Ecilop Solar (Ecilop-8) is controlled as a quad-copter, 8 rotors are connected pair-wise. There is no onboard battery. To configure controllers inside a building, the user connects an external battery. To restart the controller in sunlight, the user bridges the power leads. The vehicle remains airborne because of ground effect and automatically maintains a horizontal attitude. Continue reading
Category Archives: VTOL
Eurocopter X3 Hybrid Helicopter Creates New Speed Record at 263 knots – 487 km/hr
The Eurocopter X3 hybrid helicopter has opened the frontiers of aviation by attaining a speed milestone of 255 knots (472 km/hr) in level flight on June 7. Several days before this accomplishment, the X3 reached a speed of 263 knots (487 km/hr) during a descent. With these two successes, the X3 surpasses the unofficial speed record for a helicopter. Continue reading
Aurora Electric Ducted Lift Fan Completes High Powered Thrust Tests for DARPA
Aurora Flight Sciences along with partners ThinGap and Trust Automation are answering the need for safe, high power density electric lift fans, with specific interest in vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) air vehicle applications. Continue reading
YO! Burgers Delivered by QuadCopter in London
Restaurant chain YO! Sushi has claimed it is trialling a flying tray gadget to speed up the delivery of food to its customers’ tables. The Japanese firm says its waiters can now whizz the bizarre iPad-controlled iTray over tables and between chairs at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, or six times faster than they usually walk. Continue reading
Testing Unmanned Helicopters for Pesticide Spraying in California
To some, the sight of a small helicopter hovering a few feet over a Napa Valley vineyard may be just a curiosity. To others its the future of California farming. One of those is Ken Giles, professor of agricultural engineering at UC Davis. Continue reading
Brain-Computer Interface Technology to Control UAS
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In a gymnasium in Minnesota, a small quadrocoptor flies effortlessly through hoops. But look for its pilot, and it’s not obvious who it is, because it’s being flown by someone’s brain. Continue reading
Leica Teams with Aibotix for UAS 3D Inspection and Mapping
Swiss airborne mapping company Leica Geosystems has teamed up with German UAS manufacturer Aibotix to create a one-stop shop for infrastructure inspection and mapping. Continue reading
Inaugural Flight of a Fire-Control UAS over North China
China announced an inaugural flight of a fire-control UAS over the Greater Hinggan Mountains, North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on June 3, 2013. Continue reading