Snapshots of Rustom-1 maiden flight from TAAL, Hosur: Photos: DRDO
| By Anantha Krishnan M. | AVIATION WEEK |
Bangalore | India | October 18, 2010 |
India has flown the homegrown Rustom-1 unmanned aerial vehicle for the first time.
Developed by the Defense Research Development Organization’s (DRDO) Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), the 30-min. flight took place Oct. 16 from a Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd. airfield at Housr, near Bangalore.“Notwithstanding erratic weather conditions, the UAV had a perfect textbook flight, meeting all mission parameters,” says Dr. Prahlada, chief controller at DRDO. “It had an autonomous taxiing, takeoff, flight and landing. It flew to a planned altitude of 3,000 feet.” Rustom-1 was commanded from the ground control station by Lt. Col. V.S. Thapa, an Indian army UAV operator.
“It was a dream flight, and we couldn’t have asked for more on its maiden outing,” ADE Director P.S. Krishnan says. “The flight demonstration has given us the confidence to try different parameters next time.”
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