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."

Comments

Quick!

[mr_resident]

Check eBay!

Copy of article...

[pdjohe]

The site seemed slow when I viewed it so here is a copy of the article to save some bandwidth...

Sources inform "Globes" that Steadicopter's pilotless helicopter prototype was stolen on Saturday-Sunday night. Unknown parties broke into Steadicopter's Kfar Maccabi plant, and stole the helicopter, but not its computer software or the money in the office.

Steadicopter is collaborating with Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) on the project. Steadicopter claims its pilotless helicopter is the first of its kind in the world.

Steadicopter business development director Amir Rochman told "Globes" that the helicopter was stolen a few days after the completion of its test program and final test flights, during which it flew automatically and reached its targets using the global positioning system (GPS).

Rochman said, "We invested NIS 5 million in the project in the past three years, and today the police came to the factory to investigate and lift fingerprints."

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.

"The helicopter is unique. No other company in the world has succeeded in operating such a flying machine, capable of independent flying without remote control. Many companies have tried, but none of their tests worked."

Steadicopter was launched in the TEIC Technion - Israel Institute of Technology incubator in Haifa. The companies owners are TEIC, Rosh Ha'Ayin-based ITES - Imaging Technology Enterprise Systems, Renault importer Yoel Carasso, and businessman Yossi Kabiri.

Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on November 10, 2003

Stolen or Sold?

[mallfouf]

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.

Who Would Want This?

[Davak]

Stolen? There are only a few superpowers in the world that have the technology to maintain and use such a device.

Possible reasons:
- Ransom
- One time suicide mission
- To cause Israel to lose face (and 5 mil)
- Sale (blah, blah... profit)

It's going to take a very impressive effort to get something like this out of the country without being noticed.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Useless

[Davak]

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.

in other news

[Jonathan Platt]

In other news:

The American air force has developed a new stealth recon helicopter. Surprisingly it has been one of the cheapest innovations ever to come out of the US military which not too long ago was under fire for its mismanagement of funds, and loss of a multi million dollar jet.

"We never even realized we had it until a few days ago." Stated Cornel Smith, "But what's most surprising is that it came from our Delta force. They have no R&D budget, do they... this is like that time we discovered Canada has battle ship."

This technology has not yet been perfected insiders say; they are still having trouble finding some software which will make the damb thing run. No one seems to understand how the Delta force has created something so technically perfect, and yet has no idea about how to make some compatible software.

The Air Forces initial position was surprisingly "no comment", however after the initial posting of this article they responded that "The Delta force doesn't exist... you can't prove anything".

So its unique - So Georgia Tech etc are lying.

[reality-bytes]

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.

James Bond

[millahtime]

Wait....didn't something like this happen in Golden Eye. First prototype helo stolen next there will be trouble in Russia.

Re: Wait a minute...

[Black Parrot]

> Isn't this the plot of a James Bond flick??? I'm just waiting for the perpetrators to be caught, and be named something like "Pussy Galore"...

Alas, James was disappointed to learn that this one was stolen by Dick A. Plenty.

Re:Easy...NOT!

[mzieg]

Um, no, it is not relatively easy to make a helicopter that can fly itself.

"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 :-)