A 300-foot-long aircraft originally developed for, by then dropped by, the US Army was recently re-unveiled in Great Britain as the world’s largest aircraft. The HAV 304 “Airlander” is an amalgamation of airship, airplane, helicopter and hovercraft features, and is referred to as a hybrid air vehicle. Continue reading
Category Archives: Applications & Testing & Experience
Unmanned Aerial Video Biotelemetry System
A new UAS service is being developed to help athletes and teams elevate their performance while helping to prevent sports injuries, including concussions, cardiac incidents, and heat-related illnesses. Borne out of a New Jersey flight academy, the AeroTrainer is an unmanned aerial video biotelemetry system designed to give athletes and teams, together with their coaches and trainers, a full picture of athletic performance and physical activity. Continue reading
VIRES Aeronautics Raises $1M to Develop Innovative Aircraft Wing Design
VIRES Aeronautics, developers of a revolutionary airplane wing design, has announced a $1 million Series AA round of financing. The funding will enable VIRES Aeronautics to meet increasing customer demand for extended flight time in the rapidly growing industry for unmanned aircraft systems. Draper Associates led the round with participation from Lemnos Labs, VegasTechFund, Promus Ventures, Lance White, Don Hutchison, and Toivo Annus. Continue reading
Two RC Helicopters Lift a Woman into the Air
A German company claims to have broken a world record: the first time a human has been lifted into the air with a remote-controlled helicopter. Heligraphix, an RC helicopter company known for its gravity-defying stunts, enlisted the help of H.U.L.C. — Heavy Ultra Lift Crane model helicopters. Continue reading
Denel Seeker 400 Completes First Flights
Denel’s Seeker 400 unmanned aircraft system successfully completed its first round of flight tests after a three year development process. Continue reading
Lockheed Martin Skunkworks ARES Explained
The Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded Systems (ARES) is a vertical takeoff and lift (VTOL) flight module that could adapt to multiple missions with interchangeable payloads, offering new capabilities and enabling new operational concepts. Continue reading
Meteorologist Develops Cloud Seeding UAS in Nevada
Meteorologist Jeff Tilley is developing a UAS that could help produce billions of gallons of additional water each month through a process called cloud seeding. Tilley’s current cloud seed generator shoots tiny silver iodide particles into storm clouds to help transform water vapor into snow or rain. The conversion takes about an hour. Continue reading
UAS Help New Zealand Farmer Count Sheep and Assess Grass Quality
Three years ago, New Zealand farmer Neil Gardyne was watching a documentary about the war in Afghanistan and became inspired about new practical farming methods to farm his upland sheep, beef and arable farm in the Otama Valley, near Gore. “I was watching the documentary with my son Mark, and we were looking at how UAS were being operated for military purposes. It got us thinking how we could use such technology on our farm,” he says.