US Army develops new drone that can TRANSFORM mid-flight

Army researchers have designed a new drone that can transform mid-flight, making it capable of both high-speed flight and hovering in place at a target destination. The drone was a joint effort from the US Army Research Laboratory and engineers Texas A&M, who presented their research at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aviation Forum and Exposition. The drone transforms by either bending its wings upward or fully extending them depending on the needs of the mission and the types of maneuvers it needs to execute. For'dash' segments of missions, which require travel to and from a target, the wings will be folded inward to allow for faster and more efficient travel, while'loiter' phases of a mission will see the wings fully extended for increased stability. 'During dash segments, short wings are desirable in order to go fast and be more maneuverable, but for loiter segments, long wings are desirable in order to enable low power, high endurance flight.'