AeroVironment, Inc. announced the United States Navy has tested and deployed the RQ-20B Puma small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) aboard a Flight I Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG Class). Some of these exercises included the use of AeroVironment’s fully autonomous system to recover the aircraft aboard a ship. The US Navy issued a report on August 3 from the Arabian Gulf describing how Puma AE is also being utilized (see “US Ships Utilize Small Eye in the Sky”) on Navy Patrol Craft.
Author Archives: The Editor
62 Passengers in Near Miss at UK Airport
A passenger plane landed at Newquay Airport with 62 people on board has narrowly missed colliding with a drone in the latest incident to spark concern about the gadgets.
Spain to Join European MALE 2020 UAV Project
Spain has taken is first concrete step towards joining the pan-European military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programme with the cabinet approving an initial instalment to cover set-up costs.
Medical Deliveries by Drone in Maryland USA
The White House approved a pilot program last week that will allow Maryland’s Smith Island and two other remote communities in the U.S. to start receiving medical supplies via drone.
Soviet WW2 era Yakovlev Yak-3
The Yakovlev Yak-3 (Russian: Я́ковлев Як-3) was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft. Robust and easy to maintain, it was much liked by pilots and ground crew alike. It was one of the smallest and lightest major combat fighters fielded by any combatant during the war, and its high power-to-weight ratio gave it excellent performance. Continue reading
Two Way Communications with Emergency Services
AerWaze, an East Palo Alto technology company has developed Clear the Air, which provides a two way communications channel to UAV operators for safety related messages “While there are few good answers to those operating drones maliciously, AerWaze’s Clear the Air technology will help with operators acting in good faith,” claims co-founder Charles Marshall.
UAV Bridge Inspection Demonstration Project Gets State Innovation Award
The MnDOT Office of Aeronautics and Aviation was recognized last month for the drone research project that also involved the Office of Bridge and Structures and MnDOT Research Services. Continue reading
Big-Data Risk Analysis for Drone Flights
Engineering problems can sometimes appear simple beside the amorphous challenges of regulating and managing cutting edge technology use within existing societal structures. But early-stage startup Flock is viewing the knotted intersection of technology and regulation as just another business opportunity. Continue reading