Russian Altius-M Long-Range UAV Spotted at Airfield

altius-russia

The newest large Russian UAV can be clearly seen on aerospace photos of the Google Maps web mapping service application, the Military Russia informational website reported. According to the website, the photos were taken at the Kazan Aviation Factory (a branch of the Tupolev JSC). Presumably, the UAV is the Russian Altius-M (Altair) newest secret reconnaissance drone, capable to boast of its large duration of the flight. Continue reading

Disney Applies for Drone Airbag Patent

Sketch from Disney patent application shows airbag engulfing Disney drone. (Disney Enterprises patent application)

Sketch from Disney patent application shows airbag engulfing Disney drone. (Disney Enterprises patent application)

Disney is seeking patents for a unique new safety feature for its aerial drone light displays, according to a new patent application filed last Thursday by Disney Enterprises. An airbag has been designed to deploy around the drone, like giant bubble-wrap, if it malfunctions or if sensors detect an imminent collision with another object, the patent says. Continue reading

Agile UAV in Network Centric Environment (NCE)

barracuda

What began in 2003 as the “deep black program” under the project name “Barracuda” was completed in December 2015 as the Agile UAV in NCE. The unmanned air vehicle platform was initially designed to test new technological developments with just a small number of flight trials. Following an 18-year utilisation and development phase, the Agile UAV  is now one of Europe’s leading technology Demonstrator Systems. Continue reading