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Quadcopters vs. Helicopters – Why 4 Blades is not Always Better
While quadcopters have become very popular in recent years, there are still some inherent limitations in the design that includes multiple motors and multiple propellers. For one thing, there is a theoretical limit in the size you could go with multiple propellers given the need for more motors. The quadcopter design was rejected years ago by the United States military for the simplicity of a sing...
Half Quadcopter Half Rocket – All Speed
In a world of drones dominated by standard designs, the QuadRKT is certainly different. It is neither the usual quadcopter nor the fixed wing design, but rather a combination that allows for vertical take off and landing as well as horizontal flight. This allows it to take off and land from very tight places but still fly at high speeds for longer times. The design was originally developed by the ...
Alphabet Looks To Build System For Drone Traffic
Alphabet, but parent company of Google, is looking to design and create an air traffic control system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) also know as drones. Unlike Amazon, who is focusing on efficient delivery of packages using drone technology, Alphabet is working to create a foundation for future unmanned air traffic in public airspace to follow. They are calling this “Project Wing̶...
Five Skills Every Pilot Should Learn
If you are new to flying drones or trying to teach someone else, there are some basics you should concentrate on before move on to more advanced techniques. These basic flying skills will help you master flight without GPS and without using “headless mode” and make you the best pilot you can be. These techniques are: Take Off and Landing – Learn to do this constantly without R...
New US Drone Laws In Effect Today
The long-awaited new laws for commercial drone use have officially gone into effect in the United States. Today opens the doors to thousands of new commercial applications that were in a legal gray area until now. Before this law, companies were required to request permission from the federal government for any commercial drone use. This process could be very tedious and time consuming, discoura...
Flying Drones is Becoming A Marketable Skill
While many people take to flying drones for sport or as a hobby, there are more and more cases where people are flying for hire. Of course wedding photography and videography has become a big use-case for flying drones. But also consider the many industrial and environmental situations where drone flying can help tremendously. These are the areas where professional pilots are really “taking ...
Using Drones To Monitor Light Pollution
Drones are currently used to monitor many different kinds of environmental concerns around the planet. Things like melting glaciers, forests, and herds of animals have benefited from the use of drone technology in recent years. Now, a team of scientists have begun to use drones to monitor light pollution. It is currently estimated that more than one-third of the Earth’s population can’...
FPV Video Wristwatch
Okay, I have been on a bit of a FPV kick lately, but I have one more device to add to your FPV arsenal. It’s a 5.8Ghz FPV wristwatch called the GTeng T909 and it’s less than $40 US dollars. The performance is pretty good for a screen at this price and the picture quality is certainly high enough quality to follow the action of your FPV racer as it zooms around. To see the specs or buy ...
Summer Camp Teaches Kids to Build, Program and Fly Drones
In San Antonio, Texas this summer, a unique summer camp took the excitement of drones to a group of young campers. The North East Independent School District set up a camp to encourage kids to learn science, aerodynamics and coding at the same time. “It’s not just about the building of the drone, the engineering of the drones, but it’s also about the electrical engineering piece of it....
General Electric #DRONEWEEK Showcases Technology
For five days during the Rio Olympics, General Electric used drones to showcase some of the most amazing technology used to run the games. This is not a series about drones, but utilized them extensively for their amazing ability to provide new perspectives. Instead, the series covers topics like intelligent lighting, powering the Olympics, subsea diagnostics, and many other amazing and interestin...
The Growing Market Of Drones For Children
As the market for drones expands, there is one segment that adopts early and is eager to embrace this new technology. The market for children’s drones is ripe with opportunity but aside from some cheap toys, well built camera drones designed for the rough handling children can dish out are rare. Several manufacturers are working to reach the 16 year old and under market. Miami-based Odyssey ...
Mom’s Take On Drones
Thought that drones, quadcopters and other UAVs were just for teenage boys and nerdy fathers? Think again! Drones are becoming a part of everyday life. If you are at a wedding you might see a drone taking video and photos of the wedding party. If you are at the beach, drones are often flying out over the surf capturing the beauty of the ocean and sand. This article outlines a mother’s though...