Unmanned Vehicles

Hardly a week goes by when another story about autonomous drones whisking passengers over traffic-choked city streets fails to portend the George Jetson future. Less in evidence are reports on rapid progress in the regulatory foundation for such technology and at this week’s AUVSI XPONENTIAL Expo in Denver, the crystal ball is hardly clearer. In […]

As important as batteries are, the brushless DC motors that power electric airplanes are just as critical. In this brief AVweb video, Siemen’s Frank Anton explains how they work. view on YouTube

The FAA is looking for a few companies to supply near real-time processing of airspace authorizations for drone operators. The idea behind the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) system is that it will streamline the approval process for routine Part 107 drone flights below approved altitudes in controlled airspace. So far, LAANC has […]

As airborne drones find ever more applications, Verizon is testing unmanned aircraft to provide cellphone service after a natural disaster. The 200-pound drones are being used in the latest in a series of tests Verizon has been conducting since 2016, according to USA Today. The aircraft, which carry equipment called a femtocell, can be deployed […]

Lockheed Martin has released concept images of a refueling drone it’s working on for a U.S. Navy competition. The MQ-25 “Stingray” design is under development at the company’s Skunk Works, and will compete with entries from Boeing and General Atomics. The Navy wants the drone to be capable of carrying 14,000 pounds of fuel to […]

As drone technology continues to evolve, fuel cells appear to be becoming more practical as power sources. Although still expensive and slower to respond to load changes, fuel cells have power-to-weight ratios currently two to five times higher than standard lithium ion batteries. And in the past couple of months, several projects have surfaced that […]

Drone flights are restricted within 5 miles of an airport, unless the FAA gives advance permission, but now the FAA is beginning to approve flights within the airport boundaries for professional operators. Last week, the FAA said it will allow first responders to operate drones at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport — one of the busiest […]

With so many companies working on electric-powered VTOLs and other airplanes of the future, it may seem odd that NASA is experimenting with what is essentially a big RC model of a Cub. The airplane, about 60 percent the size of a piloted aircraft, couldn’t look much more traditional, with its tailwheel, a big wide […]

The White House plans to request that law enforcement and security agencies be permitted to track and shoot down civilian drones, according to Endgadget, a technology site. The proposal thus far lacks specifics, but would reportedly apply to multiple U.S. government agencies charged with security responsibilities. The report surfaced at the FAA’s third annual Unmanned […]

The FAA is expanding a program that will provide “near real-time” processing of requests for access to controlled airspace from drone operators, the agency said on Tuesday. A prototype system that was deployed last November has performed successfully, the FAA said, and the agency will now conduct a nationwide beta test, beginning April 30, that […]