Autonomous Helicopter for Commercial and Military Utility Missions

Sikorsky and Robinson Helicopter Company have unveiled the R66 Turbinetruck, an autonomous cargo helicopter designed for commercial and military utility missions. The aircraft combines Sikorsky’s Matrix autonomy system with Robinson Unmanned’s cargo UAS helicopter platform. According to AeroTime, the companies said the aircraft is intended for missions including ‘cargo delivery, resupply, contested logistics, and disaster relief.’ The R66 Turbinetruck is built around Robinson’s R66 turbine-powered helicopter but removes the cockpit and crew stations in favor of a cargo-focused configuration. Sikorsky said the Matrix system has been validated on aircraft ranging from small drones to strategic airlift cargo planes and has accumulated more than 1,000 flight hours of operational data. The companies described the R66 Turbinetruck as a modular platform that can be reconfigured for different mission profiles.