The Pentagon's Plan to Thwart a Model Airplane Attack

Post date: 07-Oct-2011 10:11:11

Last week Rezwan Ferdaus was arrested for an alleged plot to attack the Pentagon with tiny, commercially available model planes. These small aircraft may not be as dangerous as jets, but they could potentially be used for surveillance or targeted attacks. The Pentagon has spent years quietly researching innovative—and perhaps strange—ways to defend against them.

Zeus, one of two unmanned air vehicles designed and built for the Black Dart exercise. -- A joint Air Force Research Laboratory and Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) team recently designed, built, tested and demonstrated three unmanned air vehicles for a joint DoD exercise, known as Black Dart. The vehicles, mostly constructed of balsa wood, each weighing less than 25 pounds, could operate autonomously to distances over seven miles, cruise at altitudes above 2,000 feet, and attain flight speeds up to 125 mph. READ MORE here ....

Aircraft hobbyist could Suffer following terror arrest ....In short it's a hot research field that could now suffer the slings and arrows of onerous security checks. "I only hope this doesn't lead to a complete lock down of the radio-controlled aircraft and small unmanned aerial systems industry," says commenter Tommy Neubauer, on the DIY Drones website. "It is so young and ripe for growth and innovation."

On the rcgroups.com chat site, one member predicts trouble, however: "This will suck for us of course. We will now need a security clearance to buy airplanes."

SO ... when you are approach by someone that's trying to recruit you as a RC pilot ...RUN !!! ... or not .