Bell’s V-247 Armed Tilt-rotor Drone For Marines

X-247-armed-drone-modelA sleek little model sits on the desk of Lt. Gen. Jon “Dog” Davis, Marine deputy commandant for aviation. What is that, we asked? The next tilt-rotor Bell Helicopter Textron hopes the Marine Corps will buy. But it’s not the V-280 Valor, the new manned tilt-rotor Bell plans to fly next year. It’s an unmanned tilt-rotor designed to give the Marines a drone that can do everything the Air Force’s armed MQ-9 Reaper does – and more. Especially taking off and landing from ships or from land where there’s no runway.

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Drone World Expo – Exclusive Interviews – Douglas Johnson

DougJohnson250We wanted to find out more about the team behind Drone World Expo – what makes them tick, what motivates them and what are the secrets behind the success of the event. We interviewed Advisory Board member Douglas  Johnson, Vice President of Technology Policy at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Doug is responsible for public policy issues affecting product development, operations, sales and marketing across the CE industry. He serves as an advocate for the industry before regulators and legislators at the local, national and international levels. Continue reading

Clean Energy Fuel Cell Propulsion Systems for Civil UAS

ProtonexBallard Power Systems has announced that the company’s subsidiary, Protonex, received notification from the U.S. Department of Commerce that its family of fuel cell propulsion systems are now designated as EAR99 (Export Administration Regulations 99) compliant, creating a path for commercial export and deployment in a variety of civilian unmanned vehicle applications. Continue reading

Section 333 vs. Part 107: What Works for You?

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) new small drone rule – formally known as Part 107 – is effective from today, August 29. You may also be wondering what happens to your Section 333 exemption grant or petition for exemption. The biggest question is whether you are better off flying under the provisions of Part 107, or should continue using your existing exemption? Continue reading