Wind tunnel
Although the cross-flow fan has been known since the late nineteenth century, its use as a rotary aircraft wing was not studied until 1997 when Patrick Peebles, an American based in the UK, conceived of it as a STOL device and subsequently formed the FanWing Co. Wind tunnel tests and powered model flights were supported by UK government funding, winning SMART awards in 2002 and 2003. Work began on a prototype drone, ostensibly aimed at the STOL urban surveillance market. The benefits of adding a tail were discovered during continued development. By 2014, support for wind tunnel tests of a 1.5 meter wing section was being provided through EU sources including €783,000 through the German Aerospace Center.