The Mini Aleks was displayed at IDEX with dummy rockets. Source: IHS Markit/Patrick Allen
The Mini Aleks vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Serbia's Engine Development & Production (EDePro) is set to make its first public flight during an exhibition that will be held in Belgrade in July, Jane's was told during the IDEX show held in Abu Dhabi from 17-21 February.
The Mini Aleks uses four rotors to take off and land before transitioning to a pusher propeller as its wings provide aerodynamic lift.
Dusan Petrovic, an EDePro engineer working on the UAV, said it will have a one-hour endurance when powered entirely by electric motors and four hours when using a hybrid power system where a conventional combustion engine drives the pusher and generates electrical power for the other systems.
The Mini Aleks was displayed at IDEX fitted with dummy rockets, but its payload is 6 kg, according to Petrovic, so it is not a feasible attack platform. He said the aircraft displayed at IDEX is capable of flying, but a second model with an airframe made entirely of carbon-fibre has been completed.