Displaying items by tag: Aviation

A Chinese drone maker has unveiled an unmanned warplane that can fly around for forty hours without needing to be refueled. ‘The Spy Hawk’ is invisible to radar and can scout ground targets from 9,800 ft according to its developers.

Footage released by Sea Hawke General Aviation Equipment Company Ltd shows the drone taking off from a runway in an unspecified location, and was widely shared across Chinese social media on New Year’s Day.

It is the first time the top-secret drone has been showcased to the public, as details surrounding the aircraft were previously shrouded in secrecy by the Beijing government.

A prototype was revealed briefly to spectators during the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai last November, but until now information regarding the aircraft remained widely unknown.

The Spy Hawk has a wingspan of 18m (59ft), can carry up to 370KG and is capable of taking a clear picture of a car's number plate while flying at the altitude of 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). The warplane can penetrate key enemy targets in a “highly threatening battling environment” says its designers, and is constructed of “world first” technologies.

The plane's deputy designer Wang Jianping says the drone is also equipped with China’s most advanced photo-electric aerial platform and contains seven different cameras that can turn 360 degrees.

It was announced last February by Sea Hawke that the drone had completed its first flight a month before. 

It is the fourth UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) from the Chinese company after predecessor stealth drones ‘Star Shadow’, ‘Sharp Sword’ and ‘CH-805’.

At the 17th Dubai Airport Show, in Dubai, UAE, Huawei and Hamad International Airport (HIA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalizing a strategic partnership to enable the airport’s digital transformation.

The MoU provides a broad framework for collaboration between HIA and Huawei for co-creation of innovative concepts, prototypes and solutions using cutting-edge technologies, particularly in the areas of IoT and autonomous machines, to address real business challenges and opportunities.

The objective is to accelerate digital transformation at Hamad International Airport and to share the solutions with the community for wider benefit of the air transport industry. Through this cooperation, HIA aims to improve the passenger experience, enhance security and communication, and increase operational efficiency.

Hamad International Airport, located in Doha, Qatar, recently joined the exclusive ranks of global airports awarded the prestigious ‘5-Star Airport’ designation by Skytrax, the London-based aviation institute and the gold standard for conveying the passenger’s voice in airport and airline rankings.

This makes HIA the first airport in the Middle East to earn this acclaimed title and the 6th airport globally to be rewarded that accreditation. Also, Hamad International Airport won the “West Asia-Best Airport” award for two consecutive years 2015 and 2016 by “Future Travel Experience Awards – Asia”.

With digital technology transforming the airport experience, HIA aims to implement cutting-edge ICT solutions to continue offering a modern and efficient environment for a growing number of passengers.

Commenting on the cooperation with Huawei, Eng. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA said: “Innovative technology will continue to drive digital transformation at Hamad International Airport. Through this strategic alliance with Huawei, which also provides access to its eco-system of niche partners, we aim to accelerate our journey and to demonstrate our commitment to the industry by sharing viable concepts and solutions that may be developed through this partnership”.

Xilin Yuan, President of the Transportation Sector of Huawei's Enterprise Business Group, commented: "It is a great pleasure for Huawei to collaborate with Hamad International Airport to enable a Smart Airport that can meet the future demands of passenger flows as well as the needs of digital-savvy customers. By placing digital transformation at the heart of its commercial strategy, HIA will deliver a user-centric connected experience to continue delighting its customers."

Huawei has provided a wide range of ICT solutions for airports, airlines, and air traffic control authorities across the world, enabling them to achieve digital transformation and improve their service capabilities, operational efficiency, and revenue growth. These ICT solutions include indoor/outdoor modular data centers, servers and storage devices, converged cloud platforms, Big Data analytics platforms, and integrated wired/wireless communications solutions.

By the end of 2016, Huawei provided ICT products, solutions, and services for more than 40 airports, airlines, and air traffic control authorities worldwide. That includes more than 15 global airports with more than 30 million annual passengers and the 10 busiest airports in China by passenger traffic.

US aircraft companies have revealed that the demand for drone pilots has risen – and that is why they have launched an initiative aimed at persuading young people to consider carving out a profession as a drone pilot.

The plea comes due to a shortage of skilled aviators in the industry – with many of the young generation deeming ‘drone technology’ to be cool, the specific aim of the leaders in the unmanned aircraft sector is to get that generation to select drone aviation as a career path.

In the US, commercial pilots must obtain a federal aviation administration (FAA) drone license and some companies that employ such pilots have started selling classes that help students prepare for the FAA test or just figure out whether they would be interested in such a career – as a result of the significant shortage of skilled aviators in that sector.

Drone-makers are chasing a market that is forecast to grow an average 32% annually over the next decade to reach $30billion. It is an extremely hyped market at present, and some of the world’s biggest companies such as Google, Apple and Amazon are all involved in developing drone technology.

Businesses use drones to take photos and video, for security and to conduct inspections or surveys, among other things. With the number of commercial drone operations outpacing the pool of certified drone pilots, experts say more training is needed to help young flyers operate the planes legally and safely.

Some companies have already embarked on autonomous drone deliveries with one American company revealing last month that it had successfully completed 77 autonomous delivery missions.

James Barnes founded the New Jersey Drone Academy in an old miniature golf and driving range complex over three years ago. He has revealed that his primary motivation behind the project was to give kids from urban and underprivileged areas – who cannot afford to go to college the chance to learn a trade and make decent money.

He said, “We are growing at an outrageous pace, but I hardly see anybody in the country moving in that direction. I’m trying to hire two experienced drone technicians at $20 an hour and I can’t find anybody.”

The drone industry will continue to expand, and the demand for drones now represents a real opportunity for young people interested in the sector to carve out a living as a drone pilot.