Weight is crucial for long-duration flights of high-altitude platforms. Without the need for a landing gear, the weight of an aerial vehicle can be significantly reduced, which results in extended range and enhanced performance. The DLR Flying Robots group has developed a system that enables a fixed-wing aircraft to land autonomously on a moving ground vehicle. For the first time, this system has been demonstrated using an electrically powered fixed-wing UAV with a take-off weight of 25 kilograms, which performed a gentle landing on the roof of a car travelling at 75 kilometers per hour (link to press release).
