The northern goshawk zips through a forest at high speeds, constantly adjusting its flight path to keep from colliding with trees and other obstacles. While speed is a goshawk’s greatest asset, researchers at MIT say the bird must observe a theoretical speed limit if it wants to avoid a
The FAA is issued a notice to advise the public of the twentieth meeting of RTCA Special Committee 203, Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The meeting will be held February 21-23, 2012, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the RTCA (Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics) offices, 1150 18th Street
Testing
This video of the Ecilop 1 camera stabilisation system by Aleksey Zaitsevsky is one of the more original entrants in the DARPA uavforge competition. The stabilization system described above can be implemented on multi-copters and any other types of vehicles. This stabilization principle is technically feasible for mounts with
Business
Rheinmetall and Cassidian have agreed to pursue Rheinmetall’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems activities together in a Joint Venture. It was agreed in a contract that Cassidian should hold 51 percent and Rheinmetall 49 percent of the shares in the newly established Joint Venture. The ownership interests are to be assigned
Military
The US Air Force issued a Request for Information (RFI) and Market Research Survey to locate qualified business concerns for the procurement of the Air Force Safety Center's (AFSC) Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) for the AFSC, Flight Safety Division (AFSC/SEF)
Propulsion
Lockheed Martin won a $1.1 million contract Friday for development and ground demonstration of the integrated power system and payload into a SURGE-V hybrid UAV aircraft. Lockheed Martin and Elbit Systems of America LLC in Fort Worth, Texas, were selected last May to develop a green hybrid propulsion
Business
Russian Helicopters has received 5 billion rubles ($160 m) from the Russian Federal Budget for the development of three types of unmanned aircraft systems. After charging that smaller domestic developers wasted public funds - and pointedly purchasing Israeli drones for military trials - the Defense Ministry has switched to a big holding
Business
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., Poway, California, was awarded a $30,342,272 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract. The award will provide for the modification of an existing contract in support of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system quick reaction capability. Work will be performed in Poway, Calif.
Events
Defence, security and industry leaders from the US and Australia will discuss the latest developments and future visions for Unmanned Aircraft Systems in a free public forum at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday, 24 January. Key speakers include Major General Michael C Kostelnik, Assistant Commissioner at US Customs
Business
US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued contract N00019-11-C-0061 to Insitu Inc., Bingen, WA as a FFP effort to procure UAS ISR services. The period of performance of the mentioned effort will be an estimated 12 month period for 24/7 service capable of providing Electro Optical
Testing
The DARPA uavforge competition is approaching the deadline for Milestone 2, with voting for the 'Proof of Flight' videos due to end on January 22 nd. Of the six videos posted so far, the video above of Q-4 range of Nano UAS, developed jointly between Middlesex University
Electronic Sub-Systems
The Mercury Federal Systems subsidiary of Mercury Computer Systems Inc., provided its onboard real-time image processing and storage subsystems to the Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) for the U.S. Air Force’s Gorgon Stare (GS) persistent surveillance system, currently deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom. The Air Force’s Gorgon