How About a Drone That Comes in Peace?

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation 1 Comment

UMARS – Unmanned Modular Airborne Research System, is a “research platform for near-ground atmospheric research,” according to its developers, IMES (Institut für Mechanische Systeme) and the ZAV ( Centre for Aviation and Transport Systems) in Switzerland. UMARS can operate as a radio-controlled aircraft or autonomously, and carries sensors that can collect information on wind strength and direction, temperature, dewpoint, and other atmospheric parameters. Its applications can include geodetic measurements and “relief for natural disasters” such as forest fire monitoring. Its small size allows operations without prepared runways, enabling it to be launched close to target areas, giving it greater time for observation and data collection. Autopilot subsystems for autonomous flights are under development, and will enable UMARS use by relatively untrained “pilots.” Recent deployment of an emergency parachute system shows that the airplane can be retrieved as needed. It has gone through at least two basic configurations, the first with a centrally-joined inverted V tail between its twin booms, and …