Category Archives: VTOL

First Flight for Radiation Detector UAS at Bristol University

Bristol1A flying radiation detector that could be used to help with nuclear decommissioning and clean-up at sites such as Fukushima and Sellafield was recently tested in a specially designed experimental area at the National Physical Laboratory, the only one of its kind in the UK.

Project RISER (remote intelligent survey equipment for radiation), a collaboration between the University of Bristol, Blue Bear Systems Research (BBSR), Createc, demonstrated at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and funded by the UK’s Technology Strategy Board, has been focused on the development and demonstration of a unmanned air system (UAS) based radiation survey system that could potentially be used in hazardous environments. Continue reading →

Bogota Mayor and Tecscorp Launch UAS Pilot Scheme in Colombian Capital

Governmental use of unmanned surveillance aircraft has inspired a lot of concern about privacy, but Bogota City Mayor Gustavo Petro thinks the battle is already over. In a TV interview days ago, Petro said essentially that UAS are an inevitable part of our future, comparing them to the thousands of cameras already located around Bogota. Continue reading →

Northrop Grumman Readies MQ-8C Fire Scout for Flight Operations

Northrop Grumman Corporation turned on the power to the U.S. Navy’s first MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter and rotated the aircraft’s four blades for the first time during initial ground testing and engine runs at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu, California, on Sept. 20. Continue reading →