Airbus Defence and Space officially announced that it has launched the Zephyr 8 programme to develop the next generation of the world-record setting Zephyr 7 system and invites potential customers and partners to undertake joint in-flight demonstrations of their payloads and applications.
Author Archives: The Editor
Infotron Sold for $10M
Groupe Gorgé, via its subsidiary ECA S.A., has acquired French UA helicopter provider Infotron for €2.5 million and 375,000 shares of ECA – a combined value of around $10 million. The acquisition supplements ECA’s line of unmanned underwater and aerial devices and systems with a proven line of mini helicopter-type vertical takeoff UAS.
Sapphire Optics to Protect Gimbals
Custom-fabricated sapphire, germanium and zinc-selenide optics for use in gimballed systems and front surface protection in unmanned air and undersea vehicles are available from Meller Optics, Inc. of Providence, Rhode Island (US).
Datron Gets Mystery Military Order
Datron World Communications, Inc. has announced today the receipt of a purchase order from a U.S. military customer for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS).
Non-profit Group Sues FAA Over UAS Flying Ban
The US Federal Aviation Administration faces a second legal challenge over its ban on non-recreational flying of unmanned aircraft – and the first coming from a non-profit organization dedicated to searching for missing people. Texas-based EquuSearch filed a lawsuit in the US Court of Appeals in Washington DC, asking the court to over-turn a two-month-old FAA order prohibiting the non-profit organization from using unmanned aircraft sytems (UAS) as part of its search efforts.
More Photos of Chinese UAS Found in South Korea
More photos have emerged of the Chinese Sky-09P UAS that appears similar to at least one of the unmanned aircraft that was discovered crashed in South Korea. The new photos provide a clearer view of the underside of the aircraft and the slingshot launching system. Continue reading
UAS Video of SPACEX F9R First Flight Test to 250m
Nice UAS-filmed video of Falcon 9 Reusable (F9R) taking its first test flight at the Spacex rocket development facility. F9R lifts off from a launch mount to a height of approximately 250m, hovers and then returns for landing just next to the launch stand. Continue reading
DARPA Eyes Greater Cockpit Automation
DARPA is launching a programme called Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System to mature technologies that enable higher levels of cockpit automation to help reduce pilot workload, augment mission performance, and improve safety.