New Drone Is Full-Sized Helicopter

Personally, I think this drone-craze has gotten far out of control... But I'm going to try and keep my own personal bias out of this one. Just take a look at this beast. I have to admit, it is visually impressive.

The new Fire Scout contains about 95 percent of the same guidance controls and software as its half-size sibling. The biggest innovation of the MQ-8C? Taking all that already-existing technology and putting it in a much larger body.

It has a 14 hr endurance with 600-700 lb in payload.

The new MQ-8C Fire Scout looks so much like a normal helicopter that it took me two days of wandering the 2013 Sea-Air-Space convention floor to even notice it. In fact, the latest evolution of Northrup Grumman's naval drone looks so much like the past of aeronautics that it's easy to miss how it's the future.

...the new, larger Fire Scout will also be able to do everything a helicopter can already do, including carrying medical personnel for emergency airlifts, and it will do some things they can't, like fly longer distances by carrying extra fuel instead of people.

Popsci Link
Wiki for MQ-8C and related models

reply to post by HairlessApe


it looks like call of duty black ops 2, is starting to become reality

I wonder if this auto-pilot type of technology existed roughly ten years ago. I mean if they can convert a helicopter into a drone imagine hat they could do with a full sized plane? say in the month of September, because I know a country, that asks it's people to pray for it every day. God bless the land of equal opportunity.....

Originally posted by whatzshaken
I wonder if this auto-pilot type of technology existed roughly ten years ago. I mean if they can convert a helicopter into a drone imagine hat they could do with a full sized plane? say in the month of September, because I know a country, that asks it's people to pray for it every day. God bless the land of equal opportunity.....

Autopilot features, according to this article and wiki, are much easier to make for planes. Part of the reason this new drone chopper is significant is the fact that the software is finally able to autopilot a full-sized heli.

sorry bro, I think you misunderstood what I was alluding to...the technology is great, and anyone on these forums knows the military is at least 40-50 years technologically ahead in the private sector...

Originally posted by whatzshaken
sorry bro, I think you misunderstood what I was alluding to...the technology is great, and anyone on these forums knows the military is at least 40-50 years technologically ahead in the private sector...

Ah, yes. 9/11. I gotcha. Sorry I didn't get it sooner, I'm on graveyard shifts and pretty much feeling like a zombie at the moment. I can't say I disagree with your opinion, in fact, you have a legitimate point. I'm skeptical of the official reports on the events leading up to/during the supposed attacks on Sep. 11 '01, But I want to remain at least partially neutral on my own OPs because I'm usually pretty inflammatory... bro.

and truth be told the technology existed when the flight simulators came out back in the 80\s it just had to be applied to the mechanics, one would logically think or presume?

reply to post by whatzshaken


Eh. I'm highly skeptical. People often overestimate the technology we had in decades past. We didn't even have practical cell-phones or DVD players in the 80's. While flight simulators are quite an impressive technology, they're really just a drop in the ocean compared to the software requirements needed to actually pilot a full-sized helicopter via remote control... Or have it autopilot, for that matter. Perhaps the technology was indeed involved in a nefarious plot, or perhaps it wasn't. Regardless, the tech has come a long way. Also, this still isn't exactly "public" technology.

Drones and RPV's are the future..

On BBC website i just noticed..

www.bbc.com...


Apparently the military has a shortage of Drone pilots......?? Even in this age of PS3 and Xbox...? i'm surprised.

Regards

PDUK

reply to post by HairlessApe


At least two Fire Scouts are currently deployed on ships performing the anti-piracy mission near Somalia. They were grounded for a little while last year after the two that were deployed crashed (both were recovered, and repairable). The Navy chose to ground them until they figured out what went wrong. After a month or two to investigate, they started flying them again, and they are currently flying there.

In fact the Navy just ordered more of them IIRC.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Oh no, I hope they're not developing minds of their own! Kidding, obviously. Any idea what was faulty?

Originally posted by PurpleDog UK

Drones and RPV's are the future..

On BBC website i just noticed..

www.bbc.com...


Apparently the military has a shortage of Drone pilots......?? Even in this age of PS3 and Xbox...? i'm surprised.

Regards

PDUK

Hah. I thought the same thing about gamers and drones, but I heard recently the requirements to become a drone pilot are pretty steep. Don't quote me on this, but I think I heard it was something like the equiv. of 8 years of school.

It looks like an old Bell 206, either a Jet Ranger or Long Ranger. Although old, this airframe is extremely reliable and served its purpose well. The Army's UH-58 is based off this civilian airframe.

UHHHHMMMMM...... Enough said?

reply to post by HairlessApe


One suffered a landing accident, and crashed into the ocean off the coast of Africa, near the USS Simpson, which it was assigned to. It's not entirely clear why that one crashed, just that it was unable to land on the ship.

The second was actually in Afghanistan at the time of the crash. It was traced to a faulty navigation unit.

The Marines are using them in Afghanistan (which I forgot about) and have extended operations by a year with them, they're performing so well.

The Navy has two currently in the region on the USS Klakring, and USS Robert G. Bradley, and have exceeded 500 flight hours with each.

reply to post by HairlessApe


The Air Force has, to date, graduated one class of dedicated UAV pilots. They opened it up as a non-flying slot (meaning you don't have to be a pilot to operate them), and are training operators. Prior to that happening, it was a flying slot, meaning you had to graduate from either the Air Force Academy, or an Air Force ROTC program, and be assigned to fly. And if you're assigned a flying slot, who would willingly take UAVs? Especially if you were near the top of your class, and could get a fighter slot.

reply to post by HairlessApe


If you like that one, how about the K-Max?



K-Max is currently being fielded by the Marines in Afghanistan to resupply bases (two of them). It was a manned helicopter that was converted to unmanned, and retained the cockpit, so can be flown manually if necessary. The Marines love it so much they extended its use in Afghanistan indefinitely.

theaviationist.com...

Or the Boeing Unmanned Little Bird?



Boeing took an MH/AH-6 Little Bird (SOF loves that little beast, as it's quiet as hell), and converted it to unmanned use. They started out flying it with a pilot with his hands near the controls, but not flying it, and have since flown it repeatedly unmanned. The program has worked so well they've offered it to the army as a full up UAV.

It would probably be cheaper to buy a regular helicopter and have a pilot in it. A pilot can see everything around him and make a judgement call based on that information. I bet the pilot running the remote control gets more money than the pilot would:shk: I would rather fly a helicopter than control one by remote control anyday.

reply to post by rickymouse


If you lose an unmanned helicopter though, you don't have to worry about losing the crew. Crew is expensive to train (pilots can cost upwards of $1M to train).

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by HairlessApe

 

If you like that one, how about the K-Max?



K-Max is currently being fielded by the Marines in Afghanistan to resupply bases (two of them). It was a manned helicopter that was converted to unmanned, and retained the cockpit, so can be flown manually if necessary. The Marines love it so much they extended its use in Afghanistan indefinitely.

theaviationist.com...

Or the Boeing Unmanned Little Bird?



Boeing took an MH/AH-6 Little Bird (SOF loves that little beast, as it's quiet as hell), and converted it to unmanned use. They started out flying it with a pilot with his hands near the controls, but not flying it, and have since flown it repeatedly unmanned. The program has worked so well they've offered it to the army as a full up UAV.

I'd say they both look interesting, but by comparison the Little Bird is a toy and the K-Max appears a bit clunky, although I suppose it could be a superior design. The thing I like about the new bird is it's payload combined with it's size. Carrying the wounded efficiently with drones seems like big news to me.