Engineering & Design

December 10, 2018

AeroVironment aids National Park Service wildfire recovery effort

BY Aeroenvironment Inc. AeroVironment Inc. is working with the National Park service on a comprehensive drone-based aerial imaging and environmental impact study to assess fire damage in key areas of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area. READ MORE

December 05, 2018

Airbus opens flight base in Australia for Zephyr UAS operations

BY Patrick C. MillerAirbus Defense and Space has opened a flight base in Western Australia for its Zephyr S high-altitude, solar-powered UAS. The base is the first operational launch site from which Airbus will fly campaigns for a variety of customers. READ MORE

December 03, 2018

FAA names Merkle new head of UAS Integration Office

BY Patrick C. MillerThe FAA has named Jay Merkle, former deputy vice president of the agency's Air Traffic Organization Program Management Office, to lead the UAS Integration Office. He has more than 25 years of experience in engineering and program management. READ MORE

December 03, 2018

DARPA shows UAS can operate with limited communications

BY Patrick C. MillerCan UAS flying in contested airspace with degraded communications operate effectively? Recent tests demonstrated that DARPA's Collaborative Operations in Denied Environments (CODE) technology enabled drones to function with minimal communications. READ MORE

November 30, 2018

Tragic South African fires inspire search and rescue drone

BY Patrick C. MillerThe loss of a helicopter pilot while fighting fires in South Africa inspired drone developer and manufacturer ALTI UAS to create the Transition SAR Orange, a vertical-takeoff-and-landing UAS specialized for search-and-rescue missions. READ MORE

November 29, 2018

Belgium, Australia to acquire General Atomics UAS platforms

BY Patrick C. MillerThe defense forces of Belgium and Australia have been authorized to acquire UAS designed and built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Belgium will negotiate to buy the SkyGuardian and Australia will purchase the armed Reaper. READ MORE

November 29, 2018

Honeywell Aerospace starts UAV inspection service in India

BY Honeywell Aerospace Honeywell Aerospace is launching a commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Inspection and Data Analytics Service in India. Targeted at utilities and oil and gas companies, the service helps customers across the country improve and modernize. READ MORE

November 21, 2018

Flexible hybrid electronics have commercial UAS applications

BY Patrick C. MillerLockheed Martin and Georgia Tech are exploring ways to use flexible hybrid electronics to give small UAS beyond-line-of-sight capability using satellite communications. They are members of NextFlex, an organization that advances FHE technologies. READ MORE

November 20, 2018

Hyundai partners with American company to speed UAS development

BY Patrick C. MillerSouth Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. has formed a partnership with Boston-based Top Flight Technologies to cultivate new UAS business opportunities based on Top Flight's hybrid-electric power systems that provide longer flight times and heavier payloads. READ MORE