Air system · Tailsitter VTOL ISR UAS
Flexrotor
Expeditionary ISR / Maritime Surveillance
Also known as: Aerovel Flexrotor / Airbus Flexrotor / Flexrotor UAV
Flexrotor overview
Flexrotor is a small tailsitter VTOL aircraft developed by Aerovel for expeditionary ISR.
It transitions between vertical takeoff and fixed-wing cruise and is associated with EO/IR, maritime surveillance, and autonomous mission functions; exact performance is payload and configuration dependent.
Airbus acquired Aerovel, and Flexrotor has been linked to U.S., maritime, and Ukrainian support contexts, although customer-specific fits are not completely public.
Through September 2026, Flexrotor is an operationally relevant unarmed ISR platform. The supplied illustration is interpretative and not evidence of propeller size or sensor fit.
Armament
No standard weapon; EO/IR and communications payloads
Development and operational timeline
- Aerovel publicly presents Flexrotor for expeditionary VTOL ISR
- Airbus acquisition of Aerovel expands the platform's industrial context
- Flexrotor remains offered for expeditionary ISR with user-specific configurations