At TU Berlin, AlphaLink has developed an unmanned aircraft with a superior endurance and payload capacity. The electric powered drone connects multiple aircraft modules at their wingtips and can be scaled from commercial applications in the 25kg class up to stratospheric use as High-Altitude Platform operating as communications and earth observation hub. The innovative compound aircraft technology allows reducing the structural weight of the unmanned aircraft increasing range and reducing flight velocity. AlphaLink is therefore the next-generation aerial vehicle for data collection and broadband connectivity provision. Our intelligent flight control system Smart FC(R) can be adapted to other unmanned systems and yields the basis for potentially certifiable safety-critical systems (according to current harmonized EASA regulations).