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‘Helicopter’ Stories

Swann RC helicopters with iPhone controls, mounted cameras released

Chris Burns, Jan 4th 2012 Discuss [1]

This week the folks at Swann have let loose information about three completely different remote controlled helicopters, each one more impressive and strange than the last. The first is the Sky Eye, which as its name suggests, has the ability to record flights with video or still photos to its built-in 512MB memory. Next there's the i-Fly Micro Lightening which can be controlled from your iPhone with a free app provided by Swann. Then there's the Black Swann which, like the Sky Eye, is able to record media, but here you've got a "stealth" helicopter instead of a "military." Read The Full Story

Bell 206 helicopter hits NYC East River

Chris Burns, Oct 4th 2011 Discuss [0]

It appears that the NYC East River is the new home of a Bell 206 helicopter that took off earlier today after launching from the pad it would normally take off from along the riverbank. This crash has claimed one life and injured four more, two of these passengers seriously injured. This chopper was a private vehicle and went into the water near 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan. At the moment it seems that the only known reason for the crash was a possible mechanical failure. Read The Full Story

Griffin HELO TC iPhone-controlled helicopter on sale now [Video]

Chris Davies, Aug 17th 2011 Discuss [7]

Griffin told us to expect its low-cost iPhone-controlled HELO TC helicopter in time for the holiday shopping season, but it seems the company just couldn't wait to put the R/C toy on sale. $49.99 gets you a rechargeable chopper bristling with LEDs and, while lacking the video streaming of something like the Parrot AR.Drone, has far less of an impact on your bank account. Read The Full Story

Griffin Helo TC remote-controlled helicopter controlled by your iPhone

Chris Davies, Jul 14th 2011 Discuss [3]

Griffin has outed a new remote-control helicopter, the Helo TC, which turns your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad into a command station. The Griffin Helo TC is a dual-rotor 'copter, like many we've seen over the past few years, but offers iOS control via the free Helo TC app, and all for a relatively bargainous £34.99 ($56). Read The Full Story

Police scramble chopper to stop rampaging stuffed tiger in Hampshire

Shane McGlaun, May 24th 2011 Discuss [0]

This could be a skit from Monty Python. Police in Hampshire, UK were scrambled when a citizen called in and reported a white tiger sitting menacingly in a field. The police being the right proper chaps they tend to be automatically scrambled a chopper and a team from the local zoo to tranq the beast and cart it off to a life behind bars. Then things went sideways a bit. Read The Full Story

Hexacopter Senses Motion and Breathing Through Concrete Walls

Samia Perkins, Mar 24th 2011 Discuss [0]

This week TiaLinx has unveiled its Phoenix 40-A unmanned hexacopter (helicopter with six blades) which can sense breathing and motion in buildings on the ground. This is the newest addition to the line of life-sensing bots that includes the Cougar20-H, a rolling ground-based robot that can detect breathing through a concrete wall. The US Army has provided development funding for this project. Read The Full Story

$45.8Million Awarded to Lockheed Martin by US Navy for Unmanned K-MAX Helicopter

Chris Burns, Dec 14th 2010 Discuss [6]

You love war, right? Everyone does. You know who does the most? Robots. Robots love to go to war because even if their body is destroyed, their mind can be transferred back to the mainframe. It's a fact. Building on that idea (or not) is Lockheed Martin, now creating a helicopter that'll run entirely unmanned. The contract they're working on is called K-MAX and this helicopter's been given a $45.8 million dollar go-ahead by the US Navy. Read The Full Story

Eurocopter X3 Hybrid Helicopter Adds Two Aircraft Wings to the Design

Evan Selleck, Sep 27th 2010 Discuss [1]

Helicopter manufacturers all over the world are trying to find ways to make the aircraft faster, and yet keep the ability to hover in tact. With designs and concepts out in the world, only a few companies have been able to get working prototypes up into the air. In the United States, United Technologies' unit Sikorsky is hard at work on their own prototype, called the X2, so it's no surprise that the largest civil helicopter manufacturer in the world, Eurocopter, is tossing their hat into the future-copter market. They officially unveiled their X3 prototype on Monday. Read The Full Story

Air Hogs Hawk Eye R/C chopper takes your webcam airborne

Chris Davies, Aug 2nd 2010 Discuss [22]

We've been looking to the Parrot AR.Drone to sate our desires for airborne webcam goodness, but Air Hogs might be able to do that for a whole lot less money. The new Air Hogs Hawk Eye remote-control helicopter lacks the AR.Drone's iPhone/iPod touch integration and fancy quad-rotor hovering abilities, but at around $65 when it arrives later this month it's certainly cheaper. Video demo after the cut Read The Full Story

Parrot AR.Drone Available for Preorder Now, Ships September 3rd for $299

Evan Selleck, Jul 29th 2010 Discuss [2]

Parrot's AR.Drone is one of the greatest pieces of gadgetry and tech we've played with in awhile, and that goes beyond our love for flying objects that we can control. The quadricopter, which we managed to get some hands-on time with back at the end of June, is keeping right on track with its time frame, and it's available for preorder right now. Read The Full Story

Featured

Parrot AR.Drone hands-on [Video]

Chris Davies, Jun 23rd 2010 Discuss [0]

Now with a solid release date and price, Parrot’s AR.Drone is looking all the more exciting. A four-rotor indoor and outdoor flying machine, complete with dual-cameras and an iOS control app, the AR.Drone certainly ticks most of the geek checkboxes. We stopped by the London launch to try our hand at piloting the quadricopter, and to see whether – unlike some other recent R/C helicopters – it really is as idiot-proof as Parrot claim. Check out our video demos and more after the cut.

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Parrot AR.Drone official: $299 from September

Chris Davies, Jun 15th 2010 Discuss [0]

Parrot's AR.Drone was the surprise hit of CES 2010, and it seemed that even the French company themselves were overwhelmed by interest in the iPhone-controlled quadricopter. Since then they've been stringing us along with the promise of a full launch at E3 2010, and that moment has finally come. The Parrot AR.Drone will hit the US in September 2010, priced at $299. Video demos after the cut Read The Full Story