New Zealand’s tourism authority is now planning to cash in on the trend, buying a $1400 DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ drone to tour the country’s ski slopes, as well as Queenstown and Lake Tekapo, to capture tourist dronies.
Category Archives: VTOL
CybAero Announces New Engine Supplier
First North-listed CybAero, which develops and markets unmanned helicopters, announced at a press conference at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK that it is switching to a new engine and engine supplier for its Apid 60 aircraft.
Bulgaria Wants All-Weather Reconnaissance UAS
The U.S. Army has issued a market survey for a 10-pound UAS with hover and stare capability that would be suitable for the Bulgarian armed forces. Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., issued a sources-sought notice to locate potential sources to deliver and train vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV systems for foreign military sales to Bulgaria. Continue reading
UAV Mapping of a Landslide
At the end of May 2014, UPVISION, a Czech unmanned aerial vehicle and mapping company, conducted a UAV survey of a landslide on Highway D8, currently under construction near the city of Litomerice, in the northern part of the Czech Republic. A geological survey was conducted on Highway D8, which had been under construction at the time of the landslide. Continue reading
InvertiX 400 Quadrotor Can Flip and Fly Upside Down
The InvertiX 400 quadrotor, designed by Bobby Watts, can be flipped over quickly while in flight, and continue manoeuvres while while flying upside down, enabling the operator to engage in some unique aerobatics. Continue reading
UAS Surveys UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico
Mexican company SkyBótica and the German UAS manufacturer Aibotix have created detailed 3D models of the library and stadium of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The point clouds with a resolution of up to 5 mm are based on geo-referenced, high resolution aerial images, generated with the Aibot X6 UAS.
FAA Approves First Unmanned Quadrotor
The Instant Eye small unmanned aerial system received approval last Thursday from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to be used by an energy company, which will conduct research, development and training to see if the system is practical for inspecting infrastructure such as pipelines, power lines and insulators on towers. It is the first unmanned quadrotor to receive FAA certification and may be the lightest aircraft ever certified.
CybAero Wins $104M Order from China
Swedish firm, CybAero has landed an order guarantee worth $104 million over eight years to China for its unmanned helicopters. The order was placed by a company in the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) group, which develops and manufactures aircraft and various types of flying vehicles and has over 400,000 employees. Continue reading