Airbus' long announced self-piloted eVTOL aircraft, Vahana, has conducted 50 full-scale flight tests. Airbus posted a video of one flight test that includes a transition from vertical to forward flight and reaching higher acceleration. They also revealed some interior photos.
To make innovation in GA more adaptable to changing technology, significant modifications were made to 14 CFR part 23, which covers the airworthiness standards for normal category aircraft weighing 19,000 lbs. or less & having 19 or fewer passenger seats: https://adobe.ly/2V4hosH
AirSense is currently embedded in some of DJI's enterprise-level drones
including the Mavic 2 Enterprise. The manufacturer now aims to make the
same level of safety and security available to consumers. Instead of
relying on sound or sight, ADS-B can identify planes and helicopters
from miles away, and display the location on the screen of the remote.
All of this is part of a massive program on DJI’s part called “Elevating Safety.”
In
their white paper, the company proposes a ten-point plan for drone
safety and how DJI and others can work to improve that in the future.
The
points made include installing ADS-B receivers on all drones weighing
more than 250 grams as well as implementing geofencing and drone
identification measures.
The 10 points from the white paper are as follows:
1. DJI will install ADS-B receivers in all new drones above 250 grams.
2. DJI will develop a new automatic warning for drone pilots flying at extended distances.
3. DJI will establish an internal Safety Standards Group to meet regulatory and customer expectations.
4. Aviation industry groups must develop standards for reporting drone incidents.
5. All drone manufacturers should install geofencing and remote identification.
6. Governments must require remote identification.
7. Governments must require a user-friendly knowledge test for new drone pilots.
8. Governments must clearly designate sensitive restriction areas.
9. Local authorities must be allowed to respond to drone threats that are clear and serious.
10. Governments must increase enforcement of laws against unsafe drone operation.
The white paper is available here.
Soon after Drones quads started roaming around, multitude of business' followed. They included racing focused organizations and manufactures, like TBS, FrSKY. Then there are agriculture based business opening up a whole new domain and succeeding in providing solutions. Then a bunch of big boys started focusing on Drone-delivery businesses. From Alphabet, Amazon, Walmart, UPS and DHL have been testing and some even delivering packages by drones. Most of these companies focused mostly on last-mile logistics for food and retail, exception was DHL.
DHL has used drones to deliver blood samples and medicine to remote islands, as well as packages to remote mountain towns in one-third the time compared to a ground delivery vehicle. In more recent tests, DHL has developed fully automated “Packstations” that allow customers to insert a package that is delivered via drone with no human intervention. Aid organizations are pushing for new breakthroughs. The Netherlands-based Wings for Aid is working on a drone prototype to carry more and go farther: Up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of cargo could be delivered to several points within 500 kilometers (310 miles), said Wesley Kreft, director of business development and innovation. In my opinion, WfA has more grasp of the needs in the remote areas where infrastructure is basically non-existent.
The
concept of delivering a pizza or coffee to a hungry person is a fun and attractive one. There is a another company, Zipline, a US company followed a similar path of that of the DHL and took it little further, gaining commercial traction
by flying lifesaving medical supplies to thousands of rural clinics in Africa, instead. Now Zipline has made another milestone, which ranked No. 39 on the 2019 CNBC Disruptor 50 list,
has raised $190 million in venture funding and attained a $1.2 billion
valuation from its investors. Its backers include Baillie Gifford, The
Rise Fund (which is TPG’s global impact fund), Temasek, Alphabet’s investment arm GV and Katalyst Ventures. The funding brings Zipline’s total capital raised to $225 million.
Our NoFearFPV Youtube channel is being prepared to share information about All sort of drone information, drone racing, drone combat and FPV information.
Please visit and subscribe.
