SMALL UAV OK'D FOR NATIONAL AIRSPACE

Are any other airmen uneasy about sharing the sky with these blind
robots?


SMALL UAV OK'D FOR NATIONAL AIRSPACE
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195459)
The CyberBug
(http://www.marketwire.com/2.0/releas...&sourceType=1), a
small hand-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that comes in
several models ranging from about three to 15 pounds, has been granted
an experimental airworthiness certificate by the FAA. Cyber Defense
Systems (http://www.cduav.com/), which builds the aircraft, says it is
the first vehicle less than 100 pounds that has been approved to fly
in the U.S. National Airspace System, and one of only 12 unmanned
vehicles to be granted experimental certificates from the FAA. Cyber
Defense successfully completed a CyberBug demonstration flight for FAA
officials in Florida on June 15. The company expects to market the
vehicle for military, law enforcement and commercial applications.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195459
============================


http://www.marketwire.com/2.0/releas...6&sourceType=1
ST. PETERSBURG, FL and ATLANTA, GA and COLUMBUS, GA--(Marketwire -
June 18, 2007) - Cyber Defense Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: CYDF), a designer
and developer of next generation unmanned aerial systems (UASs),
announced today that the company has received an Experimental
Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration,
the first for small hand-launched UASs under 100lbs in the United
States, allowing the CyberBug™ Unmanned Aerial System to fly in the
National Airspace System.

To date, the U.S. aviation agency has issued only twelve EACs for UAS
operations in civil airspace, with Cyber Defense receiving the latest.
Cyber Defense earned the right to fly in the NAS after successfully
completing a CyberBug™ demonstration flight for FAA officials at a
location in Pasco County, Florida on June 15th, 2007.

The CyberBug™ is a high tech asset for military, law enforcement and
commercial applications. The unmanned air vehicles can be assembled in
minutes and launched from an open area to provide instant aerial
surveillance. The vehicles fly for up to an hour and transmit video
and data to a portable ground control station. The CyberBug™ operator
can safely monitor dangerous events, see around buildings, over hills
and beyond line of sight. Applications include search and rescue,
traffic monitoring, environmental, research, border patrol, drug
interdiction and more.

Billy Robinson, president and chief executive officer of Cyber Defense
Systems, called receipt of an FAA EAC a "significant company
milestone," noting that this achievement was obtained "through a lot
of hard work on the part of the CyberBug™ team and outstanding support
from the FAA."

An EAC permits UAS flight operations in specified sections of the NAS.
It also authorizes unmanned aircraft manufacturers to conduct research
and development, crew training and marketing demonstration.
================================


http://www.proxygen.com/36/Editorial...list_type=name
Photos Videos Specifications

The unmanned air vehicles can be assembled in minutes and launched
from an open area to provide instant aerial surveillance. The vehicles
fly for up to an hour and transmit video and data to a portable ground
control station. THe CyberBUG operator can safely monitor dangerous
events, see around buildings, over hills and beyond line of sight.
Applications include search and rescue, traffic
monitoring,environmental, research, border patrol, drug interdiction
and more.

-Pan/tilt cameras for maximum situational awareness.
Gyro-stabilization for high quality imagery. NEW GPS camera tracking
and optional IR cameras.

-Autonomous Flight Modes including waypoint Navigation,automatic
landings and NEW convoy following.

-Transparent wing materials and silent motors make the CyberBUG
difficult to detect.

-Available in several sizes to best meet your needs."
=================


http://www.proxygen.com/36/editorial...& obj_id=1457
About the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

The CyberBug™ is one of the first in the UAV world to offer a low cost
solution to law enforcement and the Military. Providing the capability
to provide routine surveillance and communication in crowded or remote
locations providing authorities the ability to provide cost effective
surveillance over areas without the monetary burden that typically
occurs when other airborne assets or people are used. The system is
truly unique in that the control station is based upon XP/Visual-Basic
software. This system could be a driving force for the future
development of UAV's. The CYDF system provides the owner with the
ability to control the camera and UAV from areas remote to the plane.
An example is that one current proposal to the DoD is that the UAV be
provided to ground troops in Iraq and used in preprogrammed missions
however the person watching the monitors for hostile activity would or
could be located in the US with the ability to notify forces in Iraq
of potential areas of concern, providing control of the cameras as
well as the operation of the vehicles.

The product is scalable and provides camera solution on both the small
2.6 pound platform as well as significant cameras solutions for day
and night vision on the larger platform 14 pound platform which also
has the capability to fly on station in a programmed or manual mode
for up to an hour, traveling at speeds of 30 MPH with a camera foot
print of 300 x 300 depending on day or night view. CYDF has tentative
reseller agreements with several companies who provide cameras and or
sensor products thus enabling Cyber to "piggy-back"; established sales
channels of these reseller companies.

In the recent demonstrations with Maryland State police, initial
acceptance of the CyberBug™ has led both law enforcement and Military
forces in several countries to believe that the CyberBug™ is ideal for
use in covert missions as it is silent (electric) and the on station
duration for one hour. The CyberBug™ product allows users to view data
captured by sensors from a wireless product to any location throughout
the world providing a significant advantage in a low cost solution to
surveillance.

Another scalable product recently achieving prototype deployment, the
CyberScout™ is designed to operate innovative clandestine
reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and could be
hand-carried into battle to perform hunter-killer missions. With an
open access airframe fuselage, the CyberScout™ can be rapidly
field-configured with a wide array of cameras, sensors, weapons, and
instruments.

In May, 2005 CYDF announced the successful transitional flight test of
the CyberScout™. The CyberScout™ successfully lifted off entirely
under its own power then completed a planned flight pattern while
transitioning to forward flight. The CyberScout™ exhibited ample
thrust for this test phase this test proved the current power
configuration is more than adequate for lift off and hover and forward
flight.

The primary design goal of the CyberScout™ was to develop a small,
configurable, and easily modifiable UAV aerial platform, which
combines the VTOL, and hover capabilities of a helicopter with the
high-speed forward flight capabilities of a fixed-wing aircraft.

A secondary design objective was to "modularize" the major components
of the aircraft to allow the platform to be optimally configured with
different major components so that it can cost effectively meet varied
mission requirements. This means that the CyberScout™ can "evolve"
over time by incorporating new systems and technologies by easily
upgrading major system components. The company will develop as a
bi-product software that may be used by the company or its clients to
model an "on demand" rendering of aircraft based upon client
parameters of payload and or flight characteristics.

In May, 2005 CYDF announced the successful transitional flight test of
the Cyber Scout. The Cyber Scout successfully lifted off from the test
stand entirely under its own power. The Cyber Scout exhibited ample
thrust for this test phase this test proved the current power
configuration is more than adequate for lift off and hover and forward
flight.

When fully developed the VTOL capable CyberScout™ is expected to:

Operate in congested urban and jungle environments, desert and
mountainous terrain

Perform traditional UAV surveillance, border patrol, and wide area
search and sensing missions

Fly to a location, land and use their own power to operate
surveillance monitoring activities

Launch and return without a runway enabling deployment from small,
concealed locations, naval ships, and building rooftops.

The company plans to produce two standardized units to accommodate
small and large payloads of up to 40 pounds including fuel. All units
will have basic functions for low-cost, clandestine reconnaissance,
surveillance, and target acquisition. The CyberScout™ is being
designed with features designed to enhance mission flexibility and
survivability such as reduced infrared and acoustic signatures, fully
autonomous day/night capability, and tactical-level endurance at any
airspeed from hover to 300 knots. The CyberScout™ innovative designs
combine the benefits of VTOL aircraft with high-speed forward flight.
Additional planned features include an obstacle avoidance system that
allows autonomous urban operation and an automatic flight
stabilization system permits the aircraft to constantly maintain
straight and level horizontal flight.

The CyberScout™ essentially combines the capabilities of a helicopter
with the advantages of a fixed wing aircraft. These capabilities
include:

VTOL - Vertical Takeoff or Landing (VTOL) capability allows launch and
recovery without a runway, enabling deployment from small, concealed
locations, naval ships, and building rooftops.

Hover - the ability of the aircraft to remain airborne with no forward
speed is useful for monitoring, surveillance missions, urban
navigation, and for laser designation of targets. Hover capability is
also useful for certain weapons deployment and other missions.

The CyberScout™ does not have the disadvantages of conventional
helicopters:

Exposed rotor blades - the exposed rotor blades of conventional
helicopters can strike trees, power lines, buildings, rocks, birds, or
contact the ground with catastrophic results. Exposed rotor blades
also pose a safety hazard to nearby personnel, and make the aircraft
more vulnerable to hostile weapons fire. The CyberScout™ has no
exposed blades (nor does the CyberScout™ have a tail rotor), as they
are enclosed and protected inside of the ducted fan assembly.

Slow forward speed - conventional helicopter-based designs do not
offer the high-speed forward flight capability of fixed wing aircraft,
reducing response time and limiting cruising range. The CyberScout™
can tilt its ducted fan such that it acts like a very large propeller,
and utilize its wings for lift and control.

Mission assignments for the CyberScout™ in the near future will
include homeland security and medical re-supply. The Coast Guard and
Border Patrol, parts of the newly formed Department of Homeland
Security, already have plans to deploy UAV's to watch coastal waters,
patrol the nation's borders, and protect major oil and gas pipelines.
Congressional support exists for using UAV's for border security.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on homeland defense,
it was stated that although it would not be appropriate for the
military to patrol the border, domestic agencies using UAV's could
carry out this mission.
========================================


On a similar but larger note:


The Boeing Company http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/index.html
Boeing Completes First Flight of A160T Hummingbird Unmanned Helicopter

LE BOURGET, France, June 18, 2007 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA]
successfully completed the first flight of the A160T Hummingbird
unmanned rotorcraft June 15 from an airfield near Victorville, Calif.

The A160T, a turbine-powered version of the innovative piston-powered
A160 helicopter, features unmatched range, endurance, payload and
altitude for an unmanned rotorcraft.

"Today's Hover-In-Ground Effect flight is our first step in providing
the warfighter the key element of our approach to providing persistent
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage that only an
unmanned helicopter of this type can provide," said Jim Martin, Boeing
Advanced Systems A160 program manager, after the flight.

During the 12-minute hover flight to verify vehicle and subsystem
operation, the A160T met all test objectives and collected extensive
flight control, propulsion and subsystem operation data.

The test marked the 37th flight overall for the A160 program and the
first in a series of flights that will demonstrate endurance levels
greater than 18 hours. The aircraft used during the tests is the first
of 10 A160Ts Boeing Advanced Systems is building for the Defense
Advanced Projects Research Agency and the U.S. Special Operations
Command.

The Hummingbird features a unique optimum speed rotor technology that
significantly improves overall performance efficiency by adjusting the
rotor system's revolutions per minute at different altitudes, gross
weights and cruise speeds. The autonomous unmanned aircraft, measuring
35 feet long with a 36-foot rotor diameter, eventually will fly more
than 140 knots with a ceiling of 25,000 to 30,000 ft. (high hover
capability up to 15,000 ft.) for up to 20 hours. Operational A160Ts
will
be capable of persistent intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance;
target acquisition; direct action; communication relay and precision
re-supply missions.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
http://www.boeing.com/ids/index.html is one of the world's largest
space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and
capabilities-driven customer solutions. Headquartered in St. Louis,
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32.4 billion business with
72,000 employees worldwide.

Larry Dighera wrote:
Are any other airmen uneasy about sharing the sky with these blind
robots?


If you like that you are going to LOVE this.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=11250026

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:27:31 -0500, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in
:

Larry Dighera wrote:
Are any other airmen uneasy about sharing the sky with these blind
robots?


If you like that you are going to LOVE this.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=11250026


So, the plan is to first fly cargo in unmanned aerial vehicles to
demonstrate to the public that UAVs are safe, then start UAV passenger
service, ostensibly because it's cheaper, there's no chance for pilot
error, nor hijacking. I'm highly skeptical.

It's not so much that it can't be successfully accomplished for
technological reasons, but more that it will take decades of
development to produce a system that is anywhere nearly as reliable as
our current human piloted system, IMO. And then there's the issue of
Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) and Coronal Mass Ejections (CME).

Should an aircraft, indeed any electronic device, be subject to short
duration EMP, it's circuits could be rendered permanently or
temporarily inoperative depending on the strength of the pulse at the
location of the aircraft. Without electronic guidance and control,
how is a UAV supposed to function? A human pilot, relatively immune
to EMP, can shoot the stars for navigation and hand fly for control.

I know there are electronic circuits that are supposed to be fast
enough to protect against EMP, but it seems to me there would be a
delay in circuit functionality during the time the system reset itself
after encountering an EMP. During that time period, the electronics
wouldn't be performing their normal functions. Presumably the F-16,
and other nuclear delivery systems, would be equipped with this sort
of protection.

In the event a UAV is aloft during a CME episode, its fate would be
similar depending on the strength of the incoming radiation and it's
likely the event duration will be substantially longer, even hours.
While humans are more vulnerable to CME, the effects would likely be
delayed long enough to permit the aircraft to be flown to a safe
landing. For fly-by-wire aircraft, nonfunctional electronics spells
loss of control in either scenario.

And if NextGen ATC will be solely reliant on satellite communications,
it will be extremely vulnerable to CME events. But neither Congress,
the FAA, Robert Poole, Boeing, nor LockMart has mentioned that little
fact for some reason.

Also not mentioned is the UAV's lack of compliance with the regulatory
see-and-avoid mandate.

I doubt seriously that human aircraft pilots will become obsolete
within my lifetime.

Do I have to include celestial nav in the next editions of my books? Would
very many current pilots recognize a bubble sextant if it bit them in the
butt?

Bob Gardner

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:27:31 -0500, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in
:

Larry Dighera wrote:
Are any other airmen uneasy about sharing the sky with these blind
robots?


If you like that you are going to LOVE this.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=11250026


So, the plan is to first fly cargo in unmanned aerial vehicles to
demonstrate to the public that UAVs are safe, then start UAV passenger
service, ostensibly because it's cheaper, there's no chance for pilot
error, nor hijacking. I'm highly skeptical.

It's not so much that it can't be successfully accomplished for
technological reasons, but more that it will take decades of
development to produce a system that is anywhere nearly as reliable as
our current human piloted system, IMO. And then there's the issue of
Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) and Coronal Mass Ejections (CME).

Should an aircraft, indeed any electronic device, be subject to short
duration EMP, it's circuits could be rendered permanently or
temporarily inoperative depending on the strength of the pulse at the
location of the aircraft. Without electronic guidance and control,
how is a UAV supposed to function? A human pilot, relatively immune
to EMP, can shoot the stars for navigation and hand fly for control.

I know there are electronic circuits that are supposed to be fast
enough to protect against EMP, but it seems to me there would be a
delay in circuit functionality during the time the system reset itself
after encountering an EMP. During that time period, the electronics
wouldn't be performing their normal functions. Presumably the F-16,
and other nuclear delivery systems, would be equipped with this sort
of protection.

In the event a UAV is aloft during a CME episode, its fate would be
similar depending on the strength of the incoming radiation and it's
likely the event duration will be substantially longer, even hours.
While humans are more vulnerable to CME, the effects would likely be
delayed long enough to permit the aircraft to be flown to a safe
landing. For fly-by-wire aircraft, nonfunctional electronics spells
loss of control in either scenario.

And if NextGen ATC will be solely reliant on satellite communications,
it will be extremely vulnerable to CME events. But neither Congress,
the FAA, Robert Poole, Boeing, nor LockMart has mentioned that little
fact for some reason.

Also not mentioned is the UAV's lack of compliance with the regulatory
see-and-avoid mandate.

I doubt seriously that human aircraft pilots will become obsolete
within my lifetime.

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:01:50 -0700, "Bob Gardner"
wrote in :

Do I have to include celestial nav in the next editions of my books? Would
very many current pilots recognize a bubble sextant if it bit them in the
butt?

I know you're just joking, but my point was, that while the
electronically controlled UAV would be out of commission in the event
of an EMP or CME, it would be possible, if not practicable, for the
human piloted aircraft to continue on course by dead reckoning at
least.

"Bob Gardner" wrote in message
...
Would very many current pilots recognize a bubble sextant if it bit them
in the butt?


Hmmm, kinky...I think.

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message ...
On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:27:31 -0500, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in
:

Larry Dighera wrote:
Are any other airmen uneasy about sharing the sky with these blind
robots?


If you like that you are going to LOVE this.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=11250026


So, the plan is to first fly cargo in unmanned aerial vehicles to
demonstrate to the public that UAVs are safe, then start UAV passenger
service, ostensibly because it's cheaper, there's no chance for pilot
error, nor hijacking. I'm highly skeptical.

It's not so much that it can't be successfully accomplished for
technological reasons, but more that it will take decades of
development to produce a system that is anywhere nearly as reliable as
our current human piloted system, IMO. And then there's the issue of
Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) and Coronal Mass Ejections (CME).

Should an aircraft, indeed any electronic device, be subject to short
duration EMP, it's circuits could be rendered permanently or
temporarily inoperative depending on the strength of the pulse at the
location of the aircraft. Without electronic guidance and control,
how is a UAV supposed to function? A human pilot, relatively immune
to EMP, can shoot the stars for navigation and hand fly for control.



Just about all Airbuses are FBW. I don't think there is any fly by cable backup...

Also not mentioned is the UAV's lack of compliance with the regulatory
see-and-avoid mandate.

I doubt seriously that human aircraft pilots will become obsolete
within my lifetime.

They will still require one pilot and a dog in automated airplanes...

On Jun 21, 12:27 pm, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote:
Larry Dighera wrote:
Are any other airmen uneasy about sharing the sky with these blind
robots?

If you like that you are going to LOVE this.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=11250026

There will still have to be one pilot and a dog onboard for backup...

On Jun 21, 12:27 pm, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote:
Larry Dighera wrote:
Are any other airmen uneasy about sharing the sky with these blind
robots?

If you like that you are going to LOVE this.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=11250026

Hey, they still will need at least one pilot and a dog in these
planes...