Aurora Flight Sciences, Stratasys 3D print jet UAV

Stratasys Ltd. has teamed with Aurora Flight Sciences to deliver a 3D-printed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using lightweight materials to achieve speeds of at least 150mph. The UAV – with a 3m (9ft) wingspan and weight of 15kg (33 lb) – leverages 3D printing for 80% of its design and manufacture.

Dan Campbell, aerospace research engineer at Aurora Flight Sciences, says, “To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest, fastest, and most complex 3D-printed UAV ever produced.”

Stratasys’ additive manufacturing solutions supported rapid design iterations, speeding development from initial concept to first flight by 50%.

Stratasys’ fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D-printing technology was used to build an enclosed, hollow, lightweight structure. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing produced components better suited to other technologies.

“We elected to laser sinter the nylon fuel tank, and our thrust vectoring exhaust nozzle was 3D printed in metal to withstand the extreme heat at the engine nozzle,” explains Scott Sevcik, aerospace & defense senior business development manager, vertical solutions at Stratasys. www.aurora.aero; www.stratasys.com

Insitu UAS monitors railway

Launching at a tower site near Vaughn, New Mexico, Boeing subsidiary Insitu claims the first commercial beyond visual line of sight operation with an unmanned aerial system (UAS) in the contiguous 48 states. The Oct. 25, 2015 event marked the beginning of a week-long series of flights with BNSF Railway designed to show how unmanned aircraft technology can enhance railway safety and infrastructure inspection.

The flight was part of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Pathfinders program, an initiative to develop UAS regulations in collaboration with industry. In its first day of operations, a ScanEagle UAS provided real-time video, covering 64 miles of the 132-mile stretch of track BNSF had designated for the exercise. ScanEagle is capable of flying for up to 24 hours at speeds of up to 80 knots.

“These operations are a positive opportunity to further inform the conversation surrounding the safe integration of unmanned aircraft into the National Airspace,” says Insitu President and CEO Ryan M. Hartman.

“The capabilities these aircraft have to gather additional intelligence that can then be fed in real-time to track inspectors on the ground will fundamentally enhance our program and the safety of the our railroad while helping to keep our people safe in harsh and extreme conditions,” adds Greg Fox, executive vice president for operations at BNSF Railway. www.insitu.com

FAA starts small UAS registration

On Dec. 21, 2015, The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began registration for owners of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) weighing more than 0.55 lb (250g) and less than 55 lb (25kg) including payloads such as on-board cameras.

Owners who previously operated sUAS exclusively as model aircraft (any remotely controlled airplane, not just multi-copter drones), have 60 days to register, and owners of sUAS covered by the rule purchased after Dec. 21, 2015, must register before flying them outdoors. Failure to register an aircraft may bring civil fines up to $27,500 and criminal penalties of up to $250,000 and three years’ imprisonment. Only U.S. citizens 13 years of age or older can register their sUAS.

A $5 fee authorizes a personal registration number for three years. If a person owns more than one sUAS, each aircraft must be marked with that number. To encourage compliance, the FAA refunded the $5 during the first 30 days of its roll-out of web-based registration.

The system only supports registration of sUAS for hobby or recreation. The FAA is developing a separate means to allow online registrations for sUAS in commercial use by spring 2016.

The long-anticipated rule incorporates many of the recommendations delivered by the Registration Task Force to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on Nov. 21, 2015.

“Unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” Foxx said during the rule’s introduction. “Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely.” www.faa.gov/uas

• 181,061 drones (sUAS) registered with the FAA as of Jan. 6, 2016
• About 400,000 drones sold in the United States in 4Q2015
• 1 million drones expected to be sold in 2016
• $953 million – sales forecast for registration-requiring drones in 2016

Source: The Consumer Technology Association, Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas

Collaborative unmanned systems extinguish fire

Lockheed Martin demonstrated its ability to integrate unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations into the National Airspace System (NAS) using its prototype UAS Traffic Management (UTM) capabilities. During the demonstration in Rome, New York, on Nov. 18, 2015, the Stalker XE small UAS provided data and a precise geolocation to the unmanned K-MAX cargo helicopter, which conducted water drops to extinguish a fire, while the UTM tracked the UAS operations and communicated with air traffic control in real time.

“This demonstration represents the path forward for flying UAS in the NAS using flight service-based UTM capabilities to extend the technology and systems that air traffic controllers know and understand,” said Paul Engola, vice president, transportation & financial solutions. “We were able to successfully modify the existing K-MAX and Stalker XE ground control software to connect to the UTM services and conduct the firefighting mission.”

The Stalker XE UAS worked in tandem with K-MAX to identify hot spots and fire intensity with its electro-optical, infrared camera. High-definition imaging capabilities enable day and night operations. Powered by a ruggedized solid oxide fuel cell, Stalker XE can achieve more than 8 hours of flight endurance. www.lockheedmartin.com/unmanned

UAS traffic management integration service

PASSUR Aerospace Inc. has established an unmanned aerial system (UAS) traffic management integration service to help commercial UAS operators become more informed, effective, and collaborative members of the National Airspace System (NAS) by integrating them into the company’s aviation intelligence platform, currently used by more than 125 airlines, more than 60 airports, 200+ corporate aviation customers, and the FAA.

The new service aims to educate UAS operators on how the commercial airspace operates and ensure that they quickly become stakeholders within the aviation community. www.passur.com/solutions/uas