Introducing AAI's Shadow Knight (authogyro UAV)

Introducing AAI's Shadow Knight: When UAV specialist AAI licensed Carter Aviation Technologies' slowed rotor/compound (SR/C) concept in 2009, it raised a few eyebrows. Tiny Carter had been working on the technology for years and, until then, had failed to secure any mainstream interest.

But AAI believed Jay Carter's reinterpretation of the autogyro offered the promise of an affordable VTOL capability for unmanned aircraft, without the weight, complexity and maintenance burden of a conventional helicopter's powered rotor.