Jeff has been involved in aerospace journalism since the mid 1990s. Prior to joining Aviation Week, Jeff served as managing editor of Launchspace magazine and the International Space Industry Report. He has been the editor and chief of Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report since 2007 and has been a regular contributor to Aviation Week magazine. He received his B.A. from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is planning a follow-on program to its Grand Challenge robotic ground vehicle race in which the top performing teams will be asked to tackle the challenge of negotiating moving traffic.
With two hover flights under its belt since recovering from a 2004 crash, the X-50A Dragonfly unmanned aerial vehicle team hopes to conduct its next flight before the holidays, according to Boeing Program Manager Clark Mitchell. Following a 30-second "pop-up" flight in early November, the X-50A completed a four-minute hover Dec. 2 in which it reached an altitude of 15 feet at Yuma, Ariz. (DAILY, Nov. 6). For the next flight the vehicle will hover at 30 feet and then perform "some very basic directional movements" including pedal turns, Mitchell said.
The unique X-50A Dragonfly unmanned aerial vehicle has returned to flight-testing in Yuma, Ariz., roughly 19 months after the crash that ruined the first Dragonfly demonstrator. Following a 30-second "pop-up" flight in early November to build confidence, the X-50A completed a four-minute hover flight Dec. 2 in which it reached an altitude of roughly 20 feet.
