Everyday, we hear or see some news item about drones wreaking havoc on some remote site. Fifteen to twenty years ago, these seemed to be just “big boys toys.” Now the big, big boys in the Pentagon have around 7,000 of them according to yesterday's New York Times (1). More are on the way. The Times also points out that the US is training more remote pilots than bomber and fighter pilots combined. So, all you gamers out there, there may be a new career waiting. Would boot camp be required for drone pilots, I wonder?
Ohio now has the USAF microaviary where they are developing small to tiny drones that can zoom about and look like a hawk or a moth. Perhaps a small kestrel would be a good design to aim at as that falcon swoops about and hovers.
I can imagine a moth design being prone to great difficulties, though. The picture that comes to mind are clouds of these little moth bugs trapped in the circle of light from a street lamp, unable to get to its target and do its bugging job. Besides they would give bats indigestion and bats are becoming critically endangered. Flying bugs that are moth-like should clearly be off the agenda
