Unmanned Helicopter Makes Maiden Flight In Yuma

A new vertical unmanned aircraft system developed by Northrop Grumman and Bell Helicopter has made its first fully autonomous flight at the Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., reports Northrop Grumman.

The Fire-X is a Bell 407 helicopter fitted with the autonomous flight architecture of the MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle, company officials said.

Last week's initial flight included a short-duration hover to validate safe and reliable autonomous flight. Additional testing is...