Thales completes flight demonstration for full automatic landing and deck landing of one-ton class rotary wing UAVs
Neuilly sur Seine, France June 14 2011 Thales has successfully achieved, with its partner Boeing, the full automatic landing of a one ton class VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) UAV. The automatic landing was carried out on the back of a moving trailer, representing the movement of a ship’s deck. The flight tests took place in the U.S at the New Mexico SpacePort, using Boeing’s Unmanned Little Bird (ULB) air vehicle. They show that the demonstrator based on MAGIC ATOLS (Automatic Take Off and Landing System) developed by Thales, is able at any given time, to provide the relative position of the drone in relation to the platform and ensure flight guidance and control with a better accuracy than GPS. The system operates at a long range independently of GPS signals, in all weather conditions. This system offers a unique level of security and redundancy to allow certification. It thus enables UAV landings with no external pilot – a key advantage for both Army and Navy operation...