A Look Back: Scion’s Unmanned Aircraft Program

Before Scion Helicopters turned its focus to experimental aircraft, Scion UAS reached a significant milestone in advanced VTOL aircraft development. The team developed the SA-400 Jackal, a turbine-powered, optionally piloted VTOL aircraft designed for demanding unmanned operations.

That program marked a major technical achievement in the company’s earlier aviation work. The SA-400 Jackal was developed and operationally tested as a ship-capable aircraft platform to support emerging sensor system applications.

This important chapter in the company’s history began in October 2012, when the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory awarded Scion UAS a contract to develop the aircraft. Scion UAS then completed its first production test flights, following earlier prototype testing, and received a special airworthiness certificate for experimental research and development.

Today, Scion Helicopters continues to advance with the same spirit of hands-on aviation development, technical problem-solving, and a commitment to building aircraft designed to perform in the real world.

This work was originally covered by https://www.suasnews.com in 2013.

Video courtesy of Scion Helicopters