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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
or
How I learned to stop
worrying and love drones!
Dr. Charles O’Neill
Aerospace Engineer, UA Professor, Pilot
charles-oneill.com or aero.ua.edu
Brief History of Drones
Kettering Bug (1918)
Cruise Missile – 75 mi
Walden Aerial
Torpedo (1915)
German Mistel 4s (1945)
FW190 on Ju88
Project Aphrodite
U.S. B-17 (1944)
Ryan Firebee
(1955 – 2003)
Target & Scout
D21 Recon Drone
Aerial Launch from SR-71
(1969 – Cancelled 1971)CC
Brief History of Drones
MQ-1 Predator
(1995)
• Engine from manned
experimental/sport a/c
• Missiles from helicopter
Griffon Aerospace Outlaw-Seahunter
(present)
• Redundant, modular, 2kW
• Huntsville, AL
http://griffon-aerospace.com/
Public domain
Brief History of Drones
DJI Inspire (present)
The archetypical “drone”
• Commercial Quadcopter
• Camera on Gimbel
• Radio link to iPhone
• 30 minute flights
• Tracks objects
• GPS navigation system
• ~$1500
By Capricorn4049 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Technology driving Drones/UAVs
Micro Electro-Mechanical Sensors
High Capacity Lithium Ion Batteries
Microprocessors (low weight and power)
Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Systems
Brushless Electric Motor & Speedcontroller
Blade Nano QX
$60
0.58 oz (~ 3 US quarters!)
Stability Augmentation System
National Airspace System (NAS)
The FAA owns the sky.
• Airports
• Navigation
• A/C Separation
Different “classes” of
airspace:
• B = Big (Atlanta)
• C, D are controlled
near airports
• E, F controlled
• G = Go for it!
Operation of UAVs in the NAS• Hobby: Model Aircraft
• Academy of Model Aircraft
• 55 pound limit
• NO commercial/paid flights
• Commercial
• Section 333 Exemption (expensive, difficult)
• Single aircraft & single location (draconian)
• Private & Commercial
• Part 107 Rules (since 2016)
• Significant development for U.S. flights
• Military & Special Rules
• Not discussed here.
Part 107 (Operation)• Requires certified pilot but NOT certified aircraft
• Line of sight (Mark I eyeball)
• Below 400 feet AGL or within 400 feet of structure (!!!!)
• Less than 100 mph groundspeed
• Less than 55 lbs
• Class G airspace with zero communications. All others
require Air Traffic Control clearance/communication.
• No interstate flight.
• Must report damage over $500.
• … several other minor points….
• FAA will waive restrictions if safe flight in NAS can be
demonstrated.
• Commercial and Paid Flights (Survey for $$$)
Part 107 (Certification)
“Remote Pilot Airman Certificate”
• Existing Part 61 pilots (Sport, Private, …, ATP)
• Fast track. Show recent flight review. Small online quiz
• Zero cost
• Non-pilots
• Training aeronautical knowledge course at an FAA
training center (Abe at Tuscaloosa Airport’s General
Aviation Center)
• TSA Background check
• 16 years old
Usage and Potential
Shelby Hall, The University of Alabama
3D Mapping and Surveying
LIDAR scanning
Surveying and Civil Engineering Applications
Q: Is this an aerial photo?
A: No. This is a digital 3D mesh reconstructed from MANY photos.
UAV Cost:
5 minutes of flight
Very cheap <<$100
0.5”/1cm accuracy
Compare to:
Traditional surveying
LIDAR flights
….
Q: How efficient is this house?
Q: Is there post-hurricane damage to this house or roof?
Q: What Thermodynamic & Load calculations can you do with
reconstructed 3D geometry and temperatures?
FLIR VuePRO Infrared Camera
FLIR Inc
DJI
DJI S900
Extra Hot Solar Panels
Cooler Roof from Tree’s Shadows
Hotter Roof from Skylight Reflections
Reconstructed 3D Thermal Geometry
Slightly hotter. Roof variation!
https://youtu.be/lZJWXft7Pd8Q: How did this house on Marco Island, FL survive hurricane Irma?
The Future of Drones
• 100+ year anniversary of the Fokker Scourge (1915)
The machine gun interrupter changed the nature of
aerial warfare.
• Micro components and high density batteries are
changing the nature of aerial flight.
• Drones will fight drones. Ruthlessly.
• Dystopian? Utopian? Drones are just a tool for the
human mind.
Dr. Charles O’Neill
aero.ua.edu
222 Hardaway, UA
(617) 449-8206
This presentation will be available at:
http://tiny.cc/CE260Drone
Contact:Drone Pilot for Hire?
(this could be you)
