29-year-old Zfort Ertfay quickly interrupted a brisk walk on the Qawra sea-front in Malta when he spotted an unidentified flying object hovering over the horizon last week and took this photo with his mobile phone. He was unable to make out what it was, except that it
Business
Ducted-fan VTOL unmanned aircraft have a lot to offer - the ability to take off, land and fly in confined urban spaces being one. But quiet they are not, at least those that are big enough to carry a useful payload for a useful time.Now small firm D-Star
Testing
House lawmakers recently chastised the US Department of Homeland Security for failing to take charge of security aspects related to the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into civilian airspace. The issue is gaining prominence in part due to recent tests showing that "remote hackers" were able to
Testing
With a wingspan of 400 feet, the Vulture will be the largest unmanned aircraft ever flown in the world, but for New Mexico State University’s Physical Science Laboratory it’s only the latest in a long string of groundbreaking projects PSL has been working on for decades. On September
Training
Northrop Grumman Corporation has established a new training facility for Fire Scout unmanned helicopter operators that offers improved flight simulators, hands-on aircraft maintenance and classroom instruction. Opened July 10 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., the Fire Scout Training Center will meet increasing demands for trained operators as the
Testing
Raytheon just released this footage from the Small Tactical Munition (STM) flight test at the Yuma Proving Grounds in February 2012.The STM is 22 inches long, 3.6 inches in diameter and weighs 13.5 pounds, and could be used on a UAS with a payload as low as
Testing
Raytheon has completed the preliminary design phase of the Tactically Expandable Maritime Platform (TEMP) programme awarded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Through the TEMP programme, Raytheon is creating an innovative system of modular technologies – including air and sea cargo transport, cargo transfer and onboard support resources – that
Testing
Gizmodo claims that one of the reasons that the FAA is closing down a large area around Devil's Lake, North Dakota is to test UAS lasers.The restricted zone will be reserved for unmanned aircraft—civilian planes will have to fly at a different altitude, or around the
Testing
The U.S. Army is standing by its approach of continuing to fly, buy and upgrade its Gray Eagles notwithstanding software glitches encountered on the road to the programme’s initial operational test and evaluation, which is scheduled to begin the first week of August at Fort Irwin, California. The
The EFF recently received new information about unmanned aircraft flights in the United States, including extensive details about the specific models some entities are flying, where they fly, how frequently they fly, and how long they stay in the air.The 125 certificates and accompanying documents the FAA released total
Aviation Safety Resources (ASR), a pioneer in life-saving safety systems for small aircraft, announced that it has been awarded patent No. 8200379 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its Smart Recovery System for General Aviation Aircraft. Dario P. Manfredi, ASR president, and Robert LaFrance, chief technical
Events
Danish company Sky-Watch was present at Farnborough, displaying its Huginn X1 quadrotor system. The flight control system keeps it stable in winds of up to twenty-three knots, and its sensor suite includes a sonar to avoid collisions, stay clear of the ground and only land where there are