Anavia unmanned helicopter promises 65 kg payloads
A new unmanned VTOL crossed our paths. It has a clever design and the promise of delivering fairly significant payloads.
Expand Expanding Close
Kawasaki’s rad new unmanned compound helicopter
Holy Toledo, Batman! Just take a look at the amazing new drone from Kawasaki!
Expand Expanding CloseNear-miss video shows risk of flying drones in busy airspace as helicopter suddenly appears out of nowhere
Check out this near-miss drone video that was just posted on YouTube yesterday. It shows you how a helicopter can quickly appear out of nowhere and come at you fast. All of a sudden, your leisure drone-flight along the Hollywood Beach, FL coastline, could potentially cause a tragic accident, guaranteed to make the headlines throughout the country. Luckily this one ended well, but it shows you how careful we all have to be when flying our drones in a congested airspace.
Drone footage of fire during UK heatwave shows massive destruction
A drone flying above Saddleworth Moor in North West England captured a devastating fire that caused more than 50 families to evacuate their homes. The destruction currently spans over 7 square miles (18km) with the active blaze only stretching 2.5 miles (4km). It was originally under control as of Monday but reignited on Thursday due to the high winds.
Expand
Expanding
Close
FAA allows Workhorse Surefly personal helicopter drone to fly at CES2018
Workhorse’s Surefly personal helicopter drone was first shown to the public during the Paris Air Show in June of 2017. Now we have learned that Workhorse has received an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly their personal drone during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week.
The Surefly is a hybrid octocopter that can carry two passengers. The aerial vehicle can be flown manually with a joystick. Something that should be as easy as flying a DJI drone, according to Workhorse. Or it can be flown in a fully autonomous (drone) mode using sense-and-avoid technology to bring its passengers safely to their destination. A 4-cylinder gasoline engine charges the batteries, which in turn power the electric motors for the eight propellers. The personal helicopter has a range of 70 miles and can lift 400 lbs. The rotor arms can be folded as shown in the photos below.
FAA rules ignorance resulted in drone-helicopter collision over Staten Island
Back in September, we reported on the DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone that had collided with a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter flown by Fort Bragg soldiers over Staten Island. Luckily nobody was injured and the helicopter only sustained minor damage. The accident did become the first official drone-aircraft collision in the U.S. aviation history. The military started an investigation into the incident immediately and was able to identify the drone pilot based on the serial number found on parts of the drone that were logged in the helicopter.
Now the National Transportation Safety Board has released a full report on the drone incident.
Helicopter blows unauthorized drone out of the sky at Jaws surf event [video]
Well, I believe this is a first. During a World Surf League event at the (in)famous surf spot Jaws, a helicopter simply blows an unauthorized drone out of the sky and into the drink. Original? Yes. Smart, and safe solution, recommended by the FAA? Not so much.
