L-3 Unmanned Systems will introduce its Airborne Pursuit and Exploitation (APEX) Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems 2014 conference.
X-47B Programme Prepares for Summer Sea Trials
The X-47B unmanned combat air system is gearing up for shore-based flight test activities in preparation for the next round of sea trials this summer. The program’s test team will conduct various test events with the X-47B over the next few months in an effort to mature air traffic control and ground support standard operating procedures for co-use of airspace between unmanned and manned aircraft during day and nighttime operations.
UAS Shipboard Landing Using Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) Technique
Limited landing area as well as interference due to wind disturbance and wave motion make shipboard landings of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) extremely difficult. Use of UAVs at sea can enhance the efficiency of intelligence gathering and surveillance, and could also increase long-range air-strike capability. To successfully land aircraft in such a challenging environment requires a high-precision navigation system; this prototype applies RTK measurements.
Australian Authorities Distribute Flying Guidelines to UAS Hobbyists
Anyone purchasing a UAS from a major retailer will be handed guidelines for flying model aircraft in a deal reached with the Australian national Civil Aviation Safety Authority amid a surge in sales. The move follows two separate investigations into recent crashes. A man was fined $850 after crashing his drone into the Sydney Harbour Bridge last year, while witnesses are being sought after a woman suffered head injuries after being hit by one in Western Australia. Continue reading
Russia Begins UAS Patrols in Wildfire-Prone Areas
Russian UAS have started patrolling wildfire-prone areas in Western Siberia and the Far East to help combat the spread of fires, a spokesman for the Eastern Military District told RIA Novosti. Continue reading
FAA Fines Operator for Reckless Flight After New York Crash
The Federal Aviation Administration fined David Zablidowsky $2,200 for a September incident in which he flew a quad-copter off a building on East 38th Street in Manhattan. The FAA said Zablidowsky didn’t get permission from air-traffic controllers to fly the drone, which hit two high-rises before crashing near Grand Central Terminal. Continue reading
Raytheon Gets $16M Fire Scout Linux Upgrade Contract
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control experts at the Raytheon Co. Technical Services segment in Dulles, Va., will switch a major unmanned helicopter control system from Solaris to Linux software, and upgrade the system with universal UAV control qualities under terms of a $15.8 million contract.
Aerial Mapping with UAS
Surveying an open-pit mine can be a hazardous undertaking. To obtain accurate volume measurements, it is necessary to pick up edges, known in the industry as “toes and crests,” as well as heaps. These are important features, since they provide a way to verify the current shape of a mine; but in light of increasingly stringent safety regulations and penalties, some companies refuse to let the surveyor get too close to such areas. Surveying the site from the air is an effective solution to this challenge.