Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

UK first for Thales-led UAV trials

A groundbreaking development programme led by prime contractor Thales UK has seen the successfully controlled flights of an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) direct from a Royal Navy warship, marking the first time full UAV control from a warship has been...

White Knight Carried X-37 Today

We announced back on June 7 the White Knight was to carry the X-37 UAV. Today that happened. While the White Knight and X-37 pair have previously engaged in high-speed taxi tests, today the pair left the ground and went...

UAV Display Monday at Webster Field

General Aviation News Blog has a post about an upcoming display of UAVs. Demonstrations and static displays include: Arcturus UAV - Arcturus; Aerovironment - Raven, Swift; BAI - Tern, Evolution; DoD UGVs - (I-Robot, Foster-Miller, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman); DRS -...

Smaller, Lighter UAVs to Reach Market Soon

A company in Tucson, Arizona USA is currently developing UAVs smaller and lighter than ever before. The small UAVs can be "toss launched" and weight about 4.5 pounds. They have a 62 inch wingspan and can fly for about an...

Boeing Team Demonstrates Advanced Autonomous Flight Control for UAVs

Boeing and a team of flight control scientists from academia have demonstrated leading-edge flight control technologies that potentially could dramatically improve the mission effectiveness of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles. The effort is part of the Software Enabled Control program (...

Touareg Prototype Masters Off-road Course without Driver

Last Friday, for the first time in public, an autonomous Touareg had to demonstrate what it has learnt from humans: Volkswagen put the prototype to the test on an off-road course at Motopark Oschersleben. The “intelligent” four-wheel drive vehicle tackled...

Solar UAV

Worldchanging reports on two solar powered UAVs. The AC Propulsion SoLong recently flew for 48 hours. The solar panels on the wings recharged the craft's batteries so they could power it for its secod night in the air. QinetiQ's Mercator...

Open Source UAVs

Blogger and coder Ian Stallings has tracked down a few open source UAV projects if you want to build your own. via WorldChanging...

Robots in the Skies

Slate reports from the Paris Air Show on the growing UAV contingent. Peter van Blyenburgh is the president of UVS International, a nonprofit industry group that he founded 10 years ago. He may have a broader view of the industry...

Morphing UAVs

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works is investigating "morphing" airframes for the UAV of the future, allowing them to change flight characteristics for different phases of a mission. The technology explored through morphing enables other next-generation capabilities, including a submarine-launched unmanned aerial...

EDO Introduces 'SABRE' For UAV Weaponisation; Ultra-Lightweight Non-Pyrotechnic Stores-Carriage System

EDO MBM Technology Ltd, a business unit of EDO Corporation (NYSE:EDO), has launched a family of store carriage-and-release systems specifically developed for UAV platforms. Known as SABRE, it is a new generation of ultra lightweight, non-pyrotechnic, modular carriers. SABRE provides...

International Tribune Reports on the State of UAVs

The International Tribune posted an article today reporting on the current state of UAVs as well as speculating on the future. The article talks about the safety aspects of UAVs, how they are being used today, the countries actively involved...

Fishermen snare yellow submarine

A mini yellow submarine is in hiding on a Scottish island after being picked up by surprised fishermen. The remotely-operated vehicle (ROV), which is used to detect mines, is 10ft long and weighs 850kg. more at- Fishermen snare yellow submarine...

UAV Model round up

One of my own blogs is Scale, dedicated to modelmaking news, reference material for modellers and my own builds. As I'm guesting here on the UAV blog I thought it would be interesting to have a quick look at what...

Pilot Error Cited in UAV Crash Investigation

The results of an investigation into the crash of a Predator UAV in November of 2004 have been released. According to the report, pilot error was the final cause. Although the UAV's navigational system was malfunctioning, the investigators determined the...

UAVs, Can They "See and Avoid"?

An article at the Shephard Group talks about the ability of UAVs to "see and avoid" other aircraft. The say that the technology for UAVs to "see and avoid" could drive further safety technology in manned aircraft utilizing the same...

Japan to purchase U.S. spy plane

Fearing a flare-up in North Korea at any time, the Defense Agency has abandoned plans for the domestic production of a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and will purchase U.S.-made planes instead, sources said. They said the decision was made because...

Warrior flies UAV Seaplane

By using existing UAV systems to aid Network Connectivity and its own aerial platform, the project will enable valuable UAV assets to enter service within short timescales to meet known user requirements and bring an array of additional functions to...

Semifinalists Named in Desert Robot Race

Forty self-navigating robots were chosen Monday to compete in the Oct. 8 sequel to last year's first-ever robot race across the Mojave Desert. Only half of the semifinalists will qualify for a spot on the starting line, based on how...

Boeing X-37 UAV to be Carried by White Knight

Space.com reports that Boeing's X-37 UAV will be carried by the White Knight built by Scaled Composites. The new pair have been undergoing high speed taxi tests in Mojave, California. No word yet on when any launches or drops will...

Cyber Defense CyberBug Monitors Fairgrounds for County Sheriff,

Cyber Defense Systems, Inc. (OTCBB:CYDF) announces their CyberBug(TM) was successfully deployed on Sunday April 17 for the Charles County Sheriff's Office to monitor the 12th Annual Southern Maryland "Blessing of the Bikes" event held at the Charles County Fairgrounds in...

Israel's secret drone revealed

'Israel the past two weeks has been utilizing a secret device to counter the growing threat of mortars and Qassam rockets Hamas regularly launches at the Jewish communities of Gaza – a pilotless drone that identifies and takes out...

UAV mission confirmed

'The Air Force plans to send two types of unmanned vehicles to Grand Forks Air Force Base, and pilots from the Fargo Air National Guard base will operate them from the ground, Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said Thursday. The...

Northrop Grumman Starts Construction Of Its X-47B J-UCAS UAV

'Northrop Grumman has started construction of its X-47B Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) aircraft, the world's first unmanned surveillance attack aircraft that can operate from both land bases and aircraft carriers. Production is taking place in the St....

Test Pilot School concludes first UAV short course

The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School graduated the first of hopefully be many Unmanned Air Vehicle flight test short courses May 20 during a ceremony in the school's main auditorium. Seven lieutenants, all from Edwards, attended the ceremony. This...

Linux Powers Airborne Bots

'British researchers are turning to Linux and embedded processors to build a fleet of tiny, robotic helicopters capable of swarming like angry bees and evaluating their surroundings with a single hive mind. The University of Essex's UltraSwarm project is...

Vought Completes Tests on First Enhanced Wing For Next Global Hawk

'Vought Aircraft Industries announced Monday that it has successfully tested to 100 percent limit load its first enhanced wing for the U.S. Air Force's new RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle (UAV) produced by Northrop Grumman. This testing, which...

UAV School

Wired has visited Fort Huachuca, the US Army's training ground for drone pilots. Most of the teaching here at Fort Huachuca, from federal flight regulations to the operation of the drones' infrared cameras, is done by outside contractors. Bill Hempel's...