Boeing Hummingbird Drone Crashes In Belize 68
garymortimer writes "Still not reported elsewhere, Flight International reports another crash of the Boeing Hummingbird helicopter UAV. The Hummingbird A160 is in development, but test flights already demonstrate successively greater endurance, higher altitudes, more extensive autonomy, and greater payload. The program has ambitious goals of a 2,500-mile (4,000 km) range, 24-hour endurance, and 30,000 ft (9,100 m) altitude. Flights are largely autonomous, with the aircraft making its own decisions about how to fly itself so as to meet certain objectives, rather than relying on real-time human control. Maximum speeds are over 140 knots. The aircraft is 35 ft (11 m) from nose to tail and has a rotor diameter of 36 ft (11 m).[2] Until recently it was powered by modified Subaru automotive engines, but newer versions fly with the Pratt & Whitney PW207D turboshaft."
Terrain (Score:4, Informative)
"Still not reported elsewhere" (Score:1, Informative)
This was on Flight International's iOS app yesterday.
Flightglobal news has it as 1239 Friday.
Re:Always nice to see the war effort... (Score:3, Informative)
further bankrupt the U.S.
Well, this kind of tech at least has the potential for significant civilian spinoffs. Flying communications drones, for example, are being considered for providing broadband connectivity.
Re:Terrain (Score:2, Informative)
According to Wikipedia [wikipedia.org]: "In August 2010 the A160 Hummingbird is undergoing jungle test flights in Belize". So it wasn't just having a joy ride in open skies, it was in a tricky terrain to navigate, for *any* kind of autonomous vehicle.
Aviation Week reported on its blog [aviationweek.com] that that the A160T crashed on approach, close to the landing site.