Commercial
Japan has pressed into service an unmanned helicopter to measure radiation levels within a three-kilometer radius of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where detailed studies have not been conducted since the accident last year. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency decided to use the unmanned chopper as
Testing
China's Sunward Tech SVU200 unmanned helicopter has successfully completed its first flight tests. The helicopter's first full autonomous flight occurred on 4 September near the Chinese city of Changsha, says Dennis Fetters, owner of Fetters Aerospace. Fetters is an American rotorcraft developer who designed the SVU200
Testing
It started as trash talk between two contributors to a national security blog. They decided to host a drone smackdown to see if one guy's machine could take down another. Unarmed drones, of course. The kind you can put together with a toy-store model and $200 in
Business
Crescent Unmanned Systems LLC in New Orleans has just launched the Bravo 300 Tactical UAS. The Bravo 300 small unmanned aircraft system is a heavy lift system designed for stability, endurance and operation in extreme conditions . Capable of being equipped with various payloads, including HD photo and video cameras, infra-
VTOL
The use of UAS in Pakistan normally brings to mind images of US Predators attacking tribal areas. But UAS now are being used to capture a different kind of picture in the country — showing some of the world's highest mountains being scaled by world-class climbers through some
Training
Manned aircraft have dominated the Navy for the last century; however, the use of unmanned aircrafts has been rising recently along with the demand for those who know how to operate and maintain them. Lt. Cmdr. David Avery, a Navy reservist and former SH-60B pilot, deployed to Afghanistan last
Testing
Boeing just released this demonstration video of it's optionally piloted version of the Unmanned Little Bird. The Unmanned Little Bird started life as a modified MD 530F single-turbine helicopter, and now Boeing engineers have taken it to a whole new level of capability by turning the proven
Testing
The Aerobot Ring is a co-axial hexacopter (dodecacopter) and due to its design, it is incredibly efficient as well as agile. Surf Life Saving Australia will be deploying the Aerobot Ring in a trial of its effectiveness. The aircraft are roughly three feet wide and have a payload capacity
Business
Vanguard Defense Industries, Inc. has teamed with US based ISR Group, Inc. to provide Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) services for U.S. and NATO Forces, as well as other government agencies, operating Vanguard’s Shadowhawk VTUAS. Under the exclusive agreement signed by the two companies, ISR Group will perform
VTOL
Polish manufacturer PZL-Świdnik has announced plans to fly an unmanned/optionally-piloted version of its single-engined SW-4 helicopter, revealing the development during the 3-6 September MSPO exhibition in Kielce, Poland. "The maiden flight of the Solo prototype, in a piloted configuration, is expected not later
Military
BAE Systems has announced that for the first time, the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) will be integrated onto an unmanned aircraft. The company, which designed and manufactures the guidance section of the laser-guided rocket, was recently awarded a U.S. Navy contract to add the APKWS onto
Business
Luxcopter SA ,recently established in Luxembourg, has started its business with the launch of the MITRON, a vertical take-off and landing RPAS for professional use. Luxcopter SA specializes in custom-made solutions. To meet customer needs, Luxcopter integrates specific payloads for turnkey solutions, including but not limited to inspections,