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In a breakthrough for the Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) sector, IIT Madras researchers, in an experiment, have combined a real-time hybrid rocket thruster with a virtual simulation, to achieve the necessary velocity for ‘soft landing’. Soft landing has crucial implications in planetary landings of unmanned or manned exploration modules and terrestrial landings of VTOL aircrafts. In the experiment, researchers from the institute studied the feasibility of using the hybrid rocket thrusters for vertical landing platforms. Hybrid rocket technology uses propellants in different states, typically a solid fuel and a liquid or gas oxidizer making them safer compared to traditional liquid engines. Long runways “Vertical take-off and landing, will eliminate the need for infrastructure like long runways. As a result, VTOL capability will enable access to remote locations and rugged terrains where long runways and large airports are difficult to establish. Currently, helicopters are the system operating on those terrains; however, they face limitations in terms of speed, range, and efficiency compared to a fixed-wing aircraft,” said PA Ramakrishna, Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Madras. The findings of this research were published in a paper, co-authored by PA Ramakrishna, Joel George Manathara and Anandu Bhadran of IIT Madras, in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences. “The use of hybrid rocket thrusters for VTOL itself is a unique and novel aspect of this research. Our work paves the way to move beyond the conventional approaches by demonstrating the viability of hybrid rocket propulsion -- which offers a balance of safety, simplicity, and control -- for VTOL applications,” said Joel George Manathara, Associate Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Madras. Published on October 30, 2025
