Researchers at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering say drones as small as 8 pounds will have “devastating” effects if sucked into the turbofan engines of commercial aircrafts. Continue reading
Drone Strikes Could Cause Jet Engine Failure
RPA Crashes in Afghanistan
A remotely piloted aircraft crashed Wednesday in Afghanistan while on a surveillance mission, US Forces Afghanistan said. The aircraft crashed at 4:45 p.m. local time in the mountains of the Mosahi District in Kabul province, Army Col. Michael Lawhorn, US Forces-Afghanistan spokesman, said in a statement. The Pentagon on Wednesday was unable to disclose the owner or type of aircraft. There were no reports of casualties in the mishap.
Source: Air Force Magazine
China Prefers UAS for Border Protection
To further combat cross-border crimes, the Chinese government has installed more advanced monitoring systems comprised of state-of-the-art radars and unmanned aerial vehicles. Continue reading
Tekever Demos Maritime Surveillance System
Tekever is proceeding with a demonstration of a maritime surveillance system using UAVs for the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). The Portuguese technology company was selected for the two-year Rapsody project by the two agencies last December. In what it claims to be a first, Tekever will demonstrate the value of using UAVs in search-and-rescue missions, and in monitoring pollution and oil spills from ships.
US Authorises Weapons Upgrade for Italian Reapers
Italy may become the first country to benefit from a recently-relaxed US government unmanned air vehicle export restriction, as it receives authorisation for a potential deal to arm its air force’s fleet of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reapers. Continue reading
UAS Registration Task Force Day Two
The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Registration Task Force has completed its second day of work on Wednesday. Continue reading
Drone Safe Register of CAA-Approved UAV Operators
On November 2nd 2015, Drone Safe Register was launched. This new directory was founded by Mark Boyt, a West Sussex businessman and CAA approved drone pilot. Mark wanted to create a platform for both professional CAA approved drone pilots to register themselves and their services, and for businesses and the general public to be able to quickly and easily locate them. Continue reading
Quadcopter Performs ScanEagle Mid-Air Launch & Recovery
Insitu, the makers of the ScanEagle, last week debuted a new launching system that uses a quadcopter to carry the plane-shaped ScanEagle into the sky and release it into takeoff. Later, when the Eagle is done flying, the quad-copter catches it in mid-air and returns to the ground.