Northrop Grumman Corporation successfully completed precision sloped landing tests Aug. 27 with the MQ-8C Fire Scout at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, in preparation for at-sea testing.
Category Archives: News
3D-Printing May Enable Troops to Make UAS on Demand
In the future, it may be possible for military jet pilots to manufacture and deploy small 3D-printed drones to conduct surveillance or help perform search-and-rescue missions. That capability to produce unmanned aerial systems on demand could be onboard aircraft in 2040 or even earlier, BAE Systems scientists and engineers said in a series of promotional videos released this summer. Continue reading
X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Lands after 2 Years in Space
No one seems to know much about the Air Force’s X-37B secret space plane except that it appears to be working exactly as designed. The unmanned Boeing-built craft, which resembles a miniature space shuttle, returned to Earth on Friday after nearly two years — 674 days, to be exact — in space. It’s the X-37B program’s third mission to space and by far the longest. Continue reading
Football Stadium UAS Flights Investigated by UK Civil Aviation Authority
UAS spotted flying over English football grounds are being investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The remote-controlled aircraft flew over stadiums recently in Nottingham and Derby as games were under way. The flights could be in breach of legislation that states they must not be flown within 150m of built-up areas.
Second Insurance Company Requests FAA Permit
State Farm Insurance Company is seeking permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to test the use of drones to capture images, including damage to roofs, during catastrophes.
Unmanned Helicopters Spray Pesticides in Napa Valley
As he went around Napa Valley in the past two years, Ken Giles had the unenviable task of notifying nearby residents that UC Davis would be conducting a demonstration project using UAS to spray pesticides at its vineyard in Oakville. Continue reading
Flag-Flying DJI Phantom Causes Riot at Football Match
An international soccer match between Serbia and Albania has been abandoned after banned fans flew a drone carrying an Albanian flag over the pitch – and sparked a riot among players and the crowd. Continue reading
A Drone By Any Other Name…
At a drone conference in Washington, D.C., last year, the trade group running the event sent a not-so-subtle message to the journalists there: The Wi-Fi password was DONTSAYDRONES in the press room.