Unmanned Vehicles

Boeing has announced the successful completion of its first series of synchronized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight tests. The tests were completed using new onboard autonomous command and control technology that the company says is designed to automatically perceive, processes and react in coordination with other UAVs. The new system was developed and tested in […]

The FAA has issued a statement warning operators of unmanned aircraft (UAS/drones) to stay away from wildfires. The agency emphasized that while proper use of drones for firefighting missions can provide a lot of useful information, unauthorized flights risk lives, especially since firefighting operations typically occur in the same airspace as the majority of hobby […]

Unleaded Avgas “Regardless of which fuel is selected, on that first takeoff, what will YOU be thinking?” I’ll be thinking “I’m glad I’m not flying behind a high-HP engine that needs 100-octane fuel” 😉 Joking aside, I’ve been saying that I’ll be glad to do away with TEL because I won’t have to worry about […]

Propping? What Could Possibly Go Wrong? I certainly enjoyed Paul’s description of the propping episode he experienced. He writes well and I’d like to see more. I’m not sure he has a clear understanding of what and why the impulse coupler does what it does, however. It is surprising that he hasn’t had many such […]

Airbus Defense and Space has announced the successful landing of its first production Zephyr S High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) after a record-breaking 25 days, 23 hours and 57 minutes aloft. It was launched on July 11. The previous endurance record was a held by the Zephyr 7 prototype, which remained airborne for more than 14 […]

Luminati Aerospace, an engineering and research firm based on Long Island, New York, says it has created technology inspired by flocks of geese that can achieve “perpetual stratospheric flight.” Luminati says groups of four solar-powered drones flying in a diamond formation can “overcome the limitations of current battery technology” by taking advantage of the vortices […]

Boeing has announced plans to open a research and development facility at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) new mixed-use district in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center will provide space for Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, along with Boeing employees. According to Boeing, the work at the facility “will focus on designing, […]

Using your torso to fly a drone is easier and more precise than a joystick, Swiss researchers have found. “It’s immersive, and easy to learn, and gives you the feeling that you are flying,” says Jenifer Miehlbradt, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. The researchers’ aim was to design a control method […]

Well, we can’t say enough that no one should be doing this but the fact that it does happen results in coverage like this. Someone on the French protectorate of Mauritius, off the coast of Madagascar, has figured out the exact altitude and spot to position his drone (speculated to be a Parrot Anafi by […]

The Lindbergh Foundation will be holding its first Innovation Forum featuring talks by industry innovators at AirVenture 2018. Topics include artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, electric flight and autonomous aircraft. Each of the nine presenters will give a 12-minute talk, with question-and-answer sessions and lunch to follow. The talks, along with longer interviews with each presenter, […]