Reports of unidentified drones flying over seven French nuclear plants this month are being investigated, France’s interior minister said.
Danish Sniffer UAS Monitors Maritime Sulphur Emissions
Denmark’s Explicit has receive recognition and extra funding for its “sniffer” UAS, produced to monitor sulphur emissions from ships. The company was one of only ten finalists at the 2014 Ocean Exchange innovation contest in Savannah, Georgia. Continue reading
World’s First QuadCopter
In 1927 George de Bothezat told Popular Science that helicopters were “exactly where the airplane stood after the first few flights of the Wright Brothers.” What he means is that helicopters had, indeed, flown. Bothezat himself had built one that lifted off the ground while carrying the weight of four people. They just hadn’t flown well. Continue reading
Insitu Announces ScanEagle 2
Insitu has announced ScanEagle 2, the next generation of its revolutionary ScanEagle platform. Leveraging lessons learned from more than 800,000 operational hours, ScanEagle 2 provides increased payload power and expanded payload options, a more robust navigation system, better image quality due to a fully digital video system and a state-of-the-art, purpose-built propulsion system. The aircraft’s new architecture also maximizes commonality with all Insitu systems, reducing training, hardware and life-cycle costs.
Drones Monitor Pollution in Beijing Before Apec Summit
The Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection has sent out 11 drones to monitor air pollution in north China ahead of the Apec summit next month in Beijing, the China Youth Daily reported.
UAS Operator Permits Increase by 80% in 2014 in UK
The number of organisations given permits to use unmanned aircraft systems in the skies over Britain, including police forces and film-makers, has increased by 80% since the beginning of the year.
Xtreem Atom Palm-sized RC Helicopter
Swann is now offering one of the smallest remote-controlled helicopters on the market, the Xtreem Atom Mini Drone, which weighs in at less than half an ounce with rotor diameters of just 1.25 inches. The tiny size allows for greater speed and superior maneuverability, the company said.
MQ-1B Predator Accident Report Released
An MQ-1B Predator impacted the runway because of low-level wind shear and incorrect pilot recovery techniques during a practice landing at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., on April 4, 2014, according to an Air Combat Command abbreviated accident investigation board report released on Monday. Continue reading