Helicopters

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.

Northrop Grumman announces that its MQ-8C Fire Scout became the first unmanned helicopter to operate from a US destroyer. On December 16, off the coast of Virginia, the MQ-8C made 22 takeoffs and 22 precision landings on the guided missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham.

When you're using helicopters to dump water on forest fires, it goes without saying that the faster you can obtain and deliver water, the better. A new system developed by Spanish firm Inventec is claimed to be capable of sucking up 1,000 L (264 gal) in just five seconds.

Kaman's K-MAX UAS unmanned helicopter has delivered cargo in a combat zone, and it's been part of an autonomous air/ground mission. Now it's teamed up with a quadcopter in an exercise which suggests that the two could be used to fight forest fires.

Gizmag recently took the opportunity to tour the Hangar-7 Museum in Red Bull's hometown of Salzburg, Austria. Step inside for a virtual tour of intriguing architecture and high-performance machinery.

Sikorsky takes the wraps off the first of its two S-97 Raider helicopter prototypes. According to Sikorsky, this event marks the beginning of the armed reconnaissance ‘copter’s flight tests aimed at providing the US Army with its next generation of combat rotorcraft.

The sheer density of the rainforests in Australia's far-north can create a complex task for local conservationists. Now researchers have developed two mini helicopters capable of hunting down dangerous weeds from the air, significantly reducing the resources needed to preserve local plant life.

With a history that stretches back more than 60 years, EAA AirVenture now attracts over half a million aircraft enthusiasts, along with some 10,000 planes, helicopters and experimental aircraft of all eras. Gizmag joined the multitudes on the shores of Lake Winnebago for EAA AirVenture 2014.