A group of college aerospace engineering students in the 2012-2013 Aeronautics Academy at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center have proven German aerodynamicist Ludwig Prandtl’s theory on how to overcome one of the thorny problems of flight — adverse yaw due to induced drag — without relying on rudders or complicated computerized flight controls to accomplish it. Continue reading
US Air Force Cadets Hunt Down Pine Beetles
Cadets in the US Air Force Academy’s Systems Engineering 460 course are engineering a remotely piloted aircraft programme and platform to monitor ponderosa pine trees for beetle infestations. They’re set to select a sensor for their RPA that can scan trees in near-infrared and visible light wavelengths to spot ips beetle infestations.
RQ-4B Global Hawk Resurrected for Static Training
During a flight in May 2009, an Edwards RQ-4B Global Hawk Block 20 remotely piloted aircraft (tail number 2016) encountered a complete spoiler communication loss and had to execute an emergency landing on the dry lake bed at Edwards Air Force Base. During landing, the aircraft sustained major damage to the right main landing gear and wing when it struck a precision approach path indicator light.
McGill Research Develops Autonomous Support for UAS
Research at McGill is helping the Canadian military develop UAS software for use in combat operations, according to documents obtained through the Access to Information (ATI) Act. Since 2011, the University has received more than $1 million in defence contracts from the Department of National Defence.
Brazilian Navy Trials ScanEagle
The Brazilian Navy has recently conducted trials with the Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle. Continue reading
NASA Can Now Predict Sinkholes Before They Happen
NASA researchers have found a way to predict a sinkhole before it happens.The researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California have taken thorough looks at data that will spot sinkholes as they form before the surface collapses. This will be done using a technology called InSAR or Interferometric Syntheti Aprture Radar.
UAS Over America
Dubai Free Zone Plans Parcel Delivery by UAS
Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) has planned to introduce a futuristic concept of “Delivery by Jafza” using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Through this initiative, Jafza seeks to use technology to further augment its delivery system to ensure faster execution of transactions. Jafza provided a demo of the new delivery system during its annual event last week, which was held to celebrate its landmark achievements in 2013. The free zone did not disclose the date of the launch of this service. Continue reading