Percepto Obtains BVLOS Exemption Denial from FAA

Autonomous inspection and monitoring solutions provider Percepto has announced a first-of-its-kind exemption denial from the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA’s denial provides cause for the whole industry to celebrate, as for the first time it allows Percepto to operate Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) without humans onsite, eliminating a burdensome exemption process that has been required to enable remote pre-flight check under Part 107. Continue reading →

Kratos Gets $49M BQM-177A Targets Contract

Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems Inc., Sacramento, California, is awarded a $49,568,200 firm-fixed-price contract for the production and delivery of 55 full rate production Lot 4 BQM-177A Surface Launched Aerial Targets, to include associated 55 Rocket-Assisted Takeoff Attachment kits, 277 mission kits, as well as associated technical and administrative data for the Navy, and the governments of Canada and Australia. Continue reading →

Curtiss XP-55 Ascender – WW2 Backwards Super Fighter

The Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender (company designation CW-24) is a 1940s United States prototype fighter aircraft built by Curtiss-Wright. Along with the Vultee XP-54 and Northrop XP-56, it resulted from United States Army Air Corps proposal R-40C issued on 27 November 1939 for aircraft with improved performance, armament, and pilot visibility over existing fighters; it specifically allowed for unconventional aircraft designs. Continue reading →