Lehmann Aviation

By Michael van Vliet | January 29, 2013

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Drones! Drones for everybody!

People have been taking video footage from remote controlled helicopters and planes for years now, but to do so required a certain level of commitment on their part: namely learning to build, maintain and fly the highly temperamental crafts.  Now Lehmann Aviation has taken all the hassle out of unmanned aerial reconnaissance with their fully-automatic LA-100 model.

The LA100 is the world’s first aircraft designed for the users with absolutely zero piloting experience. Just attached a GoPro camera, connect the battery, launch it, and it will come back to you after 5 minutes of flight. A preset flight computer takes the light-weight aircraft to a height of 80m-100m and navigates it through a series of figure-eight coverage patterns.  The whole system comes ready to fly and costs only 990€ (GoPro not included)

Neighbors doing something interesting in their backyard? Want to see what goes on in that upscale gated community? Taking a road trip to Area 51? Lehmann Aviation has got just the solution for you.

More info at lemannaviation.com

Solar Impulse Transcontinental Flight

By Michael van Vliet | May 31, 2012

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Last Thursday, experimental aircraft Solar Impulse took off from Switzerland in route to Rabat, the capital of Morocco, on what will be the first transcontinental flight ever attempted by a solar powered aircraft.

This single seater prototype has been in development for many years and hopes to prove the viability of solar energy as a primary power source for flight. With advancements in solar cell technology and new lighter weight batteries, Solar Impulse is able to collect enough energy to fly through the night.

However, the Solar Impulse in not without it’s limitations. Its lumber 63 meter wingspan makes an excellent platform for solar panels but leaves it exposed to air turbulence. It’s for this reason that pilot Andre Borschberg will try to avoid flying through clouds. In case weather conditions turn for the absolute worse, Borschberg also wears a parachute. However in a call with the Associated Press he jokingly said ,”When you take an umbrella it never rains.”

The Solar Impulse team has been invited to Morocco by King Mohammed VI to showcase their state of the art solar technology. Morocco is about begin construction of a massive solar energy plant that is part of a country-wide solar initiative to produce 2000 megawatts by year 2020.

[ Via Boston.com]