Testing
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk has been a staple of U.S. military operations going back more than 30 years, but the Pentagon is now closer than ever to ditching one of the iconic chopper’s most important components: the pilot. Aircraft maker Sikorsky announced plans last year to convert
Military
Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) continues its successful shipboard trials when demonstrating its outstanding capabilities to the South African Navy from 20 to 23 October 2015 at False Bay, Western Cape, South Africa. The maritime environment holds unique demands for situational awareness and timely communications. The CAMCOPTER
Testing
State testing of the Granat-5 unmanned tiltrotor aircraft designed for the Russian Navy will begin before the end of the year, a spokesman of the developing company, Izhmash Unmanned Systems announced. "One of our projects that will undergo state tests by the end of the year is the unmanned
Military
Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD) has developed an armed and unmanned version of the MD 500 Little Bird light attack and observation helicopter that it showcased for the first time at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (ADEX) 2015. Speaking to IHS Jane's at the event on
VTOL
Lockheed Martin and KAMAN Corporations demonstrated for federal officials how the remotely piloted K-MAX helicopter can be used to perform wildland firefighting scenarios, including cargo drops, single target water drops, and progressive line building with a bucket. The demonstration provided officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior and
First Responders
In five months of operation, the NGO Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) saved over 8.800 lives in the Mediterranean. By spotting and monitoring distressed vessels, Schiebel’s Unmanned Air System CAMCOPTER S-100 assisted in the rescue and contributed significantly to the success of the mission. Thousands of refugees have
Business
CNN has acquired a Delta X8, a multi-rotor designed and manufactured by New Zealand-based Altus Unmanned Aerial Solutions, to advance its efforts to employ unmanned aircraft for their aerial news-gathering over public and property. Selected as one the Federal Aviation Administration’s three Pathfinder organizations, CNN has been actively engaged
VTOL
Using quadrocopters and some rope, researchers have woven together a bridge strong enough to walk across. Made at the ETH Zurich Flying Machine Arena in Switzerland, the bridge joins two scaffolds, and is the first full-scale load-bearing structure autonomously built by flying machines. The feat represents one more step in
VTOL
Swedish unmanned helicopter company CybAero has gained a new shareholder. Subversive Capital, a US fund, has acquired the remainder of California-based AeroVironment's CybAero holding. "We are delighted that Subversive Capital decided to become a major shareholder of CybAero and we look forward to working closely with them,
VTOL
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 reserve, according to a
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 on and take
Military
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 technology demonstrator.