BlueBird WanderB-VTOL
Country: 
IsraelManufacturer: BlueBird Aero Systems
Hybrid VTOL/fixed-wing mini-UAS: combines quadcopter flexibility with the endurance and speed of a fixed-wing platform, with no need for runway or catapult.
Hybrid VTOL/fixed-wing mini-UAS: combines quadcopter flexibility with the endurance and speed of a fixed-wing platform, with no need for runway or catapult.
Community
Data trust
- Reliability
- Unverified
- Sources
- Sources pending review
Identity
- Designation
- BlueBird WanderB-VTOL
- Alias
- WanderB Mini-VTOL UAS
- Manufacturer
- BlueBird Aero Systems
- Country
- Israel
- Year
- 2018
- Category
- ISR (Reconnaissance)
- Class
- Mini (< 2 kg)
- Status
- In service
Performance
- Range
- 50 km
- Endurance
- 2.5 h
- Top speed
- 110 km/h
- Service ceiling
- 4,500 m
- Propulsion
- Elettrica ibrida: 4 rotori VTOL + spintore in volo orizzontale
Physical characteristics
- MTOW
- 12 kg
- Payload
- 1.5 kg
Onboard systems
- Sensors
- EO/IR gimbal stabilizzato giorno/notte HD
- Datalink / control
- Datalink digitale criptato LOS 50 km
- Launch
- Decollo verticale (VTOL)
- Recovery
- Atterraggio verticale autonomo
Tags
Main operators
History
Introduced in 2018, the WanderB is BlueBird's answer to the demand for runway-independent mini-UAS: the same airframe inspired the later ThunderB-VTOL.
BlueBird's WanderB-VTOL is a hybrid fixed-wing mini-UAS with four auxiliary VTOL motors, capable of vertical take-off and landing like a multirotor but with fixed-wing endurance (over 4 hours).
The drone is used for battalion-level tactical surveillance missions and is particularly valued in desert, mountainous or naval environments where runways or catapults are unavailable.
After IAI's acquisition of BlueBird, the WanderB joined the IAI Mini-UAS catalogue and has been proposed in numerous global procurement programs as an alternative to the AeroVironment Puma and Insitu ScanEagle.