Military
Northrop Grumman has received a new $262.3 million contract to develop and build a new MQ-8C version of the Firescout unmanned rotorcraft, the US Navy announced on 23 April. The aircraft will port all of the avionics and data-links of the existing MQ-8B to the much larger Bell 407
VTOL
For the past year and a half, Curt Morgan and his adventure-seeking production house Brain Farm, have been working closely with the makers of the Cineflex cameras, an advanced set of 35mm digital cameras that are capable of capturing high image quality with the highest level of stability in even
Military
The K-MAX cargo unmanned helicopter has impressed Marine Corps aviation leaders since the aircraft deployed to Afghanistan on Dec. 17, but the Marine Corps is not quite ready to give it the green light. One would expect that Afghanistan would be the ultimate test for a cargo helicopter considering the
Testing
Schiebel just released this video [below] of the "Making Of' the first flight integrating CINEFLEX technology. Schiebel's CAMCOPTER S-100 UAS integrated with CINEFLEX is the ultimate gyro-stabilized solution for aerial cinematography. The CINEFLEX is a multi-axis coordinated gimbal control system that provides layered isolation, steering, and
Commercial
Brain Farm Digital Cinema, Snaproll Media, and Schiebel have announced that the CAMCOPTER S-100 achieved the first ever UAS first flight with the CINEFLEX camera. The days of shooting were successfully carried out in Austria, bringing new levels of innovation to the film and broadcast industry professionals around the world.
Military
The Israeli Navy wants to equip its Dvora-class patrol boats with small vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft systems. Colonel Sassi Hudeda, head of the navy's weapon systems department, says the effort to develop a small VTOL system is being made with Israeli industry and the University
Military
The US Marine Corps made history on December 17, 2011, by flying a cargo UAS in a war zone. Controllers on the ground flew a K-MAX unmanned helicopter from Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, to Camp Payne in Helmand province, ferrying 3,500 pounds of supplies to fellow Marines. Since that inaugural
Accidents
An International Security Assistance Force rotary-wing unmanned aircraft crashed in northern Afghanistan on April 6. The cause of the crash is currently being assessed, however initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area. The site has been secured and no injuries have been reported as a result
Lighter Than Air
Mav6 continues to progress on assembly of the M1400 Blue Devil 2 at airship maker TCOM‘s hangar in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The latest pictures show mounting of the engines. The VTOL engines are Honeywell TPE331-12 vectorable turboprops driving MT MTV-27 props. To provide a sense of scale, the
Military
A team at Webster Field Annex is working briskly to support an urgent Navy request to weaponize the MQ-8B Fire Scout, marking the first time the Navy will arm an unmanned aircraft. The Fire Scout team and NAVAIR’s structures rotary-wing division personnel conducted the first of a series of
Commercial
The Ulster Society Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Northern Ireland has been using a quadrocopter to expose the secretive world of Badger baiting. Badgers are a protected species and killing one can lead to a prison sentence. That has not deterred the criminal gangs who dig into setts in
Propulsion
Schiebel has announced the first flight of a heavy-fuel powered CAMCOPTER S-100 UAS.The flexibility this engine provides will further add to the wide capabilities of the unmanned helicopter. After extensive development, the S-100 successfully made its maiden flight with the new heavy fuel engine at Schiebel's range