BAE Systems Demon

Overview

The Demon is an experimental unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed and manufactured by British defence conglomerate BAE Systems. It has been referred to as being the world's first "flapless" aircraft. The Demon was developed as a demonstrator for the flapless air vehicle integrated industrial research (FLAVIIR) programme. Developed from the conventional BAE Systems Eclipse UAV, it was used to trial an unconventional aircraft flight control system over the course of two years. Various other technologies were also experimented with, including modular and cost-reduction techniques. On 17 September 2010, the Demon conducted its first flight without using any conventional flight control surfaces. It has been speculated that the technology has potential applications in both civilian and military aviation.