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
US Air Force Reapers Rely on Horsehair to Land
A close up of the horsehair used to judge yaw during takeoff and landings for the MQ-9 Reaper (Aaron Mehta/Staff)
Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico is notable as the training hub for the pilots and sensor operators who fly the Air Force’s MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) fleets . Continue reading
@rupertmurdoch Flies DJI Phantom
Rupert Murdoch has posted a picture on social media of him flying his new quadcopter. In a Tweet sent on October 28, the media mogul posted a picture of himself flying a quadcopter over a beach during the WSJD live technology conference in Laguna Beach, California. Continue reading