Tag Archives: C-UAV

365 Remote Identification Implications

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Remote Identification from the eyes of different stakeholders, the Speed Racer is revealed, a buyer’s guide to drones for beginners, wet drones in Scotland, saving dolphins in New Zealand, Skyborg is coming this summer, and rogue drone detection and mitigation.

UAV News

How You Fly Determines Where You Stand: A RID Comparative

The final remote identification rule differed from the NPRM, and this article examines how the rule impacts different stakeholders, including service suppliers, drone service providers and operators, security agencies, hobby and recreational users, foreign-registered drones, designers, and producers.

Skunk Works Reveals Speed Racer Configuration

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works has provided some information about their secretive air-launched UAS. The Speed Racer has a hexagonal fuselage with folding and swept wings and two canted aft dorsal tails and one ventral tail. In a company video, the Speed Racer was launched by what looks like a Beechcraft 1900D.

7 Best Drones for Beginners: Your Buyer’s Guide

This article proposed some beginner drones ranging in price from $45 to $330.

Scottish police slammed over non-waterproof drone purchase

Scottish police chiefs purchased $83,000 worth of DJI Matrice 210 drones to help locate missing people and to lower response times. The problem is the Matrice 210 isn’t designed to fly in the rain and 16 of them have crashed flying in wet weather. DJI says the Matrice 210 is certified to an IP43 rating which is insufficient in the rain.

New Zealand Supporting Drone Project to Monitor Rare Dolphins

High hopes: drones join fight to save New Zealand’s rarest dolphin

The Māui Drone Project will use drones to monitor and protect the Maui dolphin, one of the world’s rarest marine mammals. It is estimated that there are only 63 adult members of the species left. The fixed-wing VTOL drones will find and track Maui dolphins, fly over them without disturbing them, and collect data on their habitat, population size and other behaviors. In testing, the drone can distinguish Māui dolphins from other species with over 90% accuracy, using AI technology. The one-year project is a collaboration between the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), the MAUI63 nonprofit wildlife organization, and the World Wildlife Fund-New Zealand.

Video from WWF New Zealand: MAUI63 Drone Launch

USAF to flight test Skyborg autonomous system at Orange Flag this summer

The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is developing the Skyborg autonomous aircraft. The program is in its early development phase but ultimately Skyborg technology will be incorporated into UAVs that are considered expendable in combat. The technology will be tested during Orange Flag exercises this summer. AFRL has contracted with Boeing, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to develop the prototypes.

FAA Selects Five Host Airports to Test and Evaluate Unmanned Aircraft Detection and Mitigation Systems

The FAA has selected five host airports to evaluate technologies and systems that could detect and mitigate potential safety risks posed by unmanned aircraft. The effort is part of the FAA’s Airport Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detection and Mitigation Research Program. Researchers plan to test and evaluate at least 10 technologies or systems at these airports.

See the news release: FAA to Test and Evaluate Unmanned Aircraft Detection & Mitigation Equipment at Airports.

Testing will begin in 2021 and continue through 2023 to create standards for future unmanned aircraft detection and mitigation technologies at airports around the country. The FAA selected the following airports:

Atlantic City International Airport in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Syracuse Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, New York
Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, Ohio
Huntsville International Airport in Huntsville, Alabama
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle, Washington

315 PrecisionHawk Leadership Change

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PrecisionHawk appoints a new CEO, a plan to deliver cannabis in Seattle with drones, flying medical specimens to the lab with UAS, a Chinese 3-engine MALE drone, taking down small drones with an F-16, a Gremlins maiden flight, and a drone solution to parasitic disease in humans.

UAV News

We’re Welcoming James Norrod as CEO of PrecisionHawk

James Norrod has been named the new Chief Executive Officer of PrecisionHawk. Norrod has 25 years of experience leading companies and “specializes in forming strategic partnerships, optimizing domestic and international operations, establishing new sales distribution channels, and developing management teams.” Previous CEO Michael Chasen will lead PrecisionHawk’s advisory board and continue to act as chair of the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee.

Deloitte, Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine Announce Project to Accelerate Medical Sample Delivery Via Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Genomic test results for acutely ill babies and children would get back to the medical team more quickly if the specimens were flown to the lab in a UAS, instead of using slower ground transportation. Deloitte Consulting principal Josh Nelson says, “This UAS project is an innovation to speed transport and delivery of samples to their lab. Together with [the Children’s Institute], we plan to go from strategy to testing to operational and develop a blueprint for other health care organizations to use.”

Three-engined variant of China’s Tengden TB001 UAV makes maiden flight

China showed images said to be of the first flight of the Sichuan Tengden Technology Company TW328/TB001 UAV. The strike-capable, reconnaissance MALE UAV is a new three-engined variant with an overall wingspan of 20 m and an 11 m length. The maximum take-off weight is 3.2 tons with an endurance of 35 hours.

Air Weapons: The Little Little UAV Killer

The U.S. Air Force tested a system where an F-16 fighter shoots down a small UAV with a laser-guided missile. The APKWS II (Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System) uses a targeting pod that spots and identifies small flying objects. It enables the pilot to launch an AGR-20A missile that can hit slow-moving targets, UAV of all sizes, and cruise missiles.

Dynetics’ X-61A Gremlins air vehicle performs its maiden flight

The Dynetics X-61A Gremlins Air Vehicle has flown for the first time. This is part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Gremlins program. The flight was carried out in November 2019 at Dugway Proving Ground near Salt Lake City, Utah. One captive-carry X-61A flew a TBM, Inc. C-130A which was then air-launched and flew for one hour and 41 minutes.

Flight test video: Gremlins X-61A Maiden Test Flight

Identifying aquatic plants with drones could be the key to reducing a parasitic infection in people

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by worms in the human circulatory system. The parasitic worms incubate in snails and people become infected through contact with contaminated water. More than 200 million people are affected, worldwide. There is no vaccine. Now a University of Washington lab found that snail clusters favor certain types of aquatic vegetation, which can be identified through drone images. The snails can then be targeted.

Cannabis delivery drones are likely to fly above Seattle this year

GRN Holding Corporation announced in December that it was signing a non-binding letter of intent to purchase Squad Drone. The drones would be used for a business-to-business marijuana delivery service. Squad Drone will license its drones and technology to state-registered hemp and cannabis companies. Press release: Cannabis Delivery Drones Could be in Seattle Skies by March.

314 Remote ID Reactions

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Initial reactions to the FAA Remote ID NPRM, a high-accuracy photogrammetry solution, Apple hires a familiar face to lobby in Washington, an anti-drone system for Heathrow, a stealthy new target drone, and a fixed-wing eVTOL personal ultralight aircraft.

UAV News

Proposed FAA Drone Rules Prompt Industry Pushback

Engineering News-Record reports on some of the statements that are being made about the Remote-ID NPRM that is currently in the public comment period.

Frank J. Segarra, president and CEO of drone photography firm Connexicore said, “It is my personal opinion that drone operators or services should not bear the cost of carrying a specific type of remote identification system that broadcasts over the internet. This should be the responsibility of all drone manufacturers, not the pilots.”

Lloyd Garden, a commercial drone photographer, says the proposed rules only make sense in controlled airspace where connectivity exists. “I think people need to know where drones are. But [these rules] are a little restricting for me.”

Mike Winn, CEO of drone-imaging and software firm DroneDeploy commented, “In the long term, if we’re going have a drone on every construction site, we’re going to need these kinds of regulations on the technology.” He notes that by the time any regulations are in place, a lot of drone technology will have changed.

DJI supports Remote ID but warns against FAA’s “deeply flawed” NPRM

DJI vice president for policy and legal affairs Brendan Schulman posted an article titled, We Strongly Support Drone Remote ID. But Not Like This. Schulman says “DJI wants governments to require Remote ID for drones, but the FAA has proposed a complex, expensive, and intrusive system that would make it harder to use drones in America, and that jeopardizes the success of the Remote ID initiative. Instead, we support a simpler, easier, and free version of Remote ID that doesn’t need a cellular connection or a service subscription.”

The Leica Aibot AX20 Promises High Precision, High Accuracy Photogrammetry

Leica Geosystems offers “a complete UAV solution at the very top end of the photogrammetry use case.” It’s called the Aibot AX20 (pronounced “i-bot”), “a complete UAV solution for land surveying, civil engineering and construction.” Leica says the customized DJI Matrice 600 Aibot features high resolution and high precision photogrammetry, better than one-centimeter accuracy, a high-end survey-grade GN-18 T GNSS receiver, Gimbal-mounted sensors, a Sony aR7ii 42.4 megapixel CMOS and a Sony a6300 mirrorless camera.

Apple Taps Drone Specialist to Lobby Washington on Aviation

Apple has hired Lisa Ellman, a partner at Hogan Lovells, as a Washington lobbyist. Ellman is a co-founder of the Commercial Drone Alliance. Representatives for Apple and Ellman declined to comment.

Heathrow Airport installs anti-drone system that can locate UAV pilots

London’s Heathrow Airport has installed a counter-drone system that will detect and track unauthorized drones. The system will also locate the drone pilots. Designed by Operational Solutions Ltd. (OSL), the system employs a holographic radar system. The Operational Solutions press release [PDF] states:

“This one-of-a-kind Counter Drone system works by detecting and tracking drones in surrounding airspace and alerting airports of unauthorised drone use quickly and efficiently. This new and innovative system also works to locate the drone pilots themselves and can be used to identify their location.

“This technology has been specifically designed for Heathrow Airport by Operational Solutions Ltd, integrating for the first time a variety of leading counter drone technologies from different manufacturers.”

Stealthy UAS Unveiled For USAF Target, Loyal Wingman Needs

Sierra Technical Services has shown photos of its Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) prototype. 5GAT components cannibalized from other aircraft include engines (the GE J85) and metallic components from the Northrop T-38 trainer and F-5 fighter, and aileron actuators from the Boeing F/A-18. Sierra Technical Services was founded by retired Lockheed Martin Skunk Works engineers.

EVTOL drone developer launches BlackFly with new CEO

Opener calls its BlackFly the world’s first fixed-wing, all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) personal ultralight aircraft. Ben Diachun was announced the new CEO. He was president of Scaled Composites in Mojave, California. Founder and former CEO, Marcus Leng, will oversee next-generation manufacturing and international operations as Chairman of the Board.

306 Drone Registration

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Drone registration requirements in the UK and Singapore, automated safe landing technology, the speed of drone technology development, package delivery progress and issues, and counter-UAS technology funding.

UAV News

UK Drone Operators Have Until the End of November to Register With the Government

All drone owners and operators in the UK with droves that weigh more than 250g have to register them by November 30, 2019. Registration costs £9. Failure to register can result in a fine of as much as £1,000. In addition to registration, anyone flying a drone over 250g must also take an online education and test to receive a flyer ID. Users can now register as a drone operator and/or flyer at: register-drones.caa.co.uk.

Drones Reunited

In the UK, 26% of drone owners say they lost a drone. Drones United leverages off the new UK drone registration system to help owners reconnect with their lost drones.

Singapore mandates unmanned aircraft registration

Starting January 2, 2020, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will require all unmanned aircraft over 250 grams to be registered before it can be operated. A sticker with a unique registration number must be affixed to each unmanned aircraft. The penalty for flying an unregistered aircraft could be up to S$10,000 or jail for six months, or both.

Are UAVs Properly Tested, or is Development Rushed?

Satellite-based drone connectivity encompasses a number of issues such as cost, weight, and power. “Validation of stable and reliable connectivity under all circumstances is paramount to the success of Beyond Line of Sight UAV operations.”

Automated Emergency Safe Landing Technology

Black Swift Technologies SwiftSTL (Swift Safe-To-Land) technology was developed to address catastrophic in-flight failures. It captures and segments images and autonomously identifies a safe landing location. This is accomplished through machine learning algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), and onboard processors to identify obstacles like people, buildings, vehicles, structures, etc. To learn more, see the white paper, “AI and Machine Learning’s Role in Enabling Automated Emergency Safe Landings of UAS – A Key Enabler for Safe Beyond Visible Line of Sight (BVLOS) Flights.” [PDF]

What if a delivery drone falls on your head? Thorny legal questions loom as services increase

This article poses questions about airspace ownership, privacy, and liability.

UPS drone makes first home prescription deliveries for CVS

CVS and UPS announced the first commercial delivery of prescription medications by drones to customers. UPS’ Flight Forward drones delivered to the front lawn of a private home and a retirement center. The drones hovered at an altitude of about 20 feet and lowered the packages.

UK government funds 18 projects to develop anti-drone technologies

The UK government approved £2 million ($2.57 million) to fund 18 projects to develop anti-drone and drone detection technologies. In April, 2019, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) program under the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) asked the private sector to come up with new technologies that could detect approaching drones, and neutralize the threat.

304 UAS Flight Demonstrations

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Several UAS flight demonstrations are in the news: the Boeing MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueler, a microturbine propulsion system, and a high altitude pseudo-satellite. Also, counter-drone tech from both the Secret Service and Raytheon, and drones that study dust devils.

UAV News

Boeing shows capability of unmanned aircraft refueler

The MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueler has been demonstrated through an autonomous taxi and takeoff, followed by a flight over a pre-determined route. Boeing test pilots directed the flight from a ground control station, validating basic flight functions and operations. The intended mission is a carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling aircraft for the U.S. Navy.

UAV Turbines Unveils Microturbine Propulsion System for Drones

UAV Turbines announced the first flight of their Monarch Microturbine engine at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, NY. Two successful test flights were conducted with what the company calls the turboprop a “microturbine propulsion system.” Intended for mid-sized commercial and military drones, the small gas turbine engine produces about 20 HP.

Video: UAV Turbines Introduction to the Monarch Microturbine

Solar drone makes historic flight

AeroVironment Inc. announced the successful first flight of the HAWK30 high altitude pseudo-satellite UAS, The flight occurred on September 11, 2019, at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. The 260-foot wingspan HAWK30 is powered by 10 electric motors and solar panels cover the surface of the wing. The aircraft is designed for continuous operation for months at a time at an altitude of approximately 65,000 feet. HAPSMobile Inc. is a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp and minority-owned by AeroVironment, Inc.

Secret Service testing counter-drone tech at U.N. General Assembly

The Secret Service is piloting counter-unmanned aircraft systems or C-UAS technology at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City. The Secret Service is employing radio frequency (RF) detection, radar imagery, and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) cameras to identify objects flying in the area and differentiate drones from birds and flying debris.

Raytheon developing advanced high-power microwave system for USAF deployment to counter enemy drones

Under a U.S. Air Force contract, Raytheon Company will deliver a prototype high-power microwave (HPM) system that troops would use it to destroy hostile drones. The HPM system uses directed energy to take down drones. The HPM beam is wide so it could disable multiple targets at one time. Under another UASF contract, Raytheon will build two prototype high-energy laser (HEL) systems. Both systems are designed to be deployed overseas and can be used independently or used together to counter UAS threats.

Raytheon video: Using directed-energy systems to down drones

Scientists use drones to probe earthly dust devils, with an eye toward Mars

The Boise State Dust Devil Collaboration has been flying drones through dust devils to better understand the phenomena on Earth and on Mars. Scientific models of dust devils don’t align with what occurs in nature. The drones carry cameras, pressure sensors, and temperature loggers. They measure the structures of the dust devil and take particle samples.

UAV Video of the Week

Drone camera captures magpie swooping at it

290 FAA UAS Symposium 2019

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Highlights of the FAA UAS Symposium held June 3-5, 2019 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Presented by the Federa l Aviation Administration and AUVSI.

FAA UAS Symposium 2019

Over 1000 attendees from industry, the government, and academia gathered for three days of keynotes, breakout sessions, and “how to” sessions.

We discuss some highlights of the Symposium, including industry/government collaboration, drone remote identification, education and outreach, urban air mobility, drone delivery, public agency use of drones, counter-UAV issues, UAS traffic management, and more.

Mentioned

Alliance for Drone Innovation

Blue Ribbon Task Force on UAS Mitigation at Airports

Flight Plan 2030 white paper on Urban Air Traffic Management from Embraer.

Innovations in Flight Family Day and Aviation Display at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, Saturday, June 15, 2019, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.