat, and logistics support to small distributed combat forces operating over extended distances and in complex terrain. Rapidly-reconfigurable Mission Payload Modules deliver mission flexibility that significantly reduces overall logistics footprint and cost. The ARES Demonstration Vehicle was developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin with funding from DARPA. With follow-on funding from the U.S. Air Force and Army, PiAC and Honeywell are developing and integrating a triplex fly-by-wire flight control system to initiate ARES flight testing by the end of this year. • Adaptive Digital Automated Pilotage Technology (ADAPT™) — ADAPT™ is a flight control software package designed to achieve unprecedented improvements in safety/survivability, performance, and affordability for U.S. military and commercial aircraft. ADAPT™ exploits the inherent redundancy of control effectors present in advanced VTOL platforms and modified legacy fleet rotorcraft to automatically allocate control commands between effectors to respond to aircraft damage or to optimize the control configuration of the aircraft for increased performance, maneuverability, reduced vibration or fatigue loads, or for a weighted combination of these attributes. About Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC) PiAC is an award-winning developer of vertical lift aircraft. It specializes in the design, fabrication, and flight testing of experimental rotorcraft and unmanned air vehicles and has developed and flown more than 25 advanced VTOL and UAV aircraft to date. Customers include the U.S. Air Force Research Lab and AFWERX; the U.S. Army Futures Command Aviation and Missile Center and Medical R&D Command; NAVAIR; DARPA; and SOCOM; as well as leading OEMs such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing. PiAC is a recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential National Medal of Technology, Smithsonian Air & Space Achievement Award, and the prestigious Tibbitts Award for small business innovation from the U.S. Department of Defense.

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