Civil UAVs
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AnalysisHigh-flying AALTO preparing to meet stratospheric demand for Zephyr services
After years of development and testing activity, UK-based Airbus subsidiary AALTO is gearing up to meet what it believes will be stratospheric demand for its game-changing Zephyr.
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NewsElroy Air’s Chaparral C1 makes maiden flight
Elroy Air’s autonomous turbogenerator-hybrid electric vertical take-off and landing (hVTOL) cargo drone Chaparral C1 has flown for the first time.
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AnalysisDubai looks to take off for eVTOL ambitions
From pushing for driverless cars to unmanned delivery drones and hydrogen-powered buses, Dubai has long seen itself as a pioneer in disruptive transport. So too with urban air mobility.
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NewsEDGE takes majority stake in UAV developer Anavia
Abu Dhabi national defence house EDGE has added to its autonomous air vehicle capabilities with a majority stake in Anavia, a Swiss developer of vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
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NewsBritish Antarctic Survey readies for future as it prepares for Ultra UAV trials
The British Antarctic Survey is gearing up for the start of a three-month trial early next year of a new uncrewed air vehicle (UAV) for surveying missions, as the organisation pushes to “do more science at lower cost”.
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NewsWorld first for EHang as autonomous eVTOL gains certification
EHang has become the first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) developer anywhere in the world to obtain certification for its aircraft, having secured Chinese validation for its autonomous EH216-S.
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NewsDronamics and CAeS deepen powertrain pact for Black Swan cargo drone
Dronamics has confirmed UK-based Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) as its preferred supplier of hydrogen fuel cell powertrains, a move that could see the cargo drone specialist order thousands of the developmental propulsion systems.
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NewsAsia-Pacific to be key market for AAM, despite few manufacturers of scale: panel
While Asia-Pacific has fewer electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturers than the Western world, it remains a key market for the nascent sector, with the region expected to account for the lion’s share of global aircraft demand.
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News2Excel teams with IAI to clear path for Heron operation in UK
UK-based 2Excel Aviation is to collaborate with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to develop the use of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) in unrestricted UK airspace.
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NewsJapan’s SkyDrive nets first eVTOL pre-order from lessor
Korean lessor Solyu has placed a pre-order for 50 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from Japan-based air mobility firm SkyDrive.
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NewsUAV cargo specialist Dronamics granted IATA and ICAO designators
European cargo drone operator Dronamics is claiming to be the first such carrier to have been granted IATA and ICAO designator codes, as it prepares to embark on commercial services. Dronamics has been allocated the ‘OY’ designator by IATA and ‘DXE’ by ICAO, along with the callsign ‘Black Swan’. The ...
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NewsBAE’s PHASA-35 programme on a high after stratospheric test debut
BAE Systems has performed a first stratospheric flight with the PHASA-35 high-altitude pseudo-satellite, marking a new milestone for the unmanned air system.
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NewsAustralia readies airspace management system for unmanned aircraft
National air traffic management agency Airservices Australia says it has shifted from prototyping to the delivery phase of an effort to deploy an airspace management tool for small, uncrewed aircraft such as commercial unmanned air vehicles.
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NewsBabcock, IAI team up to promote tactical UAVs in Australia
Babcock Australia and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have entered a pact related to the promotion of the Israeli’s company’s unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) in Australia.
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NewsPolice UAV operator ‘saturated’ before collision with landing Cessna
Canadian investigators believe the police operator of an unmanned aerial vehicle became task-saturated, and unaware of a collision risk, before the craft was struck by a Cessna 172N flown by a student on a training flight. York Regional Police was operating the drone in the vicinity of Toronto-Buttonville municipal airport ...
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NewsLCI adds Chaparral autonomous cargo aircraft to portfolio as developer eyes 2023 flights
Aircraft lessor LCI has further broadened its portfolio with an order for up to 40 Elroy Air Chaparrals – an autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) cargo aircraft that uses a hybrid-electric powertrain.
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NewsCAA warns drone users after BBMF Hurricane near-miss
UK regulators have hailed the successful prosecution of a drone operator for threatening the safety of a vintage Hawker Hurricane fighter as a warning to other users of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs).
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NewsAirbus readies high-flying Zephyr for 2024 service launch
Airbus will begin taking customer commitments for its Zephyr high-altitude platform station this year, with the production aircraft’s entry into service being targeted by the end of 2024.
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NewsChinese twin-tailed civilian UAV makes maiden sortie: state media
A four-engined, twin-tailed UAV – known as the ‘Double-tailed Scorpion’ – took off on its first flight in Sichuan province in China.
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NewsHAECO, Ehang explore wide-ranging advanced air mobility cooperation
HAECO has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese advanced air mobility firm EHang to explore cooperation in the “blooming new segment”.