All Civil UAVs articles – Page 87
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Hornet UAV flight testing takes off
Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV Flight testing of the Israeli-developed Hornet vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) is under way. The Hornet is being developed by Aero Design and Development (AD&D). Intended primarily for short-range operation, the UAV can also be used in a manned role as it ...
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NASA studies use of UAVs for research into earth sciences
NASA plans to award at least two multiyear contracts to demonstrate whether unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) can support earth science research. The space agency says the technology has progressed to the point that UAVs could "become a robust component of the suborbital programme in earth science". The UAV-based ...
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The sky's...the limit
UAVs will not be able to fill their potential unless the regulations governing their use in civil airspace change Proponents of the unmanned air vehicle (UAV) are keen to describe a future in which pilotless aircraft deliver mail overnight, monitor political troublespots, patrol borders in search of drug smugglers ...
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UAV radar
Israel Aircraft Industries subsidiary Elta has developed a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with moving target indicator for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The EL/M-2055 is based on the EL/M-2060P podded SAR for fighters, and weighs 50kg (112lb). The company says it produces images of almost photographic quality, and they are transmitted ...
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Global Hawk downed by rogue abort signal
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELESNorthrop Grumman says the crash on 29 March of a Ryan Aeronautical RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle (UAV) was caused by an abort signal from another remotely operated vehicle which was being tested more than 250km (140nm) away. The signal accidentally triggered the Ryan UAV's flight termination ...
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NASA sensor technology project shifts focus
NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) programme is refocusing on "selling" the capabilities of a group of innovative, remotely piloted aircraft entering, or concluding, critical new tests. The ERAST effort is aimed at developing technologies for a new series of remotely operated, autonomous aircraft that will be ...
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Hummingbird tested
Frontier Systems has flight tested avionics and software for its A160 Hummingbird vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is funding development of the 48h endurance, 5,500km (3,000nm) range A160 (Flight International, 21-27 July). The key Hummingbird technologies were flown in ...
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High endurance rotorcraft set to fly
The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Frontier Systems this year plan to flight-test a revolutionary unmanned helicopter that can remain airborne for up to 48h and achieve an unrefuelled range of 5,550km (3,000nm). Neither DARPA nor Abraham Karem, Frontier president, will disclose details of the research ...
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UAVs may fly in display at Paris 2001
With more than 50 unmanned aerial vehicles present at this year's show, it has been a bumper year for what was once considered the poor relation of the aviation industry. At the 2001 show, the organiser has secured the agreement of the air traffic authorities to allow UAVs ...
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Quad TiltRotor under study
Graham Warwick/MONTREAL Bell Boeing is studying a four-proprotor tiltrotor aircraft as a potential replacement for both heavylift helicopters and tactical transports. The initial concept for the Quad TiltRotor (QTR) is to use the wing, nacelles, engines and proprotors from the Bell Boeing V-22, mating them to a modified ...
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Predator Feed
Boeing has tested combined operations with an E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar system (JSTARS) battlefield surveillance aircraft and a Predator unmanned air vehicle (UAV) using the company's Aviation Information Service antenna. The system fed the video information from the UAV via a satellite to the E-8 to enhance JSTARS ...
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Darkstar trials
The second Tier III Minus Dark Star unmanned air vehicle (UAV) has completed its first high altitude flight, to 25,000ft (7,600m). The 2h 37m flight, from Edwards AFB, California, included an automated take-off and landing using global positioning navigational data. The mission demonstrated the UAV's ability to update preplanned mission ...
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Global Hawk test
The eighth flight of Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical's Global Hawk long-endurance unmanned air vehicle, on 4 December, demonstrated wideband satellite communications between the aircraft and its ground station. The second flight of air vehicle number two, it lasted 3h 18min, reaching 50,000ft (15,250m). Source: Flight International
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General Atomics flies ELINT Predator
General Atomics has test flown a Predator unmanned air vehicle adapted to carry specialised Radio Frequency payloads for a wide range of applications, including electronic intelligence gathering (ELINT). The Predator carried a suite of antennas during the flight evaluation, including three mounted on each wing and a single antenna integrated ...
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NASA's Pathfinder solar-powered wing soars to 80,000ft
NASA's Pathfinder Plus solar-powered, remotely piloted flying wing reached an altitude of over 80,000ft (24,400m) on a 6 August test flight from Hawaii. The flight, which lasted for almost 15h, paves the way for testing the Pathfinder's successor, the Centurion, a solar-powered unmanned air vehicle which is designed to reach ...
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GM/Williams team up on microturbine generators
General Motors (GM) and Williams International have teamed up to develop microturbine generators for aerospace applications, primarily unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The powerplants, which will also be used for distributed power generation, will be produced from a 40kW microturbine generator that was developed for an advanced hybrid electric car, ...
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Supersonic rising sun
Paul Lewis/MITIKA Japanese engineers have long displayed a distinctive flair for futuristic transportation thinking. While there may be a tendency in the West to confine many such notions to the realms of science fiction, it is worth remembering that Japan is the home of the Shinkansen "bullet train" and the ...
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On the prowl
General Atomics flew the Prowler II unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for the first time on 4 June. Reaching an altitude of 7,500ft (2,300m), the UAV flew for over 30min at 80kt (150km/h). The improved Prowler tactical UAV has an endurance of up to 20h. Plans call for the Prowler II, ...