Ed Darack

Ed Darack

 

Air & Space/Smithsonian contributing editor Ed Darack is the author of The Warriors of Anbar; War Moments; The Final Mission of Extortion 17; Victory Point; and three other books. He is the founder of Darack Research, a company that innovates unmanned systems, which grew out of his July 2014 Air & Space article Build Your Own Drone.

If you can’t visit Greece, bring Greece to you. With the latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator, the Acropolis is one of many photorealistic marvels you can visit from the comfort of your home—while flying a simulated Pitts Special biplane.

How Did Microsoft Make Flight Simulator Seem So Real?

With the latest version of the popular software, players can recognize city streets and feel shifts in the wind.

The CH-47 is the U.S. Army’s only heavy-lifter. The newest model, the F, can carry up to 25,000 pounds of people, supplies, or equipment.

The U.S. Army’s Lift-Anything, Go-Anywhere Helicopter

Nobody forgets a ride on the CH-47 Chinook.

A drone overflies a cherry orchard in Denmark

Automating Farming from the Sky

Agricultural drones don't get the attention they deserve.

Eagles have spectacular long-distance vision that drones can only envy. At least for now.

Eagle Eyes for Flying Robots

Making drones better includes improving their vision.

Expect to see a lot of these

A Brief History of Quadrotors

The hot new thing actually dates way back.

What Natilus hopes to build is ambitious, but potentially transformative.

Meet Natilus, the Jumbo Drone

A small startup aims to capture some of the huge global shipping business.

Drone-on-a-rope.

Keep Your Drone on a Leash

Tethered drones aren't as well known as their free-flying counterparts, but can be more useful.

Not really happening.

If That Slick Drone Video Looks Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is

Some of YouTube’s best robots turn out to be vaporware.

Drone with microphone and ecology students

Quadcopters Go For a Better Bird Count

Ecologists are field-testing drones to record birdsong.

Patent # 9,305,280 is a paper concept, and maybe always will be.

An Airborne Drone Center is Now on the Amazon Wishlist

The online retail giant re-inflates an old idea.

The eagle is about to win this round.

Attack of the Drone-Snatching Eagles

A natural solution to a growing threat

Nothing beats homemade.

Marines, Fire Up Your Printers!

Why haul spare parts into battle if you can just print them?

Your briefcase goes in back, and there’s no need to tip.

Are Dubai’s Drone Taxis For Real?

Passenger drone service is poised to begin, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions.

None

Drones + Augmented Reality = Help for Firefighters

ScanEagles soar over active fires, while viewers explore the scene using holograms.

The Zerotech Dobby.

Small Is the Next Big Trend in Consumer UAVs

JetJat, Dobby and other nanodrones.

The ominous-looking DroneGun can fire directed radio beams at drones over a mile away.

How to Shoot Down a Drone

...without actually shooting.

Aurora's UH-1 Huey is now flown by pilots, but soon won’t need them.

This Huey Flies Itself

Aurora Flight Sciences teaches an old dog a new trick.

Every light a drone

Night of 500 Drones

Is this the first step to flying billboards?

A drone from Alibaba, the Chinese equivalent of Amazon, lifts off.

Drone Deliveries Go Global

China introduces rural service, with other countries not far behind.

A-10Cs from what was then the 188th Fighter Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard fly formation maneuvers over Fort Smith in 2013. The A-10 is slowly disappearing. The 188th divested itself of its last Warthogs (and its “Fighter” designation) in June 2014.

Call in the A-10

Why a Ground-Attack classic has so far survived Air Force efforts to kill it.

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