Monthly Archives: March 2023

426 ADS-B Spoofing

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:16 — 22.2MB)

Subscribe: Email | RSS

uAvionix detects ADS-B spoofing, racing drones are delivering explosives, an aerial tanker that autonomously guides and controls multiple drones, self-flying F-16s that test loyal wingmen, the Condor heavy-lift UAV wins its first customer, a new mini light tactical UAS, and Archer Aviation and United Airlines plan air taxi service in Chicago.

UAV News

uAvionix Announces truSky ADS-B Spoofing Detection for SkyLine UAS BVLOS Operations

uAvionix offers its SkyLine UAS BVLOS service to manage the command and control infrastructure and assets across diverse frequency and radio types. Now the company is introducing truSky ADS-B spoofing detection for Skyline. It validates that a particular ADS-B signal is actually coming from an aircraft, and not being broadcast to spoof the signal.

uAvionix logo

ADS-B spoofing can be used for nefarious purposes and interferes with ATC and detect and avoid systems. It compromises airspace awareness and risks airspace safety and security.

uAvionix truSky works with a network of low-cost dual-frequency ADS-B ground receivers. The aircraft’s signal is confirmed to come from the aircraft’s position. With multiple sensors, truSky backward calculates the aircraft’s position and compares it to the position stated in the ADS-B transmission. When used with the uAvionix SkyLine platform, aircraft are color-coded based on confidence scores.

How racing drones are used as improvised missiles in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine seems to be demonstrating the use of drones in a conflict like never before. Ukraine is even using racing drones as loitering munitions. In a video released last year, a racing drone dives through an open doorway into a building occupied by Russian troops and explodes. There is even a Ukrainian military drone team called Angry Birds. They say they carry out half a dozen racing-drone attacks a day.

Airbus tanker plane takes autonomous control of multiple drones

Airbus Defence and Space has autonomously guided and controlled drones using an A310 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) flying testbed. The technology is called Auto’Mate, which cuts down on crew fatigue, human error, and training costs. This is seen as a milestone on the way to fully Autonomous Formation Flight and Autonomous Air-to-Air Refueling (A4R). 

US Air Force plans self-flying F-16s to test drone wingmen tech

The Air Force plans a fleet of at least 1,000 collaborative combat aircraft, or CCA. But you can’t have loyal wingmen without trusted autonomy, so the service has asked for $50 million to start Project Venom (Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model). The project would let the Air Force experiment with six F-16s to test and refine the autonomous software.

Drone Delivery Canada sells its first Condor heavy-lift UAV

Drone Delivery Canada sold their first Condor heavy-lift UAV to the Transport Canada agency. The sale was valued at CAD $1.2 million ($880,000) and the company will provide operating and testing support. Air Canada was the sales agent brokering the deal. The Condor is 22 feet long, five feet wide, and seven feet tall with a cargo capacity of 400 pounds. The range is just over 124 miles and the operating speed is nearly 75 mph.

The Drone Delivery Canada Condor hovering.
The Condor, courtesy Drone Delivery Canada.

SURVEY Copter Unveils ‘CAPA-X’ Modular VTOL UAV

At the SOFINS Special Forces exhibition, SURVEY Copter presented a new light tactical UAS called the CAPA-X [PDF]. It features a modular design: Propulsion can be configured for VTOL or HTOL and the payload bay can integrate different types of sensors. Either short or long wings can be configured for hovering at high cruising speeds, or for increased flight autonomy. SURVEY Copter has been an Airbus subsidiary since 2011. They design, produce, and provide operational support for light tactical UAS.

The SURVEY Copter CAPA-X drone in flight.
The CAPA-X, courtesy SURVEY Copter.

Archer Aviation and United Airways Establish Air Taxi Route in Chicago

The companies announced their plans to launch an air taxi service in Chicago in 2025. Passengers will fly a 10-minute trip between O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Vertiport Chicago. Archer Aviation has flown its prototype, the “Maker” and the production aircraft is the “Midnight.” Archer plans to deploy 6000 aircraft By 2030.

Video: United and Archer Announce Next UAM Route: Chicago

425 Drone Delivery Network

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:36 — 22.4MB)

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary wants a drone delivery network, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces consider using drones to intercept aircraft, DJI is reportedly dropping AeroScope, U.S. Senators want an assessment of DJI security risks, cardboard drones from Australia are going to Ukraine, the USAF has plans for 1,000 loyal wingmen drones, Zipline’s next-generation aircraft, and Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercept a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper.

UAV News

Google company unveils drone delivery-network ambition

Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary is delivering up to 1,000 packages a day in Australia, but to scale up to millions of deliveries daily, Wing says it needs to develop a network service. The Wing Delivery Network would enable the management of large numbers of drones. This would consist of three hardware elements:

  • The delivery drones.
  • Pads where drones take off, land, and recharge their batteries.
  • Autoloaders that allow companies to leave packages for collection.

Delivery drones would travel from pad to pad (or node to node) rather than use fixed routes that return to a “home base” after each delivery.

Video: The Wing Drone Delivery Network

Japan weighs using drones to chase away foreign aircraft

Chinese military flights in the East China Sea have increased and scrambling jets is expensive for Japan. So the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JDSF) are thinking about using drones instead, either the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 or the MQ-9 Reaper. It’s estimated that scrambling manned jets costs 40 times more than sending drones. The JSDF will first train its forces to use drones to identify foreign warships. If that proves successful, drones would be used to identify fast-approaching aircraft.  Then if the threat is significant, the JSDF would send manned aircraft.

DJI quietly discontinues its drone-detecting AeroScope system

According to The Verge, the DJI AeroScope product page displays a pop-up that reads: “The Aeroscope is no longer in production. For the latest in DJI technology, please view our product recommendations below.” AeroScope is a drone detection platform that identifies UAV communication links and gathers information in real time like flight status, paths, and other information.

Senators Request Cyber Safety Analysis of Chinese-Owned DJI Drones

A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is asking the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to conduct an investigation and evaluate potential risks associated with DJI drones. In its letter, the Senators say, “Identification of this relationship between DJI and the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] suggests a range of risks to U.S. operators of the technology, including that sensitive information or data could wind up in PLA hands.”

Paper Planes? Ukraine Gets Flat-Packed Cardboard Drones From Australia

SYPAQ announced it is shipping its Corvo drones to Ukraine. The drones come in flatpack form and the bodies are made of waxed cardboard. The autonomous Corvo PPDS has been shown to be simple to construct using only a glue gun, knife, pen, tape, and perhaps rubber bands. Only one tool is needed to attach the propeller. Corvo Autonomous Systems provides a family of autonomous systems for both military and commercial applications.

Corvo drone prototype in launch position.
Corvo drone prototype.

US Air Force eyes fleet of 1,000 drone wingmen as planning accelerates

The USAF has big plans for loyal wingmen drones – perhaps 1,000 of them. The Air Force plans to ask Congress for funding for the collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program in the fiscal 2024 budget, as well as the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. The Air Force estimates two CCAs for each of 200 NGAD platforms, and two CCAs for each of 300 F-35s.

Zipline unveils P2 delivery drones that dock and recharge autonomously

Zipline is showing their next-generation aircraft, called the Platform 2 or P2 Zip with an eight-pound payload and a ten-mile radius. It can land a package on a space as small as a table or doorstep. The original P1 Zip has a greater range but requires more space for takeoff, landing, and package delivery. The P2 has both lift and cruise propellers for quiet operation and better maneuverability. It can dock at a charging station and power up autonomously. Zipline says they’ve flown more than 38 million miles with its autonomous delivery drones.

Video shows moment Russian fighter jet hits US drone over Black Sea

Two Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jets intercepted a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, dumped fuel on the drone, and struck and damaged the MQ-9s propeller.

424 Personal eVTOL

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:58 — 19.2MB)

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Another personal eVTOL, cops flying BVLOS, military drones with facial recognition, a lethal drone designed in Australia, the Lilium Jet eVTOL, and moving air quietly.

UAV News

Is this one-seat flying saucer the future of flight?

ZEVA Aero designs and builds electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles. The company’s flagship product is the Argon, based on a pre-existing airframe. But their Zero is a personal eVTOL for one person. It launches with the pilot standing, but the position is prone in horizontal flight. The 8-foot-wide flying saucer-shaped aircraft uses 8 propellers and is expected to cost $250,000.

Line drawing of the Zeva Zero personal eVTOL.
Zeva Zero personal eVTOL

A one-eighth-scale model has been flight-tested and tethered tests are underway with a full-sized prototype. Zeva says the prototype should be ready for remote-controlled flights within a month, and tests with a pilot could take place in three to six months.

Video: ZEVA 1/8 Scale Model flying

Welcome to Chula Vista, where police drones respond to 911 calls

The Chula Vista, California police department operates 29 drones. The program runs 10 hours a day, seven days a week using four launch sites. Officers routinely request aerial reconnaissance. More than 1,500 U.S. police departments use drones, mostly for search and rescue, to document crime scenes, and to chase suspects. About 225 police departments have FAA waivers to fly BVLOS. Privacy and civil liberty groups are taking notice.

US Military Signs Contract to Put Facial Recognition on Drones

The Air Force’s Drones Can Now Recognize Faces. Uh-Oh.

The U.S. Air Force plans to deploy facial recognition technology on drones. RealNetworks LLC has the contract to supply its SAFR technology on small drones used for special operations missions. RealNetworks says SAFR Scan is “the first full-featured intelligent biometric access controlled edge solution.”

Australian-designed lethal drone to be unveiled at Avalon Airshow

BAE STRIX

BAE Systems Australia unveiled the armed STRIX VTOL at Avalon 2023. It’s a hybrid, tandem wing, multi-domain and multi-role UAS that could be used for air-to-ground strike, persistent ISR, and as a loyal wingman for military helicopters. It can carry up to a 160kg payload over 800km with a variety of munitions. The collapsed footprint is only 2.6m x 4.5m (roughly 8.5 x 15 feet).

Lilium sees premium service entry for Lilium Jet eVTOL

Vertical flight takes a lot of energy and most eVTOL designs have significant aerodynamic drag. These limit, l eVTOL range. The Lilium Jet is designed to overcome those obstacles. The wing and canard aircraft have a good lift-to-drag ratio, and power requirements are low at cruise speed. Power for both vertical and horizontal flight comes from many small electric motors pushing air through variable nozzle ducts. Electric power comes from 330 Wh/kg density batteries. Service entry will be in the premium sector.

Lilium Jet in flight.
Lilium Jet

Whisper Aero Set to Reveal Details About Its Ultra-Quiet Propulsion System

Whisper Aero has been working on quiet propulsion technology for two years, looking for a noise reduction of about 20 dB for drones and electric fixed-wing aircraft. The company has provided no specifics but is expected to reveal details about its propulsors “toward the end of March or early April.” They’ve built a 55-pound demonstrator drone to test the concept. Reportedly, the company plans to offer different propulsion system models with different power outputs.