Unmanned Jetstream passenger plane tested by BAE Systems

Farnborough: A team from defence and aerospace company BAE Systems has achieved a breakthrough in unmanned air systems technology by flying a total of 800 miles through a series of missions in a specially modified Jetstream passenger plane, without any human intervention.

According to program manager Nick Colosimo, to comply with the current aviation regulations, the Jetstream used in BAE system's autonomous testing is a 'surrogate' unmanned air vehicle (UAV), which basically means that it always has an aircrew on board. He said that up to now the aircraft has been guided through a display in the cockpit which has acted as a pseudo-flight director. Now, however, he says it is possible to take them out of the picture, by controlling the aircraft through the mission system and autopilot.

The first time achievement included teams from Cranfield Aerospace and the National Flight Laboratory Centre at Cranfield University.

The breakthrough has a number of benefits, such as a demand from the mission system being carried out immediately, eliminating the time lag that occurs on account of an aircrew, and flying routes with a higher level of repeatability.