Tag Archives: SpyPlane

Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton long-range drone completes first flight (video)

Posted on by

DNP Northrop Grumman's MQ4C Triton longrange drone completes first flight

Northrop Grumman's MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft is one step closer to serving the Navy in reconnaissance and surveillance missions, having just completed its first flight. The drone spent 80 minutes in the air, reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet. That's child's play compared to the aircraft's full potential: according to the Navy, it can soar at up to 60,000 feet and stay airborne for as long as 30 hours, due in no small part to its 130-foot wingspan. By 2015, the Triton will undergo operational testing and evaluation, and the Navy hopes to add additional aircraft to its existing fleet (currently just two strong). Check out the long-range spy plane in action just past the break.

Filed under:

Comments

Source: Defense Tech

RED5 remote control plane can fly like an eagle, spy like one too

Posted on by

RED5 Spy Hawk

RED5's Spy Hawk might look like the stuff of a hobbyist's dreams, but it's not such an innocent craft. The remote control glider does precisely what its moniker implies, melding one part recreation with that other time-honored tradition: espionage. That's right, aspiring CIA-types can get a headstart gathering intel by relaying video captured with the nose-embedded, 5-megapixel camera to the transmitter's built-in 3.5-inch LCD screen. And lest that precious recon get lost, an included 4GB SD card will let you safely save it all for a rainy blackmail kinda day. There's also an autopilot stabilization feature to keep it upright in windy conditions, but temper your excitement, as the drone's 7.4v Li-ion battery is only rated for 15 minutes of uninterrupted privacy invading flight time. If you're spidey senses are a-tinglin' just knowing this sneaky toy plane exists, prepare to make peace with $305 (£249) and pre-order at the source below.

Filed under: ,

RED5 remote control plane can fly like an eagle, spy like one too originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  sourceRED5  | Email this | Comments

X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video)

Posted on by

X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video)

After more than a year of circling the globe, the US Air Force's X-37B has finally touched down at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The unmanned, reusable space plane spent 469 days in orbit, performing a number of experiments (many of which are classified) before finally ending its lengthy run Saturday. What exactly the military has learned from the extended orbital excursion is unclear, but, like the Mars rovers before it, the X-37B turned out to be far more robust than many had anticipated. Its mission was originally intended to last just nine months, but its operators managed to milk about six more months out of the craft. While we wait to find out what the next step is, enjoy the video of it landing after the break.

Continue reading X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video)

X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 13:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |   | Email this | Comments

Northrop Grumman Unveils US Navy’s MQ-4C BAMS Triton unmanned aircraft

Posted on by

Northrop Grumman Unveils US Navy's MQ4C BAMS Triton unmanned aircraft

If Broad Area Maritime Surveillance, or war gadgets are your bag, then things just got real. Northrop Grumman has just unveiled the MQ-4C BAMS Triton, the latest addition to the US Navy's Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force. The spy plane was more than four years in development, has a wingspan of 130.9 feet, and is able to cover more than 2.7 million square miles in a single mission. As you will have been unable to avoid noticing, the unmanned aircraft definitely inherited some of the RQ-4 Global Hawk's dome-like DNA, and will edge towards active service after completing functional requirement reviews and system development and demonstration flights. Want to bone-up on the full spec? Hit the more coverage link for the numbers. In the meantime, we're wondering if they might extend the research.

Northrop Grumman Unveils US Navy's MQ-4C BAMS Triton unmanned aircraft originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jun 2012 17:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  sourceNavy.mil  | Email this | Comments