Printed drones to hunt down drug-running boats
Under the gaze of a hovering quadcopter’s high-definition camera, a 4-metre-wingspan drone guns its twin engines and takes to the skies. So began the first flight of an uncrewed aircraft early last month that could soon be monitoring two seas – the English Channel and the North Sea – for risks to shipping, illegal fishing operations and even drug-running boats.
Called 2Seas, the UAV is designed to fly lengthy surveillance missions for coastguards in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. It is a direct descendant of the catapult-launched, 1.5-metre-wingspan, electric-powered SULSA (Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft) – the world’s first all-3D-printed drone, built at the University of Southampton, UK. SULSA’s first flight was exclusively revealed by New Scientist in August 2011.
Discover more from sUAS News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
