Boeing Demonstrates Autonomous Ship-based Capability of Unmanned Little Bird Rotorcraft

2012-08-07

The Boeing Unmanned Little Bird H-6U successfully performed 14 autonomous takeoffs and landings from a ship during flight tests in July, a significant milestone for a medium-size vertical-takeoff-and-landing unmanned airborne system (UAS).

For the tests, conducted from a private ship off the coast of Florida, Boeing integrated a commercial-off-the-shelf takeoff-and-landing system with Unmanned Little Bird’s automated flight control system. Two safety pilots were aboard the optionally piloted aircraft to maintain situational awareness and to be able to take control of the aircraft, though that was not required. The aircraft accumulated 20 flight hours with 100 percent availability.

“Unmanned Little Bird performed flawlessly, proving not only its reliability as a mature platform but its adaptability for various missions and continued innovation,” said Debbie Rub, Boeing vice president and general manager of Missiles and Unmanned Airborne Systems. “By successfully demonstrating this maritime capability, we are able to provide warfighters with a critical unmanned solution to meet their missions.”

Introduced in 2004, Unmanned Little Bird is a variant of the highly successful MD-500 series helicopters, which have accumulated 14 million flight hours over five decades. Unmanned Little Bird benefits from this legacy, demonstrating numerous capabilities on a platform that is affordable to own, operate and maintain.

The aircraft’s missions include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; precision cargo resupply; weapons delivery; and manned-unmanned teaming. In addition, Unmanned Little Bird continues to be used as a technology demonstrator, rapidly prototyping new capabilities for multiple platforms. Unmanned Little Bird is one of Boeing’s many C4ISR capabilities that provide a seamless flow of information — from collection to aggregation to analysis — for customers’ enduring need for situational awareness.

Boeing is spotlighting Unmanned Little Bird and other unmanned systems today through Aug. 9 at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems North America 2012 conference and exhibition in Las Vegas. Boeing Unmanned Airborne Systems Director Rick Lemaster will give reporters an overview of Unmanned Little Bird today from 11 a.m. to noon Pacific time in the Boeing exhibit at Booth 3646.

Region: USA and Canada
Contry: USA
Category: UAV
Company: Boeing

2020-09-15

Boeing Australia has successfully conducted flight tests of the latest artificial intelligence technology.

The Australian division of the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing has made significant progress in using artificial intelligence (AI) to train UAVs to detect, make decisions, act during a mission and independently adjust the route to obtain more accurate data.

2014-02-11

UAV successfully sees and avoids another aircraft while in flight

In a recent flight test in Australia, a Scan Eagle UAV succeeded in visually identifying an approaching Cessna aircraft, and letting its own ground-based operators know that evasive action was required.

2014-02-05

Air Force's Unmanned Plane Passes 400 Days in Orbit

The U.S. Air Force's unmanned X-37B space plane has now circled Earth for more than 400 days on a hush-hush mission that is creeping closer and closer to the vehicle's orbital longevity record.

2013-02-27

Boeing Phantom Eye Completes Second Flight

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 26, 2013 — Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] liquid hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system completed its second flight Feb. 25, demonstrating capabilities that will allow it to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions for up to four days without refueling.

2012-12-19

Boeing Names Michael Kurth as VP/GM Unmanned Airborne Systems

The Boeing Co. announced that company veteran Michael Kurth will oversee Boeing’s unmanned airborne systems as of Jan. 1. Kurth, currently managing director of Boeing Defence UK Ltd. (BDUK), will relocate to St. Louis as vice president and general manager of Unmanned Airborne Systems Programs, reporting to Boeing Military Aircraft President Chris Chadwick. David Pitchforth, managing director for UK Rotorcraft Support, a division...

2012-08-02

Boeing Will Display Wide Range of Military and Commercial Unmanned Systems at AUVSI12

Boeing will spotlight several unmanned systems that meet a variety of customer needs during the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems North America 2012 conference and exhibition....

2012-06-05

First flight for hydrogen fuelled Phantom Eye

Boeing’s Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system (UAS) completed its first autonomous flight June 1 at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The 28-minute flight...

2011-10-04

Unmanned Insitu aircraft tracks whales off Australia

Insitu Pacific, the Bingen, Wash., company’s Australia-based subsidiary, has finished the second phase of a trial with Australia’s Murdoch University to see if unmanned systems are a cost-effective, capable alternative to surveying marine mammals with manned aircraft.

2011-03-21

2nd Boeing-built Orbital Test Vehicle X-37B begins flight

Boeing announced the successful launch of the second Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) for the US Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO). The OTV was launched on an Atlas V rocket into a low-Earth orbit today at 5:46 p.m.

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Reports

2021-05-05
Development of the world market of UAV during COVID-19 pandemic

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