US Startup's Crow-Shaped Flapping-Wing Drone Reads as a Bird on Counter-Drone Sensors at Edwards AFB

Ornadyne's O1 flapping-wing drone was classified as a bird by commercial counter-UAS systems during the September Game of Drones 26-3 experimentation event at Edwards Air Force Base, according to the company. The crow-shaped ornithopter generates lift and thrust through wing motion rather than propellers, changing the visual and acoustic cues used to recognize conventional drones. Company figures give a one-pound weight, roughly one-metre wingspan, up to 10km range and endurance exceeding an hour, with a small reconnaissance-camera payload. The result concerns a specific demonstration; sensor vendors, detection ranges and the aircraft's communications configuration were not disclosed.