Launched using a portable catapult and captured by a hook when its mission is over, the Scan Eagle is 40 pounds of amazing aircraft. The plane and its payloads are tested at a Navy Research Lab in China Lake.
Flying all day on just a little gas and remotely controlled by mouse clicks, the unmanned arial vehicle returns live video that helps keep Navy and Marine units safe in the field.
“It keeps the human away from the danger,” says T.J. Zacman, an aircraft engineer. “You can fly down to 1,000 feet and not worry about getting shot down.”