Slashdot Mirror
Israeli Super Drone Stolen
kristy_christie writes "Globes Online reports that Steadicopter's prototype pilotless helicopter was stolen a few days after the completion of its test program and final test flights. Interesting to note that Steadicopter claims that their helicopter is unique and there is no other of its kind in the world."
I wonder is they're claining it to be stolen just to cover the fact that it might have been sold to someone else. Those military projects from israel can't be sold to anyone unless it's approved by the US, so this one might have gone without the approval.
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but not its computer software or the money in the office
The shmucks stole the device but not the software?
Whatever country tries to reverse engineer this thing is going to have a bitch trying to control it.
In some closed office in a secret country somewhere, some geeks are reading slashdot. The hardware guys are jumping around with the new toy they've got to play with. The software guys are pissed as hell the they've got to write code for this thing.
I would assume that a uniqye technology like that, with great military use would be very secured.
From the article you can guess that the thing was stashed in a barn, close to a room full of cash...
the so called "sucessful" test was recorded and witnessed?
Looks like a cover-up for a failed technology and a drain for (more) money...
Steadicopter CEO Tuvia Scgl told "Globes" today that he had no doubt that industrial espionage was behind the theft. "We're convinced that the thief was working for our competitors, because he went directly to the helicopter's location, and broke only the guardrails to that room.
No, not too wierd. One company stealing from another.
Of course, it would be a great insurance fraud as well. Here in the US we just light fire to the build when the business isn't working. Maybe they had somebody steal the device because the project was dying.
Remind me to sell my TEIC stocks.
from the uav forum:
In many ways, the current American UAV industry resembles the fledgling aircraft industry of 1920's America--a large number of small, independent, recently formed companies, each vying for a share in a dawning, potentially lucrative market. Now, just as then, government support will be crucial to ensuring America's UAV industry not just survives into, but fluorishes during the coming century.
i doubt there are many organisations capable of stealing a prototype of this sort (and weight) in one of the most security consious nations on the planet..anyone want to hazard a guess?
So Georgia Tech don't really have their own heli UAV's which can perform searches and formate in flight?
Have a look: HERE and especially HERE
Not to mention Berkeley who are it it too.
In fact there are a plethora of companies and universities across the globe who already have advanced UAV helicopter designs so what on earth makes Steadicopter's design unique?
Yes, I know, someone is going to say it; nobody else has exactly the same design but thats not really the point.
Ripping an new rectum in the fabric of spacetime.
"The tricky part" is managing to keep it in the air at all.
It is way, WAY easier to make an automated flixed-wing airplane, which is why most commercial airliners ARE automated (can take off, fly to their destination, and land unaided), and have been for years.
Helicopters are a vastly more complicated technology, which is why even the US Army, which has the best and most advanced helicopters in the world, continues to suffer repeated fatalities from training accidents and normal operations.
It is a truism in the helicopter industry that "they don't fly...they're so ugly that the earth itself repels them."
Spend some time here How They Fly before you next post :-)
Are they? They have got a lot of headlines, but do suicide bombings actually achieve anything other than convince the target that the terrorists cannot be negotiated with, only eliminated?
Suicide attacks are an admission on the part of the terrorists that they have no other way to further their cause and an inditement on the target for putting the terrorists in that position in the first place