The Boeing Maverick was developed under contract for DARPA as a test bed for the A160 Hummingbird advanced helicopter program for low-risk advancement of avionics, flight control software, logistics, and payload integration. The Maverick is an unmanned rotorcraft based on a proven commercially-available two-place helicopter. It is piston-powered with a turbo-charger available for higher altitude operations. Electromechanical actuators are linked to the control surfaces and driven by COTS-based avionics with primarily linear flight control software. The aircraft is operated from a mobile GCS with a LOS data link system. The helicopter can be flown in an operator-guided mode or using autonomous flight plans which can include autonomous take-off and landing. The platform has approximately 400 unmanned flight hours and has been operated throughout the United States in a number of capability demonstrations.
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