UAS VISION
an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
Piasecki Aircraft Corporation, a global supplier of rotorcraft and aerial vehicles, announced that it has been awarded a $37 million multi-year contract by AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm in conjunction with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), as part of its Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. Continue reading
Researchers at the Escuela Politecnica Nacional in Ecuador have just published a paper which examines a formulation for the sizing of ducted fans for BLI configurations with a distributed propulsion system, based on the NASA X-48B. Continue reading
Swinburne University of Technology’s Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) has successfully completed the first flight of an Australian-developed hydrogen fuel cell electric powered VTOL drone. The flight test was achieved using AIR Hub’s innovative Small Hydrogen Aircraft Development & Evolution (SHADE) drone. Continue reading
As the US Navy seeks to develop and field advanced unmanned systems, the Naval Air Systems Command’s Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program will look to the FVR-90 to continue VTOL experimentation and maturation efforts due to its tactical mobility and agility. Continue reading
A joint venture between Chongqing University Industrial Technology Research Institute and the Shenzhen-based private company Thrust-to-Weight Ratio Engine (TWR) has successfully tested a new rotating detonation engine (RDE) propelled drone. Conducted at an undisclosed location in Gansu province, China, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the RDE-engined drone could open the door for future drones with unparalleled speeds. Continue reading
Researchers, from Delft University in the Netherlands have devised the autonomous drone that uses its propellers 0.25 per cent of the time, compared to the 38 per cent required for a regular flight. Continue reading
Northwest UAV has announced that its newest heavy-fuel UAV engine, the NW-230, has achieved first flight operations with an undisclosed customer. The flight was conducted on a hybrid vertical take-off and landing (HVTOL) UAV. Continue reading
LiquidPiston, an innovator of compact, efficient engine technology and hybrid power systems, announced that it has been awarded a three-year, $35 million contract to support hybrid power system development. Continue reading