
Lithuanians Begin the Patent Process for a Unique Aircraft
The Lithuanian dual-purpose aeronautics company Airvolve has successfully completed its initial testing phase and initiated the patenting process for a groundbreaking invention – a tactical transport aircraft. The company submitted a preliminary patent application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), giving it a 12-month period to finalize the patent for its invention.
The Airvolve patent will protect the company’s unique aircraft, which features horizontal-axis rotors and a lift-generating fuselage. Additionally, the patent will cover the aircraft's operational subsystems (e.g., control mechanisms) and various possible architectural configurations of the aircraft.
“We decided that the United States Patent and Trademark Office offers the most favorable patenting process and provides global recognition of patent rights. The patents granted by the USPTO, along with their priority rights, are recognized by major countries such as Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union,” said Tomas Narbuntas, Airvolve's Chief Technology Officer.
“We have submitted patent application documents, including detailed illustrations and operational justifications for our invention. While the full patent will be processed over the next 12 months, the preliminary patent application already acts as a protective mechanism. It grants us priority rights for our invention. This means that competitors worldwide can no longer patent an identical invention,” Narbuntas added.
The Airvolve large-load-capacity aircraft is distinguished by operational costs that are ten times lower than traditional helicopters. Its innovative horizontal-axis propulsion technology allows the transport of large and heavy cargo over distances of up to 100 kilometers, while the aircraft itself is compact enough to fit inside a standard shipping container.
It is expected that such an aircraft could be used for a wide range of civilian and defense missions, including autonomous cargo delivery, medical evacuation, and search and rescue operations.
The first prototype of the aircraft was successfully tested in May 2024, marking the conclusion of a two-year experimental research phase. Full-scale test flights of the aircraft are scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025 in Lithuania.
To bring this project to life, Airvolve has assembled a highly skilled team of professionals, including former employees of NASA, Ryanair Engineering, and FL Technics..