This is a vital step along the way to operating crewless aircraft safely alongside F-35 Lightning jets and naval Merlin and Wildcat helicopters which are currently the backbone of the Fleet Air Arm. The goal is to deploy drones with a UK Carrier Strike Group in the future, using them to transfer stores and supplies, such as mail or spare parts between ships, without the need to launch helicopters. Drones are cheaper to operate, eliminate any potential risk to aircrew, such as in bad weather and keep the hi-tech Merlins and Wildcats free for operational sorties, such as hunting hostile submarines or surface vessels which are threats to the carrier strike group.
This story is from the September 2023 edition of Future Flight.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2023 edition of Future Flight.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SURF AIR secures early delivery of 90 ELECTRA HYBRIDELECTRIC AIRCRAFT
On 15 February US Commuter and General Aviation group, Surf Air announced that it has secured early delivery slots for 90 Electra hybrid-electric aircraft. The aircraft will not only go to Surf Air's own airlines, Southern Airways and Mokulele Airlines, but could also be leased to other operators under what the firm calls 'aircraft-as-a-service' programme. The latter is, in essence, a turnkey leasing scheme designed to meet the needs of Part 135 operators, which are small local and regional airlines with often limited access to the services of more traditional aircraft lessors.
DORON UNVEILS II AEROSPACE H1-X PERSONAL 'FLYING CAR'
The two-seat eVTOL, designed for personal ownership, government agencies and emergency services, is expected to begin test flights by the end of 2024. A Florida-based manufacturer has unveiled a ‘flying car’ design it says is ‘so intuitive that a four-year-old could fly it.’
MAJOR INVESTORS EXPECT FIRST COMMERCIAL EVTOL PASSENGER ROUTES TO BE OPERATIONAL BY 2026
According to new global research from New Horizon Aircraft Ltd, global investors are anticipating the first commercial passenger routes of electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft to be operational in the next few years as the Future Air Mobility market continues to advance rapidly.
BOEING SELF-FLYING AIR TAXI VENTURE WISK AERO SETS PLAN FOR TEXAS SERVICE
Wisk Aero, the self-flying, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi venture of Boeing is eyeing Texas as one of its launch markets.
ONE SHOT ONE HIT fire control system being used to target drones in Israel
Handheld operated or remotely controlled, the SMASH family of fire control systems excels in combat as well as in HLS due to its unique ability to counter drones and enhance operational effectiveness against ground, aerial and maritime targets.
ELBIT UNVEILS NEW HERMES 650 SPARK, claiming 24-hour plus endurance
Last month well known for its drones, Israeli firm Elbit unveiled a new propeller-driven aircraft, powered by what executives called an 'over-powered' engine to give it speed, payload and the ability to loiter for a day or more.
CUSTOMER DEMAND AND WINGS AIRCRAFT LIBRARY DESIGN APPROACH SHAPING NEW AIRCRAFT
At Wing, we are always thinking big about how to optimise drone delivery. Today, we are thinking bigger: We are introducing an additional aircraft into our fleet that will simplify and streamline larger orders.
EHang unmanned aircraft cloud system approved by CAA
EHang, an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company, announced that its EHang Unmanned Aircraft Cloud System (UACS) has been officially approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for UACS trial operations.
AMPAIRE FLIES hybrid-electric Cessna to Alaska in milestone flight
On 13 August Ampaire revealed that following a 3,400-mile series of flights from Southern California, its hybrid-electric aircraft successfully landed at the Fairbanks International Airport (FAI). The EEL is a platform for the development of scalable technology and certification processes.
uAvionix and Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma complete first US flights
Operating at the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) Emerging Aviation Technology Center, uAvionix completed the first true Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight in non-segregated airspace using aviation protected C-Band in the United States.
