Helicopters

When heavy fog or clouds roll in, navigating can become a dangerous proposition for a helicopter pilot. A new augmented reality vision system out of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) though, could help them see clearly through difficult weather using more than just their eyes.

The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion helicopter has flexed its muscles, lifting a 27,000-lb (12,245-kg) payload at Sikorsky's Development Flight Test Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

A Sikorsky S-76 commercial helicopter has taken off and flown autonomously from Stratford, Connecticut to Robertson Airport in Plainville, Connecticut, covering a distance of around 30 miles (48 km). The entire flight was executed by an operator using only a tablet device.

Last October, Sikorsky's CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter made its maiden flight. That marked the start of a three-year, 2,000-hour test program that has continued with the aircraft making its first external load flight test carrying 20,000 lb.

In an effort to improve safety, the non-profit helicopter safety organization HeliOffshore is using eye-tracking technology to gain a greater understanding of how helicopter pilots monitor cockpit instruments in flight.

Helicopters are versatile machines, but when it comes to takeoffs and landings, they are very fussy creatures. DARPA recently demonstrated a new robotic landing gear system in an unmanned flight that is able to land on broken or uneven terrain with a high degree of safety.

Felix Baumgartner rose to fame in 2012 by setting a new record for high-altitude skydiving. His latest stunt saw him at the controls of a Bolkov BO105 aerobatic helicopter, seeing how closely he could track a drift car.

The 51st edition of the Paris Air Show got off to a rather gloomy start, with a gray sky threatening to spoil all the static and in-the-air fun. Thankfully, the rain never appeared and Gizmag joined spirited show-goers for a gawk at some splendid show spectacles.

Airbus Helicopters' new H160 was introduced at the Heli-Expo trade show back in March, but its first flight took place on June 13th and was announced this week at the Paris Air Show. The aircraft is reportedly both cleaner-running and quieter than its stablemates.

Airbus Helicopters has just announced the launch of the concept phase of its planned X6 heavy-lift helicopter. Over the next two years, the company will be seeking input from corporate customers and evaluating different designs.

While armed drones like the Predator tend to attract most of the attention when it comes to military use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the unmanned K-MAX helicopter recently demonstrated its ability to evacuate wounded fighters from a hypothetical battlefield.

The next big discovery is always beyond the next hill, but what if you can't see over it? That's the problem facing NASA with its Mars rovers, so the space agency is looking into how robotic helicopters could help scout the land ahead.