Samad UAV Starling

UAV Starling
Samad Aerospace Ltd.
Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
www.samadaerospace.com

The Samad Aerospace UAV Starling is a hybrid-electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will be used for delivery, observation, and patrol missions.

The UAV Starling will be a fully electric UAV. It is a fixed wing aircraft with a V-tail. Three jet engines are fixed above the wings and in the center of the aircraft. Two alternate configurations, the fully electric e-Starling and hybrid electric Starling, are also being developed by Samad. While the company originally planned to initiate full-scale tests of the UAV Starling in 2018, the current status is unknown.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: hybrid electric VTOL aircraft
• Pilots: None
• Passengers: None
• Cruise speed: 104 knots (193 km/h, 120 mph)
• Range: 482 km (300 miles)
• Wingspan: 3 m (9 ft)
• Propeller Count: 3
• Payload weight: 88 lb (40 kg)
• Wing type: Fixed-wing
• Tail assembly: V-tail

Resources:

• Samad website
• Starling Jet homepage
• Video: World's first hybrid-electric VTOL business jet
• First Press Release: Introducing the Starling Jet
• Article: Samad Aerospace Intros VTOL Business Aircraft Concept, AIN Online, Feb. 5, 2018
• Article: VTOL Hopeful Makes EBACE Debut, AIN Online, May 30, 2018
• Article: Samad Aerospace targets passenger flight with electric e-Starling, Aerospace America, July 17, 2018
• Video: Samad Aerospace's half scaled e-Starling CTOL test, Samad Aerospace, Nov. 30, 2020