Unmanned Aviation

Newcome traces the family tree of unmanned aircraft all the way back to their roots as aerial torpedoes, which were the equivalent of today's cruise missiles. He discusses the work of leading aerospace pioneers whose efforts in the area of unmanned aviation have largely been ignored by history. The book chronicles the use of unmanned aircraft in times and places where you might not expect them, such as during the Cold War, in Vietnam, and in Israel. Details on the overall trend in UAV design—for instance the recent transition from remotely-piloted planes to the quest for truly autonomous vehicles—is covered, as well as possible future breakthroughs in UAV development.