UAV News Talk – Drone News, eVTOLs, UAS Policy & Air Mobility

This Episode:

UAS applications in Alaska, an autonomous drone with a robotic arm, a European “drone club” is formed, Turkey eyes the European drone market, a middle-eastern drone company gets some traction, a small UAV that thinks it’s a jellyfish, the Global Hawk achieves a milestone, and journalists flock to UAVs.

The News:

UAV industry takes off in Alaska

With its remote areas accessible only by air, Alaska is a ripe environment for UAVs: remote sensing, airborne surveillance, wildlife management, sea ice study, and many others. Alaska hopes to become one of the FAA test sites.

Helicopter drones level up, gain belly-mounted robotic limbs

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has attached a robotic arm to the underside of a small autonomous helicopter. They hope to accomplish tasks that humans can’t reach. DLR would like to create a fleet flying robots with arms that could work in small teams for construction and repair tasks.

Euro-UAVs: Europe opens ‘drone club’ to compete with US, Israel

Some European Union countries have banded together to advance their capabilities with Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones and become less reliant on the U.S. and Israel.

Turkey’s Drones Look to Europe, Middle East for Sales

Turkish Aerospace Industries is talking with European governments about their Multi-Role ISR UAV Systems, like the ANKA Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV System, which have been used by the Turkish Air Force for three years.

Adcom Systems has Three Customers for United 40 MALE UAS

Abu Dhabi-based ADCOM Systems produces a number of UAVs, target drones, and support systems. The United 40 has been sold to three unnamed customers, and is designed for strategic missions, such as combat and battle damage assessment, intelligence and reconnaissance, border protection, and humanitarian aid.

Flying Jellyfish Robot May Be The Next Generation Of Surveillance Drones

Man has always mimicked birds, insects, and other animals to create flying machines. A New York University researcher has now developed a small flying device based on the motions of a jellyfish. VIDEO: A Tiny Mechanical ‘Jellyfish’ That Flies.

First War Mission for RQ-4 Block 40 Global Hawk

For the first time, an RQ-4 Block 40 Global Hawk has flown into a war. This Block 40 HALE is different in that it uses an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to provide Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) and Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) data to combatant commanders.

Drones Offer Journalists a Wider View

CNN, the Associated Press, News Corporation, the BBC, and others have discovered that drones can be invaluable journalistic tools – typically for good uses, but not always. VIDEO: Drone flies over debris fields left after Ilinois [sic] tornado.

Mentioned:

“Getting Started with Hobby Quadcopters and Drones” by Craig Issod, published June 10, 2013. A good overview for beginners. Available in paperback or as an eBook.

This Episode:

UAV market growth in the Middle East, Piaggio’s Hammerhead, China sends a UAV toward Japan, autonomous drones in Peru, foam drones, and more UAV crashes, including one fished out of the sea.

The News:

As UAV Market in Middle East Grows, US May Look to Draw Back

Driven by border protection concerns, UAV growth in The Middle East is projected to grow to $3.8 billion over the next decade, with that region accounting for 8 percent of the world market.

MALE Performance Enhancement: Piaggio’s P.1HH Hammerhead UAV

We spoke previously of the P.1HH Hammerhead based on the Piaggio P180 Avanti II business turboprop. The Hammerhead may challenge U.S. and Israeli dominance in the Medium Altitude Long Endurance category. A successful Hammerhead first flight occurred mid-November at Italy’s Trapani “Birgi” Air Force base.

China Unleashes UAVs Against Japan

Similar to the U.S. Predator, the Chinese BZK-005 UAV approached Okinawa airspace in September. Japan responded by scrambling interceptors. The BZK-005 then turned back, but both sides say they’ll shoot down any UAVs that violate airspace.

Flying robot will provide a unique view of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystem

The density of the Peruvian tropical forrest hampers scientists from studying the 390 billion trees that annually absorb 1.5 billion metric tons of C02. The solution: autonomous drones. Two are being considered, an octocopter with a 20 minute flight time, and a fixed wing drone with a flight time over an hour.

Dubai Police introduced to hand-thrown drone at Airshow launch

The autonomous iStart UAS is “unfolded, shaken and thrown into the air with a ground control station to log in details about where it’s meant to look and land,” according to UK producer Blue Bear. This makes it more easily used by operators who do not know how to fly drones.

Malfunctioned drone hits US Navy ship during Navy training exercise

A BQM-74 series target drone manufactured by Northrop Grumman was lost while the USS Chancellorsville was conducting a combat weapons system test. Two sailors suffered minor burns. A few days before that accident, an MQ-9 Reaper crashed into Lake Ontario, about 12 miles from shore.

Trawlers capture drone off Turkey’s Black Sea shore

A Turkish Aerospace Industries “Turna” (crane) drone was netted by fishermen around six nautical miles off the coast of the Türkeli district. This UAV has a wingspan of about 2.5 meters.

Post Photo: The Blue Bear iStart.

This Episode:

We parse the recently released and much anticipated FAA reports on Unmanned Aircraft Systems:

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Comprehensive Plan: A Report on the Nation’s UAS Path Forward [PDF]

The Plan outlines the path for integration of civil UAS into the National Airspace System. It seeks to transition from individual approvals to a standard process integrated into the NextGen environment. High-level strategic goals provide for public integration leading to civil integration for both small UAS (under 55 lbs.) within visual line-of-sight, and all other UAS.

The Plan is required under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, and was developed by the FAA Joint Planning and Development Office under the guidance of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) Senior Policy Committee.

Integration of Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) Roadmap [PDF]

The Roadmap outlines the tasks, assumptions, dependencies, and considerations needed to enable UAS integration into the NAS. The Roadmap looks at three “perspectives:”

1. Accommodation. Near-term accommodation of access to the NAS on a case-by-case basis.

2. Integration. Establish UAS threshold performance requirements that increase access to the NAS. Near- to mid-term with implementation of sUAS rule, mid- to far-term for other UAS.

3. Evolution. All required policy, regulations, procedures, guidance material, technologies, and training are in place and routinely updated to support UAS operations in the NAS operational environment as it evolves over time.

This Episode:

Guest Sally French, also known as Drone Girl, uses aerial photography from drones to tell a story. She also works in multimedia production at 3D Robotics.

Sally still flies her original DJI Phantom copter with a mounted GoPro camera. She has built her own 3D Robotics Y6, and she looks forward to their Iris. We talk about using drones for journalism and other applications, where to go to learn about drones and how to fly them, and how to get started. As Sally says, “It’s a great time to be in drones.”

The News:

“Crash Happy” Gimball UAS Bounces Off Obstacles

The “Gimball” has a spherical roll cage with a gimbaled copter inside and an accelerometer. It can recover from collisions with objects and proceed toward along it’s specified path.

Get the feeling we’re being watched? Pierce Brosnan is filmed kissing Salma Hayek on beach by drone camera

Hollywood has discovered the utility of cameras on multi-copters to film movie scenes. Besides Brosnan and Hayek in the upcoming movie How To Make Love Like An Englishman. Other movies include Skyfall, Oblivion, Man Of Steel, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Hunger Games, The Dark Knight Rises, and Iron Man 3.

Post Photo: Sally French’s pink Y6 copter.

This Episode:

Drone safety rules, an affordable Piaggio MALE UAV, a drone incursion that turns out to be birds, the Taranis UAS makes it’s first flight, VTOL UAVs, the Aussie CASA threatens fines, the impact of UAVs on the NextGen ATC system, and looking at drones to deliver cargo in Africa.

The News:

No Seat Belts Required: Drone Hobbyists Talk Safety

Hobbies grow up and then the hard questions come up. Like when do you start to make rules? The FAA is working on regulations but at the local levels, authorities don’t know what to do.

Piaggio touts Avanti-based UAV as European MALE solution

Italian airframer Piaggio believes there is a market for an affordable medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned air vehicle. They have displayed a mock-up of their Hammerhead intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft based on the Piaggio P180 Avanti II twin-pusher business aircraft.

What IAF thought were Pakistani drones turned out to be migratory birds

India and Pakistan do not enjoy the best relationship, and airspace incursions are treated seriously. So when India detected the approach of unmanned aircraft, they scrambled the Air Force, which found nothing. A mystery. It turns out that with a strong tailwind, migratory birds can fly at high speeds.

BAE Taranis Makes First Test Flight in Australia

BAE Systems had a successful maiden flight of their stealthy Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) technology demonstrator.

Hybrid VTOL UAVs – Back to the Future

The Aerovel Flexrotor is the first autonomous launch and recovery of an unmanned aircraft from an unmanned boat. The Flexrotor takes off vertically, then transitions from rotor-borne to wing-borne flight.

The Aerie design harkens back to the 1944 Focke-Wulf Triebflügel (thrust-wing) where the wings spun like a rotor for vertical flight then transitioned to a propellor for horizontal flight.

CASA warns bushfire drone operators of potential fines

The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority says two remotely piloted drone flights over wildfires in Lithgow and the Blue Mountains put firefighters at risk, and looks to have breached the Civic Aviation Safety Regulations, which state that remotely piloted aircraft must be kept 30 metres from people unless otherwise approved.

UAS Tidal Wave to Hit Future ATC Systems

At the Aviation Week NextGen conference, one panel looked at Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in light of the DOT report Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Service Demand, 2015-2035 [PDF], prepared for the U.S. Air Force. The report projects large numbers of UAS’s in the airspace, but this was not contemplated when NextGen was originally envisioned.

Can Cargo Drones Bring E-Commerce To Africa?

Countries that lag technologically sometimes leapfrog other more advanced economies. Perhaps the African continent has the opportunity to leapfrog the rest of the world and utilize drones to as a transportation method for goods. The Swiss École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is launching what they are calling the Flying Donkey Challenge, where teams create unmanned cargo aircraft to fly around Mount Kenya.

This Episode:

The “drone” word, a Cathedral view by quadcopter, Australia’s CASA regs on UAS, Trappy in trouble, a UAV Challenge, a must-see video of autonomous flying, and bad uses of UAVs, all from the listener mailbag.

The News:

We Are Not Drones Pilots: sensor operators put human element in RPA operations

Capt. Blain, a 29th Attack Squadron MQ-9 Reaper instructor pilot assigned to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, cringes at the term “drone” because it implies no human piloting. He prefers “remotely piloted” because there is a pilot, a sensor operator, tactical intelligence, and a ground commander involved.

Listener Mail:

Parker recorded Highland Cathedral (Performed and filmed at Fish Church, Stamford Ct.) with his UAS hexacopter.

Ben Jones notes that CASA in Australia is being proactive with UAS and sends some CASA links:

• Unmanned aircraft systems – You are a UAS operator if you conduct air work – this includes commercial tasks (hire and reward), demonstrations, training, R&D, flying for company internal purposes, etc.
• Differences between UAS and model aircraft details the distinction in terms of aircraft use, certification and license, where you can fly, and visual conditions.
• List of CASA approved UAS operators in Australia, showing company, location, and type of operations. Currently about sixty operators are listed.
• CASA Part 101 Unmanned Aircraft and rocket operations. CASA Part 101 consolidates the rules that govern unmanned aeronautical activities into one body of legislation. It was drafted nearly 10 years ago.

On our Facebook page, Ben posted a link to “Trappy versus the FAA (an opinion-piece rant)” on YouTube. This was recorded by XJet. “Trappy” is Raphael Pirker from Team Blacksheep who does First Person Video (FPV). Rafael received a $10,000 fine from the FAA for flying his drone for money “in a careless or reckless manner,” reportedly close to civilians, structures, even through a tunnel with moving cars.

Listener Ben is also thinking about entering the UAV Challenge, specifically the Search and Rescue contest, which is designed “to demonstrate the utility of Unmanned Airborne Vehicles (UAVs) for civilian applications. The competitors will be required to develop a UAV that could save lives by quickly and cost effectively delivering medical supplies to critically ill patients in the Australian Outback.”

Steve in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is building a quad copter to be equipped with a Gopro camera. He intends to start off flying it RC, but he’s already thinking about how to make it fly autonomously. Steve sends a link to an amazing TED talk and demonstration, “The astounding athletic power of quadcopters“ by roboticist Raffaello D’Andrea.

Micah asks, “how long before UAS technology is used in an attack against the USA?” Cat notes that the positive possibilities of UAV’s always push hard against concerns of misuse and loss of privacy.

Tony sent a link to Mystery drone collides with Sydney Harbour Bridge which reports that a quadcopter crashed into the Bridge and triggered a terrorism alert.

This Episode:

The Zephyer High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite, lethal autonomous drones, policy recommendations that make UAVs safe for civilians, the X-47B wins an award, and a mother hen and friendly chicks UAS.

The News:

Solar Powered High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite Successful Test Flight

EADS company Astrium successfully completed the first flight of Zephyr, a solar powered High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) which holds a world record for flight endurance – more than two weeks at altitudes in excess of 70,000 feet.

Why America Wants Drones That Can Kill Without Humans

A lethal autonomous robot, or LAR, would make drone targeting decisions without human intervention. The idea is such a system would be less emotional and more accurate than a human operator, with less collateral damage.

Civilian Safety Crucial in World of UAVs

This looks at the need to regulate unmanned aerial systems used by the military and law enforcement to ensure civilian safety and privacy. Five policy recommendations are offered:

1. Apply the laws of war to UAS.

2. Respect international law and country sovereignty.

3. Do not violate the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention.

4. Fully-autonomous UAS should “respect the laws of war when used militarily and the liberties of citizens when used by law enforcement” even in the event of malfunction.

5. No domestic surveillance “in violation of the Constitution and of domestic and international law.”

X-47B Wins Popular Mechanics Magazine 2013 Breakthrough Award

The Navy Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) Program’s X-47B aircraft received one of the Popular Mechanics 2013 Breakthrough Awards, calling it the “Navy’s Smartest Jet.”

UAV Concept: Mother Hen and Friendly Chicks

Canadian company Eqquera proposes SQ-EQQ, a concept where a “mother hen” autonomous delta-wing UAV is loaded with “friendly chick” UAVs that can be deployed on their own missions.

This Episode:

A Manhattan man almost struck by Quadcopter, Conoco Phillips broken Eagle, Israeli Hermes drone crashes, wine and drones don’t mix or do they?, “game on” for a wildlife conservation challenge, the US decides no drones in Iraq but OK in Japan, and the Mounties start training the Aussies on UAS usage.

The News:

Drone reportedly plummets dozens of stories and crash lands on busy Manhattan streets

The subtitle is “Local cops didn’t follow up but the pilot likely violated federal regulations.” A small drone came down in the City, missing the pedestrians but landing close to one. He took the SD card, gave it to a local network station, and contacted the police. They told him no law had been broken.

Giant Leap Falls Short? ConocoPhillips ScanEagle crashes

One of the first two commercial sUAS permits granted by the FAA, has resulted in a crash. The second ConocoPhillips Scan Eagle flight has resulted in a crash, reportedly due to an engine failure.

IAF drone plunges into the sea

Israeli Defense force Hermes 450 Falls out of the sky. The early assessment is engine failure. The MALE drone has a history of Engine failures and is the third one lost in over two years. Made by Elbit Systems, the Hermes is powered by a UAV Engines Limited Wankel engine.

Drones + Wine: how UAVs can help farmers harvest grapes

3D Robotics brought autonomous, fixed-wing planes and multi-rotors with a point-and-shoot camera mounted inside to a family-owned vineyard. Images were taken automatically based on GPS location, and stitched together, generating a 3D model.

Wildlife Conservation unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Challenge

Kashmir-Robotics is hosting the Wildlife Conservation unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Challenge with $65,000 in cash prizes. The wcUAVc aims to foster “innovation and invention in the design, fabrication, and utilization of unmanned aircraft to assist with counter poaching and illicit wildlife trafficking.”

U.S. Rules Out a New Drone War in Iraq

In a continuing effort to counter opposing forces, the Iraqi government welcomes lethal drone strikes, but U.S. Government policy is shifting.

Agreement will allow U.S. to fly long-range surveillance drones from base in Japan

The U.S. and Japan have signed an agreement to allow operating the Global Hawk surveillance drones from Japanese bases. Two or three Global Hawks are to fly in the Spring of 2014 “near North Korea” and complement spy satellites.

RCMP shares secrets with Aussies

The Queensland, Australia police have visited the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police as part of a worldwide Winston Churchill Fellowship study on the use of UAVs in policing. After visiting many countries, the Aussie cop was impressed by Canadian use of UAVs.

This Episode:

U.S. Justice Department reports on it’s use of drones by the FBI, BATF and others, an online multi-player UAV game, a NASA competition to demonstrate UAS capabilities (with a cash prize!), a map showing which States have anti-drone laws, reverse engineering a Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, and qualifications for UAS pilots.

Justice Department Spent Nearly $5M on Drones

The Inspector General of the U.S. Justice Department released a report showing that the Department’s agencies have spent close to $5 Million on unmanned aircraft since 2004. The FBI alone has spent more than $3 million, the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) has spent almost $600,000, and $1.26 million has been awarded to at least seven local police departments and nonprofit organizations.

Real UAV Virtual Reality Game Project

“Zone” is a multi-player online game that is looking for funding through Indigogo. The idea is that modified R/C planes would be remotely controlled by three teams, each with two players who control their fighter. Teams have a mission plan, a destination, and a dog fight along the way.

UAS Airspace Operations Challenge and The Challenge is On: Team Registration Open for NASA-DPI Unmanned Aircraft

This is phase 1 of a NASA Centennial Challenge Program with $500,000 in prizes. Competitors will demonstrate UAS technology and capabilities that are critical to their integration into the national airspace. Hosted at the Ohio/Indiana UAS Center & Test Complex at Camp Atterbury Range, near Edinburgh, Indiana and taking place from 28 April – 2 May 2014.

Map: Is your State a No-Drone Zone?

With drones to eventually enter the commercial airspace in the U.S., some States have passed anti-drone legislation out of concern for public privacy and safety. This map shows which States have no such laws, which have laws restricting use by private citizens, which have laws restricting use by law enforcement, and which have both.

Commander: Iranian RQ-170 to Have Maiden Flight Soon

An Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander says an Iranian version of the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel will make its maiden flight in the near future. This is the drone the Iranians captured in 2011 and they claim to have reverse-engineered the technology.

The Future of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot Qualification [PDF]

@onthefly305 Tweeted a link to a Journal of Aviation / Aerospace Education & Research paper that looks at qualification of UAS pilots. The only current printed requirements come from the 2008 FAA Interim Operational Approval Guidance.

The author believes that “UAS Operators and pilots could be incorporated into the National Airspace System under current regulations that govern pilot qualification, by modifying the standards and classification currently used by the U.S. Department of Defense. The FAA needs to make only minor changes to the existing Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and certify UAS operators by using type ratings.”

Mentioned:

DARPA Tactical Technology Office, Hydra

This Episode:

A visual drone census map, who should develop privacy laws that govern drones, the Hydra proposal for drones at sea, surveying Australia with sUAS, and unmanned F-16 target drones.

The News:

Drone U. Releases US Drone Census

Drone University, an online educational platform, has created a U.S. Drone Census map showing the “complex ecosystem of users, industry, legislation, and research.” You filter the points on the map by selecting categories from a dropdown, like DIY Drone Groups, Academic Programs, and FAA test Site Applicants.

Should states determine if drones can record your conversations?

U.S. courts have held that the First Amendment protects the “right to record,” but this is not firmly established.The scope of the “right to record” is very much open. Recordings by drones adds a new twist to the debate, but we should not rush to legislation.

DARPA’s Plan to Flood the Sea With Drones, Carrying More Drones

The DARPA idea is to develop an undersea network of sites (called Hydra) from which drones can be quickly launched in response to world events that need immediate attention, like natural disasters and piracy.

UAV: fixed wing or rotary?

UAV applications for the survey, mining, agriculture, and civil construction industries can be accomplished with fixed wing or rotary aerial vehicles. Fixed wing is good for aerial mapping, rotary for inspections or difficult to access locations.

Boeing, USAF Complete First Unmanned QF-16 Flight

The first flight of a remotely piloted Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet was successful. Two Air Force ground pilots launched the QF-16, took it to 40,000 feet, and performed some aerial maneuvers, including a 7G barrel roll. In USAF parlance, this is not a Drone it is a FSAT or Full Scale Aerial Target. Video: On Target: F-16 flies with an empty cockpit.