The 70cm (27.5in)-wingspan, 80cm-long Multiplex Funjet UAV flew for one week from the Norwegian coastguard icebreaker "KV Svalbard" helicopter landing deck in February.
The Funjet was modified with electronics for open-source Paparazzi autopilot software by the Geophysical Institute of the University of Bergen, in partnership with Hildesheim, Germany based-Martin Mueller Engineering, a small UAV company. It is being used to collect enviromental data on temperature, humidity, pressure and wind.
The scientists used a pilot to launch and land the UAV using remote-control, but above 1,600ft and out of visual contact the Funjet had to operate autonomusly.
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