A multimodal unmanned aerial system includes a fuselage forming a payload bay, a control wing forward of the fuselage including a first plurality of propulsion assemblies and a primary wing aft of the fuselage including a second plurality of propulsion assemblies. The primary wing has a greater wingspan than the control wing. The multimodal unmanned aerial system includes linkages rotatably coupling the fuselage to the control wing and the primary wing. The fuselage, the control wing and the primary wing are configured to synchronously rotate between a vertical takeoff and landing flight mode and a forward flight mode. The fuselage, the control wing and the primary wing are substantially vertical in the vertical takeoff and landing flight mode and substantially horizontal in the forward flight mode.