Testing
The MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter has made an 11-hour, long-range flight. During an endurance demonstration from Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, the Fire Scout flew 150 miles and 11 hours on a planned 10-hour flight, and still had an hour's fuel in
Testing
Helicopters are incredibly manoeuvrable in the air, but during landing and takeoff their traditional skid- and wheel-based landing gear requires stable, flat surfaces—surfaces that are often unavailable in helicopter-needy environs such as forward operating areas, ships at sea and natural-disaster zones. Having the ability to land
Testing
Big IT companies have largely been mum on plans to use drones, but emerging technology from Bay-area startup PreNav appears to have at least intrigued wireless service providers and cell phone tower operators.
Data Links & Communications
The BAE Systems designed Falcon system gives the British Army and Royal Air Force a real advantage in the digital age. Falcon is a fully deployable, tactical communications system with an impressive ability to interface with a wide range of other systems. This means that voice, data and video information
Commercial
Known for its key role in the smartphone industry, Qualcomm is now looking to expand their horizons by making a new chip reference design aimed at making drones cheaper for everyone. Qualcomm's SoC (system on a chip) design will also be used for future drones. SoCs are efficient
Training
CAE has revealed plans to replicate the unmanned air vehicle training that it offers to the US Air Force to more operators of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems family of Predator UAVs. The company currently provides pilot training for the MQ-1 and MQ-9 UAVs to the USAF at
Military
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. announced that its Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper Extended Range (Reaper ER) RPA fleet has achieved a historic milestone with the first operational fielding of Reaper ER by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) last month. “Reaper ER provides a tremendous capability increase in both
Military
The Lockheed Martin Skunk Works has revealed plans for a next-generation, high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform that could replace the U-2 and Global Hawk from 2025. The company has launched an internally-funded study of a stealthy jet designated the TR-X that might also
Commercial
By 2035, the number of unmanned aerial vehicles in operation in the U.S. is expected to surpass the number of manned aircraft in operation. The U.S. commercial drone market could easily be worth $5 billion, according to the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, and the global commercial market
Testing
Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland has announced that it has completed the U.K. Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Rotary Wing Unmanned Aerial System (RWUAS) Capability Concept Demonstration (CCD) contract it was awarded in 2013, including 27 hours of demonstration flying and 22 automatic simulated deck landings using its SW-4 RUAS Solo
Regulations
MEPs on the European Parliament's transport committee have signalled support for a resolution urging new EU regulation for civilian drones. The draft text, drawn up by British Conservative MEP Jacqueline Foster, says that new EU-wide rules are needed to clarify issues such as airworthiness testing and the
Accidents
A falling drone cut and bruised an 11-month-old girl in a stroller at an event Saturday, according to the Pasadena Police Department. Police said a 24-year-old man lost control of his DJI Inspire 1, a camera-carrying quadcopter costing nearly $3,000, causing it to crash