In February, Sweden’s CybAero announced that it had received an order for unmanned helicopter systems to be delivered to an unnamed end-user in China. The company has now revealed that this end user is in fact China Customs, and the purchased systems will be used for various tasks such as customs control, port management, and to counter smuggling.
StratoBus – Halfway Between Drone and Satellite
The StratoBus project offers long endurance and complete autonomy from a fixed position. StratoBus, a surprising vehicle halfway between a drone and a satellite, will be able to carry out a wide range of missions, including observation, security, telecommunications, broadcasting and navigation… and it offers a lifespan of five years. Continue reading
Triton Completes Initial Flight Test Phase
The US Navy’s MQ-4C Triton completed its initial flight test phase at Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale, California, facility March 13, bringing the unmanned air system one step closer to introduction to the fleet in 2017.
DJI Phantom/GoPro Video of Alaska’s Hidden Ice Caves
This UAS video lets us fly through narrow passageways into the luminous ice caves of Alaska. Firelight Films claims that Bigger Than Life represents the first documented UAS flight through ice caves. Continue reading
Thunderbirds Are Go !
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds have finalized their 2014 show schedule. In its 61st season, the team is slated to perform 66 demonstrations at 34 locations. Continue reading
Chinese Farmer Builds Own UAS
Zhang Aiguo, 62, a farmer from central China’s Hunan province, has made 5 farming drones with his partners since 2013, which cost just less than 20,000 dollars for each one. The aircraft enthusiast made his specifically designed drones by inviting professionals to do the designs, buying imported engines online and ordering body frames from aircraft factories.
Australia Transport Safety Bureau on Crop Duster Near Miss with UAS
Late last year a Sensefly eBee 178 UAS was carrying out aerial surveying work over Iluka’s Echo mineral sands mines when it had a near collision incident with a crop duster.
North Dakota Wants UAS Help to Monitor Floods
People in North Dakota’s oil patch are looking to the eastern part of the state for help this flood season. Oil companies have expressed interest in the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems to monitor flooding. Continue reading