The game-changing unmanned helicopter that debuted at FOS Future Lab

Part-funded by the Pentagon, it is hoped the Capstone Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) — currently being flight tested at Keevil Airfield in Wiltshire — will be used by the US and UK militaries in the next few years.

Filling a capability gap between small electric drones and full-size manned helicopters, the liquid-fuelled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be specced for different uses, including delivering aid, supporting search and rescue operations, or acting as an air ambulance complete with survival kit and stretcher.

Unlike conventional electric drones, these helicopters utilise internal combustion engines for superior energy density, enabling them to perform tasks traditionally handled by manned helicopters but with greater cost-efficiency and safety. 

"They have an unusual rotor technology, which is called a coaxial rotor technology,” said Managing Director Justin Tooth, a former Royal Navy helicopter pilot. “So you have one rotor blade on top of the other on the same axis — hence coaxial — and they're going in opposite directions, and that means we don't need the tail rotor that you have in a normal helicopter. That saves a lot of energy, it reduces risk, it makes the aircraft more compact, and it's harder to do but it means the aircraft flies better.”

After two years of testing, Certo Aerospace chose the FOS Future Lab for its public unveiling. Tooth notes: "We've been flying them for two years in military tests and private tests, but here at Goodwood is our first public exposure. It's the first time the public has been able to come up and get up close and personal with them."

The display attracted significant interest, with Tooth addressing common queries from curious visitors. "The most common question is ‘what do they do?’ — pretty much anything a manned helicopter can do, only it does it a lot more cheaply, and it can be safer."

The helicopters leverage advanced autonomy to perform complex tasks, such as casualty evacuation missions, environmental monitoring, and tracking via mobile phone signals. "With autonomy,” Tooth explains, “what you're building in is a control authority where the aircraft can essentially sense what's going on around it, and make decisions around what to do next."

Technologies like LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and artificial intelligence enable feats such as autonomous deck landings on moving ships, which Tooth highlights as a breakthrough. "Landing helicopters on the back of small ships vertically is a challenge because the landing slot is moving in six axes.

“With a human pilot, it takes a bit of training but you have the motor skills and the observational skills, subconsciously to learn how to do that. That's proven a very challenging thing to program into a flight control system, but AI is making the difference."

Certo Aerospace's helicopters offer significant environmental benefits over traditional manned helicopters. Contrasting their efficiency, Tooth said: "Our system weighs 300 kilos and it can lift another 300 kilos.

"So, in terms of the environmental ramifications of using carbon, drones are a massive positive in comparison to using legacy manned systems because of that weight change." He compares this to his experience flying a 5,000-kilogram manned helicopter with a payload of only 100-200 kilograms.

The use of internal combustion engines addresses the limitations of current battery technology for VTOL. "Even [with] the best batteries in some of the other motor technologies we see around here,” Tooth said, “the energy density of those batteries is only about five to ten per cent of the energy per kilogram that you have in a kilogram of fuel, whether that's petrol or diesel or kerosene."

Initial applications could also focus on maritime environments, due to less stringent regulations. Tooth notes: “Regulatory hurdles remain a significant challenge, particularly for flights over populated areas. The regulators, like the central government, the CAA and the IASA, are going to be more inclined to let us off the leash over the water rather than on the land."

Emergency services are also expected to follow, with Tooth adding that they received visits from "casualty, evacuation, mountain rescue, ambulance, police, fire,” during their time at FOS Future Lab.

Looking to the future, Tooth envisions a landscape transformed by large uncrewed helicopters. "In 20, 30 years, we'll be able to look out of the window and see large drones that weigh half a tonne, one tonne, two tonnes, going around doing stuff. They may be dull, dirty, and dangerous jobs.

"It just could be that it's cheaper that way because you're taking the humans out of the loop, you're making the aircraft more efficient because they're lighter, you're making them safer and more environmentally friendly."

Public trust is another hurdle, though Tooth suggests that consistent use and regulatory approval will build confidence over time. He drew parallels with commercial air travel: "At what stage do airliners go from having two pilots to one pilot to zero, and how quickly will travellers want to get into an aircraft without a pilot?"

Certo Aerospace's debut at the 2025 FOS Future Lab underscores its role as a pioneer of uncrewed helicopters. With applications spanning military, emergency, and commercial sectors, and a design that prioritises efficiency, safety, and scalability, the company is poised to shape the future of aerial autonomy.

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Goodwood photography by Jack Beasley.