A French Air Force-led team has demonstrated the mid-flight handover of the command and control of a Mali-based Harfang to the aircraft’s base in Cognac, France, during an hour-long demonstration on 17 June.
US Military UAS Crashes Worldwide
More than 400 large U.S. military drones crashed in major accidents worldwide between Sept. 11, 2001, and December 2013. By reviewing military investigative reports and other records, The Washington Post was able to identify 194 drone crashes that fell into the most severe category: Class A accidents that destroyed the aircraft or caused (under current standards) at least $2 million in damage. Continue reading
Solar Impulse 2 First Flight
Solar Impulse 2 performed its First Flight on June 2 in Switzerland. It successfully landed after a maiden flight of 2 hours 17 minutes. The pilot was Markus Scherdel, test pilot of Solar Impulse. Continue reading
47 US Military UAS in Domestic Class A Accidents Since 2001
Shortly after the day’s final bell rang and hundreds of youngsters ran outside Lickdale Elementary School with their book bags and lunch-boxes, a military drone fell from the sky. The 375-pound Shadow reconnaissance drone skimmed the treetops as it hurtled toward the school in Jonestown, Pa. It barely missed the building, then cartwheeled through the butterfly garden and past the playground. The aircraft kept rolling like a tumbleweed and collided with a passing car on Fisher Avenue. People called 911. The rescue squad arrived in a hurry. Luckily, no one was hurt.
UK Royal Navy Completes First Flight of ScanEagle UAS
Just 7 months after the Ministry of Defence ordered the system from Boeing Defence UK, ScanEagle took off from HMS Somerset in the Gulf. The system, which can be launched by a pneumatic catapult from Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels, is unarmed and used for real-time intelligence-gathering and reconnaissance only.
Visit London by UAS Video
“VisitLondon.com is a vital tool to millions of visitors to the city, so it’s important to continually create new and inspiring content,” said Director of VisitLondon.com Julie Chappell. “This film uses impressive footage achieved by UAV, giving fantastic visuals of our iconic attractions. Continue reading
MIT Researchers’ UAS Recharges Batteries by Perching on Power Lines
Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) have developed a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can perch on a power line like a bird. This opens up the possibility for UAVs to recharge their batteries using the magnetic fields emitted by power lines. Continue reading
Allied Drones Debuts Twin Rotor HL12 “Iris” UAS
The newest UAV from Allied Drones is the HL12 “Iris”, a twin rotor craft that is designed to be 30% more efficient than helicopter-styled UAVs, and can be switched between gas or electric power on the same airframe. Continue reading