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AutoFlight achieves ‘historic’ first eVTOL flight in Japan

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AutoFlight, a developer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology, has marked a significant milestone with its first successful flight in Japan.

On November 29, the company’s two-ton eVTOL aircraft completed its inaugural demonstration flight in Okayama Prefecture.

The historic eVTOL flight was conducted in collaboration with MASC, a Japanese non-profit organization dedicated to aerospace industry advancement.

[Read more…] about AutoFlight achieves ‘historic’ first eVTOL flight in Japan

Honeywell-led project to bring autonomous flight to Europe

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Honeywell has launched “project OperA”, one of the two Honeywell-led projects to be awarded through the latest round of funding from the European Union’s SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking. The work will take place at Honeywell’s international development center in Brno, Czech Republic.

Project OperA (Operate Anywhere) will develop and validate several solutions for the safe accommodation of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles in flight.

The project will build solutions for complex operations of AAM-piloted air taxi and uncrewed cargo in real-life air traffic control conditions in Europe. [Read more…] about Honeywell-led project to bring autonomous flight to Europe

DJI’s launches new commercial drone

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DJI, the world’s largest civilian drones and aerial imaging technology company, has launched a new drone, which “sets a new standard for any commercial drone operator”, according to the company.

It adds that the DJI Matrice 350 RTK (M350 RTK) “redefines the ultimate tool for the commercial drone industry”.

The M350 RTK is said to be an upgraded flagship drone platform that is more adaptable, safer and efficient for any aerial operation in public safety, energy, mapping, infrastructure or forestry, to name a few. [Read more…] about DJI’s launches new commercial drone

Reliable Robotics conducts autonomous flight demonstration at Travis Air Force Base

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Reliable Robotics, a specialist in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems, has provided a demonstration of its autonomous flight technology during the recent Golden Phoenix readiness exercise at Travis Air Force Base (AFB).

This exercise demonstrated capabilities that will help the United States Air Force (USAF) modernize and project safe, rapid, global mobility. During the flight, Reliable’s remotely operated aircraft system was engaged for an end-to-end automated mission including auto-taxi, auto-takeoff, climbout and auto-landing with an onboard test pilot.

Major Wesley Williams, Travis AFB Phoenix Spark Innovation Lab, says: “This signifies a historic milestone as an aircraft, under the guidance of Air Mobility Command airmen, autonomously taxied, took off, and landed at an AMC base for the first time. [Read more…] about Reliable Robotics conducts autonomous flight demonstration at Travis Air Force Base

Nasa awards AeroVironment $10 million contract to design helicopters for Mars mission

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The success of Ingenuity Mars helicopter, co-designed and co-developed by AeroVironment and NASA/JPL, lays the foundation for the development of the Sample Recovery Helicopters

AeroVironment has been awarded a $10 million contract by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to co-design and co-develop conceptual designs and engineering development units of Mars Sample Recovery Helicopter flight systems.

Future efforts could include detailed design, build, and test of qualification and flight hardware. The helicopters build upon the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter design heritage and feature upgraded robotics to supplement aerial mobility.

AeroVironment engineers from the MacCready Works team previously worked with NASA JPL to co-design and develop the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which has completed 52 successful flights to date on Mars and survived 781 sols on the surface, far outperforming its design objectives. [Read more…] about Nasa awards AeroVironment $10 million contract to design helicopters for Mars mission

Reliable Robotics and NASA complete ‘first-of-its-kind’ flight tests to advance aviation safety

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Reliable Robotics, a specialist in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), says it has completed flight tests designed to substantiate the use of existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) primary surveillance radar (PSR) data to improve the safety of the National Airspace System (NAS).

Reliable Robotics has been working with NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign since 2021 to advance the safe, secure and efficient integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems.

Of note – the FAA granted NASA limited access to PSR data for these specific flights conducted by Reliable Robotics – a step towards utilizing existing radar infrastructure for Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems. [Read more…] about Reliable Robotics and NASA complete ‘first-of-its-kind’ flight tests to advance aviation safety

Aerospace manufacturer JPB Système reaches ‘production milestone’ of 5 million flight parts

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JPB Système, a manufacturer of technology solutions for aerospace, aeronautic and other industries, says it has manufactured “five million separate flight parts since the start of its production operations over 20 years ago”.

The milestone predominantly comprises component parts used to produce JPB Système’s innovative LULYLOK B-nut self-locking device and borescope self-locking plug, both of which are supplied to global aircraft engine manufacturers including Safran, Rolls Royce, GE and Pratt & Whitney.

The figure also includes a number of other smaller parts, fittings and fasteners produced across the company’s Industry 4.0 enabled manufacturing facilities. [Read more…] about Aerospace manufacturer JPB Système reaches ‘production milestone’ of 5 million flight parts

Xwing’s uncrewed aircraft system becomes FAA’s first certification project

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Autonomous aviation company Xwing has submitted a Project Specific Certification Plan (PSCP) to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), becoming the first Standard Category large unmanned aerial system (UAS) to receive official project designation.

This marks the beginning of the process for approval of uncrewed commercial cargo operations in the national airspace.

Unlike other aviation projects that focus on augmenting piloted operations with autonomous technology or have Special Category certification, Xwing’s Superpilot technology integrates into existing type certified aircraft to enable uncrewed operations that work within the existing air traffic control system. [Read more…] about Xwing’s uncrewed aircraft system becomes FAA’s first certification project

AutoFlight achieves ‘world’s longest eVTOL flight’

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AutoFlight, the global eVTOL (electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) pioneer, says it has achieved “the world’s longest eVTOL flight in history” with distance of 250 km / 155 miles on a single charge of the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries.

The flight, which took place at AutoFlight’s eVTOL testing facility on February 23th, consisted of 20 circuits on a predefined flight track, with the plane remotely piloted from the ground by AutoFlight’s Flight Test team.

Interestingly, while AutoFlight’s Gen4 aircraft is fitted with the latest in state-of-the-art avionics, the aircraft also ran third-party avionics to record and verify the distance flown on ForeFlight, an independent system widely used in the aviation sector. [Read more…] about AutoFlight achieves ‘world’s longest eVTOL flight’

Festo showcases robot dragonfly and swift

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Festo has been showcasing it flying robotic dragonfly and swift at the recent RoboBoston event – the MassRobotics sponsored 5th annual Robot Block Party.

The design of the Festo BionicOpter was inspired by the flight of the dragonfly. Like its natural role model, the ultra-light aircraft can move in all directions, hover on the spot, and sail without flapping its wings.

The BionicOpter for the first time makes it possible for a single model to carry out more flight maneuvers than helicopters and motorized and non-motorized gliders combined. [Read more…] about Festo showcases robot dragonfly and swift