Aurora’s Latest X-Plane Design Speeds Ahead

Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, recently completed conceptual design review for a game-changing, high-speed, vertical lift X-plane and has been selected to continue development of a preliminary design review. The aircraft is being developed for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program called Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT), which “aims to design, build, and fly an X-plane to demonstrate the key technologies and integrated concepts that enable a transformational combination of aircraft speed and runway independence.” Continue reading →

UK’s Bold Plan to Generate Electricity from Drones gets Research Grant

Using drones to harvest wind energy could play a significant role in the UK’s net-zero mission. University of Bristol’s Lecturer in Flight Dynamics and Control Dr Duc H. Nguyen has landed a £375,000 grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to conduct further research into the emerging field of Airborne Wind Energy Systems (AWES). Continue reading →

Czech Republic to Equip Army with FPV Drones

The Czech Republic is planning to equip ground units with small FPV drones for reconnaissance and strikes. The new Concept for the Construction of the Army of the Czech Republic (KVAČR) was approved in February of this year, however, there is little and vague talk about the massive deployment of drones and protection against this technology. That has now changed. Continue reading →