Airbus Develops Drone for Aircraft Inspection

The European aerospace company Airbus has developed a drone designed for external post-flight inspections of passenger aircraft in hangars, according to Digital Trends.

Currently, post-flight inspections are carried out by several technicians at once, and in some cases, the process can take an entire workday. The use of the drone developed by Airbus allows for automation of the inspection process, reducing the time required to just three hours.

The quadcopter is equipped with laser vision and an obstacle avoidance system, enabling it to safely navigate inside hangars with aircraft. The drone follows a pre-programmed flight path, records high-resolution video, and transmits the footage in real time to the operator’s tablet via wireless connection.

If necessary, the drone also sends images to a control station, where technical specialists analyze them using special software that compares the real images with a 3D model of the aircraft.

By the end of 2018, Airbus hopes to receive approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for mass production of the drones, so they can be sold to airlines.