Six Fraunhofer Institutes were involved in the Fraunhofer -Gesellschaft's flagship project, which lasted more than four years: The flight controller was developed by the Fraunhofer  IEM in Paderborn. A team from the Fraunhofer IOSB in Karlsruhe programmed an app-based mobile ground station for monitoring all components and for flight route planning, and developed a digital twin of the aircraft. The Fraunhofer IMS in Duisburg contributed the secure processor architecture. The Fraunhofer LBF in Darmstadt was responsible for the structure and battery technology, while the Fraunhofer ICT in Pfinztal developed the drives and some lightweight components in the structure of the ALBACOPTER®.

Operation Manager Martin Leuner (Fraunhofer IVI) expressed his satisfaction: "With the ALBACOPTER®, we have developed a conceptually innovative, semi-autonomous aircraft for cargo transport. Its eight rotors can be swiveled 90 degrees, and its wing has a span of seven meters. The ALBACOPTER® thus combines the ability to take off and land vertically (VTOL, vertical take-off and landing) with efficient wing flight characteristics. What's more, the vast majority of its components and electronics are not off-the-shelf parts and programming, but developments from the Fraunhofer Institutes."

Martin Lehmann from Fraunhofer LBF considers the successful maiden flight to be the achievement of the project goal: “The ALBACOPTER® is a large and important project for us with a long duration by our standards. The project started under the special conditions of the coronavirus pandemic, which was definitely a major challenge. At the end of the project, we led the whole thing to success as a team and were even able to take off with the prototype.”

Lars-Fredrik Berg from Fraunhofer ICT emphasizes: "The Fraunhofer flagship project ALBACOPTER® developed within a short period of time from a mere concept with a technology readiness level (TRL) of 3 to a flyable technology demonstrator with a TRL of 6. That is a huge technological advance for a four-year period! What is particularly remarkable is that, unlike in conventional aircraft construction, the design and material development for the ALBACOPTER® ran in parallel, meaning that the teams had little experience to draw on in terms of stability for their application and had to research everything from scratch and develop it in parallel."

Udo Nolte from Fraunhofer IEM adds: "During the project, it was often challenging to synchronize all components and sub-developments without losing sight of the goal. But that was also what made it so exciting: the targeted communication, the search for solutions – and always using the big goal of takeoff as motivation. The fact that the ALBACOPTER® completed a successful maiden flight with a safe landing is the icing on the cake. But what is more important are the insights, experience, and skills that we all gained during the development of the ALBACOPTER®. This know-how exists independently of the prototype in our documents and our minds and can be used in customer projects."

Matthias Kollmann from Fraunhofer IOSB emphasizes: “The collaboration on the project was exceptional, with the many institutes working hand in hand. There were short, direct discussions, which I really liked – and that's how we really managed to get the ALBACOPTER® off the ground.”

Fraunhofer ICT was responsible for project management during the final phase of the lead project. Its director, Frank Henning, said during the flight tests in Cochstedt: "I congratulate the ALBACOPTER® lead project team on their perseverance and courage, which made the maiden flight possible. The team did not content itself with documenting the possibilities, but developed a technology demonstrator and proved its airworthiness. I would like to thank everyone who has worked on this over the past few years for their commitment. The ALBACOPTER® flagship project once again highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary work and how well we succeed in this within the Fraunhofer Society: All participating institutes contributed their know-how and expertise and broke new ground together. That is why the whole is far more than the sum of its parts."

There was one downside, however: During further flight tests, technical difficulties arose with an electric motor, making it impossible to land safely. The crew therefore prematurely terminated the test series in Cochstedt, and the ALBACOPTER® was unable to demonstrate its full potential. However, Henning viewed this in a positive light: "We are conducting research and exploring the limits of what is possible. Rough landings are part of that. The key now is what conclusions we draw from the data provided by the flight tests and how we use them. With the insights and experience gained during the project phase, the ALBACOPTER® offers a wide range of starting points for further research and development, and above all for transfer to industry, both in its individual aspects and as an overall concept."

The final report is expected in the first quarter of 2026.

Click here to visit the ALBACOPTER project website.