|
Listen to this story
|
In a recent development today, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out successfully the maiden test flight of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), an autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator from the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga in Karnataka.
“Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, waypoint navigation and a smooth touchdown,” DRDO said in a statement. “This flight marks a major milestone in proving technologies towards the advancement of future unmanned airships and is a significant step towards self-reliance.”
THE BELAMY
Sign up for your weekly dose of what's up in emerging technology.
A small turbofan engine powers the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The airframe, undercarriage and complete flight control and avionics systems used for the aircraft were developed indigenously, DRDO said.
The UAV was designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, a premier research laboratory of DRDO.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO for successfully carrying out the maiden flight of UAV from Karnataka’s Chitradurga ATR.
