Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have seen unprecedented levels of growth during the last decade in both military and civilian domains. It is anticipated that civilian applications will be dominant in the future, although there are still barriers to be overcome and technical challenges to be met. Integrating UAS into, for example, civilian space, navigation, autonomy, see-detect-and-avoid systems, smart designs, system integration, vision-based navigation and training, to name but a few areas, will be of prime importance in the near future.

This special volume is the outcome of research presented at the International Symposium on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, held in Orlando, Florida, USA, from June 23-25, 2008, and presents state-of-the-art findings on topics such as: UAS operations and integration into the national airspace system; UAS navigation and control; micro-, mini-, small UAVs; UAS simulation testbeds and frameworks; UAS research platforms and applications; UAS applications.

This book aims at serving as a guide tool on UAS for engineers and practitioners, academics, government agencies and industry.

Previously published in the Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, 54 (1-3, 2009).

In 1937, Dornier obtained a patent for a plane with two engines in the fuselage, driving the pull and push propellers. The design was marked P.59, and its concepts were refined in 1939 in the P.59-05 variant, after which the design was put in a drawer. This type of plane was not needed at the time. Nevertheless, limited experimental work was carried out, the result of which was a small Goppingen Go-9 plane, with an aerodynamic system obtained from P.59, as well as three-support landing gear with a front wheel and an engine driving a push propeller through a long shaft. The results of these experiments were used when designing the P.231 aircraft in several variants - also combining piston and jet propulsion. When in 1942 the RLM announced the requirements for a high-speed multipurpose aircraft, the equivalent of the British Mosquito, Dornier proposed the P.231 as a rather unusual answer. Despite the risks posed by the different P.231 concept, Dornier was commissioned to build several prototypes.

This new study of the sea-going Phantoms includes contributions from over a hundred aircrew and maintainers who were involved in the Phantom's success from the earliest service development flying to its twilight years in the Reserve units. There are personal accounts of MiG battles from more than a dozen MiG killers, first-hand descriptions of the F-4's introduction into combat with the Marines as a CAS and reconnaissance aircraft, memories of 'Bear' intercepts on Mediterranean cruises, narratives covering the aircraft's service into the 1980s, and much more. These voices are blended with a detailed technical and developmental description of the aircraft, supported by comprehensive appendices and over 450 photos in color and black and white.

It is fair to say that the DC-3 was the very first true airliner, and it paved the way for the hundreds of increasingly advanced commercial aircraft that have emerged over the eighty years since Douglas' design was developed. The story of the C-47 is of course well known, but the history of the civil DC-3 (which directly led to the creation of the C-47) is often overlooked, having been overshadowed by the exploits of its military counterpart. This is perhaps understandable, but it would be wrong to underestimate the importance of the DC-3. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the DC-3's story is that the aircraft is still very much in business today, almost eighty years since the first examples took to the skies. Even though the aircraft has long since made way for larger, faster and more capable airliners, the DC-3 is still a sturdy, versatile, inexpensive and reliable aircraft. Although the numbers of active aircraft inevitably dwindle with time, it would be impossible to predict when the very last examples will finally be withdrawn from commercial use. The mighty DC-3 will seemingly fly forever.

This classic, definitive series continues with this volume on German armored vehicles from 1905-1945. Spielberger, a leading expert in the field of German military vehicles, presents the wide variety of four-, six-, and eight-wheeled types and their wide range of uses in this richly illustrated technical documentation. Types include the WWII era Sd.Kfz.231, Sd.Kfz.222, Sd.Kfz.232, and many others from a wide variety of manufacturers.

More than thirty years after their first publication, William T. Larkinss illustrated surveys of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft remain two of the most valuable books about these airplanes ever written. First published in 1959 and 1961, these two volumes have become classics eagerly sought in the rare-book market by aviation buffs worldwide. They have become the criteria against which serious aviation research is measured. With over 1,000 photographs combined, they remain the definitive record of the formative years for Navy and Marine Corps aviation. Larkinss emphasis throughout is on squadron use, experimental and one-of-a-kind types, insignia, colors and marking schemes, technical innovations, and the service duty and tactical deployment of the various aircraft.

The legendary Convair B-58 Hustler, one of the most interesting bombers to reach operational status, and had an appearance - even though designed in the 1940s - that would not look out of date in the 21st century. The first USAF delta-wing bomber was the Mach 2 Hustler that had the performance of a fighter aircraft. However, its tenure was short due to technical problems and excessive costs. The majority of Hustlers met their demise in the late 1960s, but a few remain at museums across the country.

The first squadrons of American-trained fighter pilots to enter combat in April 1918 during World War I were equipped with the Nieuport 28. Douglas Campbell, Jimmy Meissner, and Eddie Rickenbacker, were among those who cut their teeth on the Nieuport 28 fighter and gained the experience, skills, and confidence necessary to survive and succeed in aerial combat. This book provides an exhaustive history of the Nieuport 28, from its design inception in 1917, through its combat service with the U.S. Air Service, and into the postwar era. Replete with pilot reports, maps, over 400 photographs, and specially commissioned technical drawings and color profiles this book is a fitting testament to the Nieuport 28.

The Hawker Hurricane was the RAF's most valuable fighter asset in the Second World War, yet even today is relatively under-appreciated by the general public. Yet from the early months of the war it was the single engine fighter most often encountered by the Luftwaffe and during the Battle of Britain it made 80% of the successful interdictions of enemy formations. As this superbly researched book written by a leading authority on the air war reveals, this was only the start of the Hurricane's war service. Its reliability and versatility ensured that variants saw action in more war theatres worldwide than any other fighter. Indeed, as the RAF's Official History recalls Everywhere the Ubiquitous Hurricane was to be seen'. This book follows the Hurri' to Russia, Malta, North Africa and as far afield as Burma, Sumatra and Java. Seaborne versions fought in the Battle of the Atlantic and defended the Mediterranean convoys. In the ground attack role Hurricane fighter bombers made countless sweeps over occupied Europe. Pilots' first-hand accounts supplement the text. Readers are left in no doubt as to the massive contribution that the Hurricane made to ultimate victory.

Richard Bueschel revises and updates his classic series of books on Japanese Naval and Army Air Force aircraft of World War II. The JAAF Kawasaki Ki-61 HIEN (Tony) is presented in this volume. All variations and markings are covered in this the fourth in a projected multi-volume series. Size: 8 1/2"

Robert Forczyk covers the development of armoured warfare in North Africa from the earliest Anglo-Italian engagements in 1940 to the British victory over the German Afrikakorps in Operation Crusader in 1941. The war in the North African desert was pure mechanized warfare, and in many respects the most technologically advanced theatre of World War II. It was also the only theatre where for three years British and Commonwealth, and later US, troops were in constant contact with Axis forces. World War II best-selling author Robert Forczyk explores the first half of the history of the campaign, from the initial Italian offensive and the arrival of Rommel's Panzergruppe Afrika to the British Operation Crusader offensive that led to the relief of Tobruk. He examines the armoured forces, equipment, doctrine, training, logistics and operations employed by both Allied and Axis forces throughout the period, focusing especially on the brigade and regimental level of operations. Fully illustrated throughout with photographs, profile artwork and maps, and featuring tactical-level vignettes and appendices analysing tank data, tank deliveries in-theatre and orders of battle, this book goes back to the sources to provide a new study of armoured warfare in the desert.

This title is filled with 1:72-scale drawings of armored vehicles from the U.S., Britain, Canada, and Russia, including: M4 Sherman medium tank (U.S.), T1E3 Aunt Jemima mine exploder (U.S.), M18 Hellcat tank destroyer (U.S.), Mk VI Crusader cruiser tank (Britain), Crocodile flamethrower (Britain), Ram I cruiser tank (Canada), T-34 medium tank (Russia), SU-100 tank destroyer (Russia), and dozens more.

This concise history of Germany's panzers and panzerkorps features a generous selection of period photos showing the variety of German tank types used during World War II - from Panzer 1 to Maus. Included is analysis of the technical and operational use of German armor on a variety of war fronts.

The full story of the development and early use of the U-2 has never been properly told - until now. This book describes in vivid detail how the high-flying spyplane was conceived, designed, built, and deployed in record time. It explains why the CIA, and not the U.S. Air Force, controlled the project. It traces how the Iron Curtain was pried apart by the epic overflights of denied territory from 1956 to 1960. It discusses why these flights were needed, what they were looking for, and how the intelligence they returned was processed and analyzed. Readers are taken inside the Soviet Union's military machine, as it developed new strategic weapons and (eventually) the means to shoot the U-2 down. The book also explores the political dimension, telling how President Eisenhower and Premier Khrushchev each faced the challenge of the U-2 flights - albeit from very different perspectives. Toward the Unknown will appeal to students of aviation and intelligence history, and to anyone wishing to learn more about a key episode in the Cold War.

A beautifully illustrated history of the iconic ocean-going gunboats of British 'gunboat diplomacy', the hundreds of little warships that for 50 years demonstrated the power of the Royal Navy worldwide, and which maintained and enforced the rule of the British Empire at its peak. In recent years the phrase 'gunboat diplomacy' has been used to describe the crude use of naval power to bully or coerce a weaker nation. During the reign of Queen Victoria, 'gunboat diplomacy' was viewed very differently. It was the use of a very limited naval force to encourage global stability and to protect British overseas trade. This very subtle use of naval power was a vital cornerstone of the Pax Britannica. Between the Crimean War (1854-56) and 1904, when the gunboat era came to an abrupt end, the Royal Navy's ocean-going gunboats underpinned Britain's position as a global power and fulfilled the country's role as a 'global policeman'. Created during the Crimean War, these gunboats first saw action in China. However, they were also used to hunt down pirates in the coasts and rivers of Borneo and Malaya, to quell insurrections and revolts in the Caribbean or hunt slavers off the African coast. The first gunboats were designed for service in the Crimean War, but during the 1860s a new generation of ships began entering service - vessels designed specifically to fulfill this global policing role. Better-designed gunboats followed, but by the 1880s, the need for them was waning . The axe finally fell in 1904 when Admiral 'Jackie' Fisher brought the gunboat era to an end in order to help fund the new age of the dreadnought. This exciting New Vanguard title describes the rise and fall of the gunboat, the appearance and capability of these vital warships, and what life was like on board. It also examines key actions they were involved in.

X PLANES OF THE THIRD REICH SERIES An Illustrated Series on Germany's Experimental Aircraft of World War II Into the arms of the angels went pilots of the Me 163s, however the Alexander Lippisch-designed machine wasn't quite finished even though it went into serial production. The RLM called upon Heinrich Hertel of Junkers Flugzeugbau to give the aging 163 a complete make over and a make up for all the initial items it lacked - that is a cruising HWK 509 bi-fuel liquid rocket engine with a dual combustion chamber, tricycle landing gear, C and T-Stoff fuel tanks in the wings to provide longer flight duration, and so on. Although Hertel's machine was not flight tested under power prior to war's end the new and improved version now known as the Me 263 was test flown post war in the USSR. David Myhra has assembled previously unpublished photos, state-of-the art digital images, and photos of a 263 scale model to make this book on the 263 a one of a kind photographic reference.

Volume Eight of the Pacific Profiles series presents the most accurate profiles and histories to date of Imperial Japanese Navy floatplanes which served in the South Pacific theatre, throughout New Guinea and the Solomons. The markings of the six floatplane types deployed in the theatre are covered: the A6M2-N Rufe, E8N2 Dave, E13A1 Jake, F1M2 Pete, E9W Slim and E7K Alf. Floatplane operations commenced in January 1942 with the invasion of Rabaul. Later Rufes were often misidentified as Zeros with their presence in the Solomons seemingly ubiquitous. Petes often fought Allied fighters, with other types focused on reconnaissance and occasional bombing missions, sometimes at night. Most floatplane activity had ceased by late 1943, leaving a handful of stay-behinds operating from Rabaul and Kavieng. Illustrated, unit by unit, are examples of the varied types of markings, camouflage and tail code systems which appeared on floatplanes assigned to sea tenders, shore, ship and submarine-based units. Each of the 76 profiles cites draws on evidence from colour photos, Combined Fleet orders, POW interrogations, technical reports and post-war wreck surveys. Brief histories of every unit includes their role in the theatre and defines the ever-changing markings systems as ordained by Tokyo. Numerous maps and diagrams help the reader understand command structures such as the R-Area Air Force and the 11th Seaplane Tender Division. Never before have such accurate profiles been presented, most for the first time. The author is world-renown for his expertise in Japanese aerial warfare in the Pacific.

In the seventh part of PeKo Publishing s photo-monograph series, we deal with the popular German heavy tank, the Tiger I. This publication shows the tank s major and minor changes through the 105 black-and-white photographs in the book.

The Fw 190D-9 - the 'long-nosed' Dora - represented the cutting edge and pinnacle of wartime Germany's piston-engine aviation development. This new history by leading German aviation specialist Robert Forsyth reveals what it was like to pilot her in combat as Germany desperately battled to remain in the war. Arguably one of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. Designed by Kurt Tank, the 'long-nosed' Fw 190D9 'Dora' bettered most of the fighters that the Allied and Soviet air forces could field when it first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in 1944. Indeed, with experienced German pilots at the controls it proved to be an immediate match for even the later-mark Griffon Spitfire and the P-51D/K. Well-armed, with two 13mm machine guns and two 20mm cannon, the D-9 began to equip Luftwaffe units from August 1944. Later on in the war, one of the key missions of the D-9 was to provide top cover for Me 262 jet fighters when they were at their most vulnerable during take-off and landing. Featuring first-hand accounts, photographs, artwork and innovative and colourful 3D ribbon diagrams, this fascinating volume portrays what it was like to fly the superlative Fw 190D-9 in combat, providing a realistic insight in to how German pilots used the superb Focke-Wulf aircraft in combat against American, British and Russian fighters in the Defence of the Reich in 1944-45.

Aircraft of World War II contains 300 of the most important and influential military aircraft in service between 1939 and 1945. From Allied fighters to Axis bombers, from biplanes to flying boats, each of the aircraft featured is presented with a full colour profile artwork, alongside technical specifications and text explaining the aircraft’s development and service history. Including some of the most famous and beautiful aircraft of the twentieth century, Aircraft of World War II is a pocket-sized reference guide that will appeal to any reader interested in military technology, World War II and aviation.

This new book will be an essential reference for modellers and wargamers who build and paint World War II British armoured fighting vehicles. It provides extensive information on different types of vehicles, describing when they were used, by whom and for what purpose. In addition, the many modifications made to vehicles during the war are included, with guidance on how to create these for models. Step-by-step building and painting guides illustrate vehicles in 1/35, 1/72 and 1/76 scale. This book features models, often with a comparison of models from different manufacturers, for the following: M3 Grant Mk1, including a North African version; Cromwell Mk IV; Royal Marine Centaur; Cavalier Observation Post; Sherman M4A1 and Crab; Crusader III AA Mk 1; Matilda; Morris and Guy Quads; Bedford QLs; Scammell Pioneer Heavy Artillery tractor conversion; Anti-tank guns, e.g. the 'Pheasant', field guns, anti-aircraft guns, etc and, finally, figures which include uniform painting guides.

Whistling Death is the true story, by the test pilot, of the rush to produce the F4U Corsair, the Navy fighter that brought America air superiority over the Japanese Zero in World War II. Here is the crash program - complete with crash landings - powered by the dedicated men and women of the home front who designed and built this revolutionary, tide-turning airplane. Boone T. Guyton, an experimental test pilot at Chance Vought during and after World War II, flew 105 types of aircraft in 45 years as a pilot.

This series of books provides details of all USN warships from 1893 to the present day. Every class and individual ship has an entry providing details of its procurement, dimensions, and characteristics, and a summary of each ship's history and development. Profusely illustrated with photos. An essential manual for all US Navy enthusiasts and historians.

The book presents a description of work on a model Ju 88 A-4. The author shows step by step each element of the modelling workshop.