Can helicopters do aerobatics? This silent practice footage from Red Bull shows aerobatic helicopter pilot Chuck Aaron practicing in the Red Bull Aerobatic Helicopter. Continue reading
Laser-Based Aircraft Tracking System in Development
A ground-breaking tracking system called HYPERION based on eye-safe lasers could enable aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and even orbiting satellites to transmit vital data to ground stations more securely, quickly and efficiently. Continue reading
Automatic Beam Switching for UAS on Intelsat EpicNG
Intelsat General Corporation (IGC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Intelsat S.A., operator of the world’s first Globalized Network, powered by its leading satellite backbone, and L-3 Communication Systems-West (L-3 CS-West) has announced the successful demonstration of new automatic beam switching technology that enables Unmanned Airborne Systems (UAS) fitted with L-3 CS-West satellite communications packages to operate on Intelsat’s high-throughput satellite (HTS) platform, Intelsat EpicNG. Continue reading
Drones Over Water Collect and Test Samples
Amphibious drones are being developed to collect and test potentially dangerous water samples from difficult to access watercourses. Dan Squire founded Drones Over Water last year in South Australia and has developed a sensor unit, which attaches to amphibious drones to allow the collection of samples from watercourses.
X-47B Autonomous Aerial Refuelling
In 2013, the X-47B demonstrated the first ever carrier-based launches and recoveries by an autonomous, low-observable relevant unmanned aircraft. Continue reading
Pentagon Office Plans Drone Swarms
High over Alaska last summer, the Pentagon experimented with new, secret prototypes: Micro-drones that can be launched from the flare dispensers of moving F-16s and F/A-18 fighter jets. Canisters containing the tiny aircraft descended from the jets on parachutes before breaking open, allowing wings on each drone to swing out and catch the wind. Inch-wide propellers on the back provided propulsion as they found one another and created a swarm. Continue reading
Israel Wants to Increase Heron TP Endurance
The Israeli air force (IAF) and Israel Aerospace Industries are working to “significantly” increase the endurance of the Heron TP unmanned air vehicle from its current 36 hours. Continue reading
3W International Upgrades 2-Stroke Gas Engines
3W International has now expanded its site by another engine group in addition to the previous heavy fuel engines (HFE). The German engine manufacturer is introducing part of its comprehensive 2-stroke gas engine programme on the company’s reworked web site.