Up and Soaring - UAS

Calif. Guard Deploys Predator to Support Firefighters
The California Air National Guard used an unmanned MQ-1 Predator to improve the incident commander’s ability to monitor conditions on the ground in the massive wildfire devastating remote areas around Yosemite National Park, according to a Department of Defense report.

The Guard’s 163rd Reconnaissance Wing flew the aircraft in late August to collect real-time information about where the Rim Fire was moving, where it was controlled, and to identify safe routes of retreat for firefighters.

The aircraft’s pilots, located at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., remained in constant contact with Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers from takeoff to landing. Whenever possible, the Predator flew over unpopulated areas, and when it went outside of the restricted airspace for the fire, a manned plane escorted it.

www.defense.gov/news

UAV Conference Draws Record Crowd
This year’s Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) conference on UAVs, held in Washington, D.C., drew more than 8,000 registered attendees along with 380 reporters and 593 exhibitors.

The show also featured an international presence, reflecting the growth of unmanned systems across the globe. Representatives from the United Kingdom, Turkey, Switzerland, China, and India, among others, showcased their technologies.

AUVSI spokeswoman Melanie Hinton reports, “The show continues to grow as we move from military applications into the civilian and commercial airspace.”

One example: Chinese UAV exhibitor Hubai Ewatt Technologies’ SVU-200 rotorcraft units are used on the state power grid of China, says Dennis Fetters, VTOL director for the company. They have applications for law enforcement and emergency response as well, which he says will be of interest to global consumers.

www.airforcetimes.com

Cornell Takes Top Prize in Student UAS Contest
Cornell University outflew 32 other teams to take the top prize in the 11th Student Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) competition held at Webster Field, Md. Cornell was awarded $7,450 of the more than $51,300 in prizes.

A record 35 teams entered the competition this year, including five high school teams. Top finishers were:

• 1st Place – Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
• 2nd Place – North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C.
• 3rd Place – Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan.
• 4th Place – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla. (Team AnDrone)
• 5th Place – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Ariz. (Team Awesome)
• 6th Place – Delhi Technological University, New Delhi, India

The SUAS competition, aimed at stimulating and fostering interest in unmanned air systems, technologies, and careers, requires the design, integration, and demonstration of a system capable of conducting air operations. This includes autonomous flight, navigation of a specified course, and use of onboard payload sensors. The teams that won first and second place at this year’s event were the only teams that have competed annually since the first SUAS competition in 2002.

www.auvsifoundation.org/suas

Watch a video from the contest at http://bit.ly/12pKFKV.

US Navy to Flight Test New Fire Scout
Northrop Grumman’s new, unmanned MQ-8C helicopter will undergo ground testing at Point Mugu, Calif., before having its first flight this month, according to Capt. Patrick Smith, the Navy’s Fire Scout program manager. The Navy hopes to begin deploying the new, larger Fire Scout variant, based on a Bell 407, in 2014. The MQ-8C will provide more endurance, payload capacity, and range than the existing MQ-8B.

www.navytimes.com

Solar-Powered UAS Flies More than 9 Hours
An outdoor flight test of a solar-powered prototype UAS from AeroVironment lasted 9 hours 11 minutes. Weighing 13 lb, the waterproof Puma AE performed the test using AeroVironment’s most recent long-endurance battery. The man-portable UAS can be assembled in minutes, hand-launched, operated, and recovered on sea or on land by a team of people without the need for runways or launching pads.

AeroVironment’s Senior Vice President and General Manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Roy Minson, explains that past solar solutions for powering small UAS were either too heavy or did not produce enough power for long-range flight. “The solar Puma AE technology can produce enough power, while adding negligible weight, so that endurance is no longer an issue for most customer missions.”

www.avinc.com/uas/small_uas/puma

Poll Shows Majority of Americans Support UAS for Search/Rescue
A poll conducted by Monmouth University found that 83% of Americans support the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for search and rescue and 62% support the use of the technology for patrolling the nation’s border.

The Monmouth poll comes on the heels of an Institute for Homeland Security Solutions and RTI Int’l poll released earlier this year that also showed a majority of Americans support UAS use in search and rescue, fighting crime, and commercial applications. The results are nearly unchanged from a similar poll the university conducted last year.

www.monmouth.edu

Northrop’s Euro Hawk Sets Record with Flight of 25+ Hours
Northrop Grumman Corp.’s RQ-4E Euro Hawk recently set an endurance record when it climbed to 58,600ft over Manching Air Base, Germany, and flew continuously for 25.3 hours in European airspace. With a wingspan greater than most commercial airliners, Euro Hawk can detect radar and communication emitters with its advanced signals intelligence sensors and updated payload software. The Euro Hawk program is a partnership between Northrop and EADS subsidiary Cassidian.

Earlier this year, Germany canceled plans to acquire five Euro Hawks for its own defense forces, but continues its commitment to the UAV as part of NATO’s allied ground surveillance system.

www.northropgrumman.com