flying

It was a drone flying at almost 350 km/h

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Latest Austrian GP in Formula 1 he left us quite surprising images. Not because of the events themselves, that too, but because of the moments that one of the cameras left us that plummeted over the Red Bull Ring, attached to the cars. The camera belonged to a fpv drone (first-person view) flying at the height of the cars, and ended up being one of the protagonists of the broadcast. Chasing cars. Last Sunday, during the Austrian Grand Prix, F1 used images from an FPV drone as the main camera for his coverage, something he had never done in this way. The stellar moment came on lap 11, when the drone flew at low altitude over the duel between Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull), capturing the ups and downs of the Spielberg track at the same pace as the cars. The images were broadcast live and then repeated in the replay, placing the camera very low over the cars as they overcame the hills of the circuit, according to collect the specialized media DroneXL. Click on the image to go to the post Leadership. Until now, these types of plans were used as an occasional detail within the production. This time, the organization itself decided to give it prominence. In fact, the official F1 account public a quick and low step over the circuit, and the Red Bull team itself shared the overtaking between Hamilton and Verstappen, inviting fans to stay for the drone images. Where does this technology come from? F1 has been trying to incorporate this type of shots for years. Just like share In the middle, the first attempt dates back to the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, although the result was quite average, since the drone used a basic camera and the image quality was not up to par with the rest of the broadcast. A year later, in Las Vegas, drone pilot Johnny FPV managed to chase a Red Bull car through the desert all the way to the Strip with a much more decent result. But the real technical leap came with the independent project of the Dutch Drone Gods, in collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies. According to point DroneXL built a custom chase drone and completed a full lap behind Verstappen’s RB20 at Silverstone, reaching 310 km/h on a straight line. The 350 km/h drone. This project is called Red Bull Drone 1 (RBD1) and is, to date, the reference in speed within this terrain. It weighs less than a kilogram, is made of carbon fiber, fiberglass and 3D printed polymers, and is capable of going from 0 to 100 km/h in less than two seconds and from 100 to 300 km/h in another two, with a maximum speed of 350 km/h and forces of up to 6G at full load. According to explained its pilot, Ralph Hogenbirk, known as Shaggy FPV, told Motorsport, the order came directly from Red Bull, which wanted a drone capable of following a Formula 1 car during a complete lap, maintaining its pace and recording it with an eye-catching result. The pilot himself acknowledges that this is already the third version of the device, having completed months of testing. As a curiosity, the RBD1 does not have brakes, so to reduce speed when cornering it simply stops accelerating and brakes in the air, forcing the driver to anticipate where the cars will brake. Click on the image to go to the post It is not confirmed that it was the same drone. At the moment, it is not confirmed that it was exactly the same device that we saw in the broadcast. According to point DroneXL, the RBD1, remains a private project that F1 is trying to incorporate into its races, but negotiations are being complicated because at the moment this model cannot fly over the public or cross the track. The most likely thing, according to the media, is that the images from Austria came from F1’s own drone system that F1 already uses in other events on the calendar. The organization operates its own internal drone system for around ten races per season, in circuits such as Bahrain, Miami or Budapest, choosing this equipment because it is already approved and is easier to approve compared to the licensing, insurance and safety regulations that change from one country to another, according to explained to SVG Europe the head of F1 TV production, Dean Locke. It’s not easy to take one of these drones to a race. Flying an FPV next to an F1 car is not the same as doing it in a rally or on an empty circuit. Dean Locke has explained on several occasions why the Red Bull drone, despite its performance, still does not have free rein to race alongside the cars in an official session. And it cannot fly over the fans, it cannot cross the track and, lacking a moving head, it must limit itself to following the car from behind or from the side. Added to this is that the air trail generated by F1 cars at these speeds can divert the trajectory of such a light device, something that Hogenbirk himself had to overcome during filming in Silverstone. And now what. F1 itself has acknowledged that it continues to explore this avenue, although progressively. Locke has pointed that there are sections of some circuits, such as the back straights of China or Austin, where there could be room to use technology similar to that of the RBD1 without putting the public at risk. For our part, as fans, I hope so, because the images left by these devices are spectacular. Cover image | F1 and Red Bull In Xataka | The great challenge of electric cars is how to charge them. Ferrari believes that the solution is to put solar panels on them

There is a flying saucer sailing down a river in Vietnam. A YouTuber built it in his yard with sand, scrap metal and fiberglass

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Some time ago Thanh Cheaka ‘Mr. Ho’, a youtuber Vietnamese with more than 1.4 million subscribers, had a crazy idea: to sail the rivers of his country with a flying template. Literally. For anyone else, an idea like that would have remained just that: a crazy dream. It took Mr. Ho to get to work and build a kind of boat made with little more than sand, fiberglass and the propulsion system of a jet ski. However, the most curious thing is not the result, but the process. Mr. Ho Thanh Che. To ‘Mr. He’s up for challenges. Especially those that involve assembling (or repairing) motorized devices with materials that anyone could find without too many complications. In recent years this has led it to manufacture your own boatstart a car that had been rotting for years in the middle of the jungle, ride a vehicle with materials taken from a landfill or designing a jet ski shaped like a giant spider. A water UFO. As if all of the above were not enough, some time ago Mr. Ho decided to go one step further and create a flying saucer capable of crossing the rivers of Vietnam at full speed. It sounds crazy (and it is), but that’s just what the youtuber shows in a video of just one hour in which he documents the entire process: from the moment he imagines the design (in his dreams) to the moment he takes his ‘flying saucer boat’ into the water. The challenge is so fascinating that the video has more than 30 million views. And that’s just on Mr. Ho’s personal account. The piece has been shared on other channels in which it accumulates thousands and thousands of views. Nothing surprising if we take into account that the youtuber It does not have a large workshop, nor access to exclusive parts. In his projects (including the UFO project) he uses the resources he has at hand, even if sometimes they are little more than scrap metal. playing with sand. The most curious thing about the project is how it starts. For someone with access to industrial molds or modern milling machines, manufacturing the hull of the flying saucer wouldn’t have much substance. Mr. Ho had to settle for a solution more rudimentary: He traced the silhouette of the saucer on the ground of a patio, piled sand on top, and then shaped the mound with the help of a rotating arm made from scrap metal. The goal: create a symmetrical dome. That kind of sand shell served as his starting point. Then the youtuber He poured cement, consolidated the shape and used it as a framework to make the two halves of the hull (aka space saucer) with fiberglass. By hand. Step by step. With the same patience that would be used to make a piece of craftsmanship. With the helmet ready, he opened several hexagonal-shaped holes. Under way. To move the ‘flying saucer boat’, Mr. Ho opted for a solution similar to that of jet skis: a hydrojet systemjet propulsion, which is powered by an engine allows a turbine to absorb water and then expel it at high pressure. Among other things, this avoids external propellers. So that his particular flying saucer could be handled more easily, the youtuber used a deflector attached to a cable that in turn directs the water jet. The video shows how that solution allows you to direct the jet and make tight turns. As it is housed in a hollow cavity in the inner hull, the engine does not break the spaceship aesthetic that its creator wanted to give it. A carpeted flying saucer. On this occasion Mr. Ho was not satisfied with creating a boat in the shape of a flying jig. He also wanted to take care of the details of the design. Both external and internal. On the outside it included LEDs, solar panels and a dark gray color that gives the result an aesthetic that is partly (partly) reminiscent of the B-2 bombers of the USAF. Inside, Ho opted for the same philosophy: taking care of the details, including carpet, soundproofing and tinted acrylic windows. In a nod to his main platform as a creator, he gave the ship a yoke-type steering wheel with the YouTube logo. It is difficult to determine whether the pilot is traveling comfortably, but the video of the maiden voyage It shows that at least the ship is stable and fast. Images | Tech Freeze, Mr Ho Via | Passion Engine In Xataka | Engineers (and not aliens) have created a flying saucer that flies and is completely functional

We sensed that Russia’s “flying Chernobyl” was a dangerous nuclear missile. MIT just confirmed that it is much worse

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In 1964, the United States canceled the Project Pluto after proving that it worked for a very simple reason: the missile left a radioactive trail in its wake and there was no a “safe” place where to try it. Half a century later, Russia has decided to return to that idea that even Washington considered too extreme. The nickname takes shape. It we count a few months ago. For years the Burevestnik It was almost a technological legend, one of those “super missiles” that Putin presented in 2018 shrouded in mystery and propaganda. It was sensed that it was dangerous for a simple reason: a nuclear reactor inside a missile could never be clean or easy to control. But now the new analysis by MIT scientists puts numbers and logic to that fear, and the conclusion is more disturbing than expected. We are not just talking about a nuclear missile in the classical sense (one that carries a warhead), but rather a missile that converts all your own flight in a form of radioactive contamination. If the popular idea was that of a “flying Chernobyl” (the nickname is used by experts of arms control remembering the physical cost of the concept), the real problem is that it could be something worse: a moving reactor releasing waste throughout its trajectory. The obsession of the Cold War. The concept is not new. In the 1950s, both the United States and the Soviet Union played with reactors on board strategic aircraft such as the Convair B-36 Peacemaker and the Tupolev Tu-95although they never really powered their engines. The big leap was Project Plutoa US program to create a supersonic missile of almost unlimited range that would fly at low altitudes, wreaking nuclear destruction. The project was technically viable, but so brutal and polluting that ended up abandoned. That is the historical key: the West left this idea behind not because it was impossible, but because it understood its implications too well. How the monster really works. The great advance of MIT study is to explain how it really moves the Burevestnik. It doesn’t use Pluto’s old ramjet concept, but something even more compact: a direct cycle turbojet. The system is almost wild in its simplicity. Air enters from the atmosphere, passes directly through the reactor core, is heated by fission, and is expelled to generate thrust. This allows weight and size to be reduced, making it possible to put the entire reactor inside a missile. just 9.5 meters. But this efficiency has a terrible counterpart: the air that comes in clean comes out contaminated. Every second of flight converts the missile in a nuclear chimney that spreads radioactive isotopes over the ground and the atmosphere. The toxic trail that changes everything. Here’s the big twist. A conventional nuclear missile is lethal when it hits. The Burevestnik begins to be dangerous long before it reaches its objective. According to the researchersits exhaust would be loaded with argon, krypton and radioactive carbon, in addition to particles generated by the progressive erosion of the reactor under extreme heat and constant pressure. The longer it stays in the air, more material released. It is a complete inversion of the classic concept of a strategic weapon: it is no longer just the final explosion, but the entire journey. In practice, each mission could leave a contamination corridor behind it, turning the simple transit of the missile into a radiological event. Accidents that already pointed to this. The signs had been there for years. They remembered the TWZ analysts that after the public disclosure of the program, the environmental organization Bellona Foundation detected radiation spikes in the Arctic linked to possible tests. Then came the loss of a prototype at sea and, in 2019, the explosion in the White Sea that killed five Rosatom scientists. The MIT hypothesis It’s devastating: That reactor recovered from the bottom could be reactivated when it was hoisted, causing the explosion. What then seemed like an isolated accident today fits into a logical chain of problems associated with handling a miniaturized and exposed nuclear reactor. Strategic advantage and its limits. The reason for the existence of the Burevestnik is clear: almost unlimited range. It can be launched from the Arctic, remain in flight for hours or even days and attack from impossible vectors, avoiding radars and traditional warning networks. This unpredictability forces rethink air defenseespecially in spatial layers capable of tracking low-level targets. However, this advantage comes with obvious weaknesses. It is subsonic, not very stealthy and, paradoxically, easy to track by its own signature or radioactive signal. Plus: the reactor degrades while it operates, which calls into question the very promise of “infinite range.” More laboratory than weapon for now. All of this leads to an admittedly uncomfortable conclusion: perhaps the Burevestnik matters less as a weapon than as an experiment. Russia may be using this program to validate technologies which would later be applied to nuclear surveillance drones or much more militarily useful space platforms. It is also possible that it is a personal obsession of Putin, fascinated by the idea of ​​a machine that can fly almost without limit. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: Russia has achieved something that no one else had achieved, the first sustained flight of a device truly powered by nuclear energy. The problem is that the price of that achievement may be having resurrected a technology that the Cold War buried precisely because it was too dangerous even for its own creators. Image | x In Xataka | There is something more disturbing than “a Chernobyl”: it is a flying Chernobyl, it is in the hands of Russia and it is already testing it In Xataka | Russia has a missile so powerful and destructive that NATO calls it “Satan II.” And it is already unfolding

An Air Canada pilot has been flying for 16 years without making a single mistake. And they have arrested him for one detail: he did not have a license

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Almost 20 years goes a long way, whether you are an airplane pilot or not. But if you are also one, you will have had time to accumulate almost a thousand international flights, take the controls of different types of aircraft and accumulate good money. It is the summary that Geoffrey Wall could make of his life when, once retired, he told this to his grandchildren or, who knows, told it to all of us in a book. One more story. Tasteless, without substance. But Geoffrey Wall may say otherwise. Yes, you can tell that He flew airplanes for decadeswho took the controls of the best-known commercial airplanes on more than 900 occasions and who accumulated millions of euros taking hundreds of lives from one place to another through the clouds. But he will also be able to tell how he managed to trick his airline into flying planes for 16 years without the relevant license to do so. Everything good, except for one small detail Because the future doesn’t look good for Geoffrey Wall. They count in cnn that the police knocked on his door and he was arrested. The reason: Air Canada notified authorities that one of its pilots was flying with a false license. Not only that, he had been doing it from 2009 until last year. The deception was discovered during a routine check. Nobody had reported irregularities in the controls, no aircraft had been put at risk. But in 2025, during a review of its documentation, it was found that there were some anomalies. By then, the pilot had been flying airplanes within the company for 27 years. However, the company points out that Wall began flying fraudulently starting in 2009. Then, the pilot was promoted to captain and was able to take command of the aircraft and direct operations. The small detail is that he falsified the ATPL-A, the highest level pilot’s license. At a press conference to explain what happened, Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich, of the Peel Regional Police (southern Ontario, Canada), pointed out that “It’s very similar to a doctor who is licensed to practice family medicine but is performing brain surgery in his office.” And he once again emphasized the importance of having the appropriate licenses to perform a job. Especially if in that job you have taken thousands of people through the air. The authorities have explained that the pilot left his job in 2025, just before “Project Icarus”, as the police work has been called internally, started rolling last January. months later They have managed to prove the falsification of the documents and on June 1 they arrested the pilot. However, Air Canada emphasizes that its pilots pass tests regularly and that at no time were passengers put in danger. They emphasize that Geoffrey Wall amply demonstrated his abilities to pilot the Boeing 767, 777 and 787 to which he had access during the last 16 years. During that time it is estimated that Wall earned more than two million dollars with his salary but will now have to face seven criminal charges, including fraud for money earned without a license and falsification of documents. In addition, it has already been fined by Transport Canada, the Canadian Government department in charge of ensuring compliance with all mobility regulations in the country. Photo | David Shypers In Xataka | Without a pilot or help from the ground: this is how the University of Munich has achieved the completely autonomous landing of a plane

The flying experience has changed. Airbus thinks it can take it much further with a double bed, bathroom and bar

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For years, flying has been an experience increasingly split in two. While the economy class has been adjusting space and services, the highest part of the plane has become the terrain where airlines and manufacturers try to mark distances with increasingly exclusive proposals. What we have seen now fits squarely into that logic: Airbus has taken advantage of the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2026 to show how far you think you can stretch that idea in your A350-1000the model with which he wants to take first class to an even more ambitious level. The European manufacturer has set the direction of its cabins for the coming years quite clearly. In the center there is a “Master Suite” for two passengers, located between the two corridors at the front and designed as the most exclusive space of the entire complex. According to Airbus, there would be access to its own bathroom, a changing area, a bar and a double bed. A series of elements and comforts of a much higher level. Of course, it is important not to lose sight of the important nuance: we are not facing an already closed cabin for an airline, but rather a concept whose development has just started. How Airbus wants to remake the A350-1000 first class To make room for this new first class, Airbus has not limited itself to drawing a larger suite within the already existing space. What it proposes is a deeper reorganization of the area located between doors 1 and 2, making the most of that part of the plane to dedicate more surface area for higher category passengers. According to the company, elements that previously took up space in the main cabin, such as sinks or storage areas, would move to a new central module placed just behind door 1, in front of the cockpit door. Access to the crew rest area would also be moved there, with the idea of ​​reducing inconvenience and gaining privacy. That Airbus has chosen this model to develop the idea does not seem coincidental. We are talking about the largest member of the A350 family, a version that, according to the company itself, is seven meters longer than the -900 variant and can accommodate up to 40 more passengers. In its commercial sheet, Airbus presents it as its reference model in the large fuselage market and ensures that it offers 40% more surface area for premium category seats. Added to this is another argument that fits well with this proposal: high ceilings, a spacious cabin and interior proportions with which the manufacturer believes it can further reinforce the feeling of space. Behind all this there is also a fairly clear commercial reading. Airbus maintains that it already there are 10 clients that have chosen first class cabins for their A350s and adds that around five airlines are currently in the customization phase, so they could study incorporating parts of this concept. So everything seems to indicate that the calendar is moving in the long term: Airbus places the possible entry into service of the first elements around 2030. What Airbus wanted to do here goes beyond showing a striking suite or a conceptual fair image. It also lets us see where the company believes the most exclusive part of the cabin can evolve, with more space, more privacy and an even more differentiated service offering. Still, between that vision and a plane operating passengers there is quite a way to go. For now we are dealing with an idea in development, but an idea that helps understand how Airbus wants to strengthen its more premium proposal in the coming years. Images | Airbus In Xataka | Commercial aviation is based on very old aircraft. The Iran war is going to make it even worse

China already has its “flying truck.” The HH-200 has just completed its first test flight

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China has just put into the air one of those machines that, by concept and ambition, do not go unnoticed. It is not a new fighter jet like the J-35Abut rather a commercial unmanned aerial system for transportation, completed its first test flight on April 15. There is still no logistics network deployed, but there is a movement that allows us to understand where the Asian giant wants to move in the pilotless air transport of goods, especially within the framework of its commitment to the so-called low-altitude economy. First flight. After the entire development phase, the program has already left paper behind. CCTV places the inaugural test in Puchengin the province of Shaanxi, and explains that it lasted for 22 minutes, with correct operation of the onboard systems and stable evolution of the device during the journey. To be precise, this is the first real flight evaluation, and it has been completed satisfactorily. The figures of the device. Once the test is confirmed, the next thing is to take a closer look at what kind of aircraft China has in its hands. It is a system with a square section fuselage, high wing, double engine and double boom, with dimensions of 12.2 meters long, 16.8 meters wide and 3.7 meters high. In the operational section, it boasts a maximum load capacity of 1.5 tons and a maximum range of 2,360 kilometers. Furthermore, according to official information, it is capable of reaching a maximum cruising speed of 310 kilometers per hour. The logistics part. Beyond dimensions or scope, one of the keys to the HH-200 is how its operations on the ground and in flight are planned. China News assures that the system has been designed with civil aviation standards and that it can perform the flight intelligently and autonomously from start to finish, with obstacle avoidance functions supported by AI. Added to this is a direct passage fuselage and a rear configuration designed to facilitate loading operations, allowing work with pallets, loading platforms and conventional forklifts, to the point that two operators could complete loading or unloading in five minutes. Where do you want to operate. The device is not only designed to move goods from one point to another under ideal conditions. Instead, it has a strong environmental adaptation capacity and can execute missions on short runways, high-altitude airports, extreme temperatures and adverse weather. China News gives us some interesting concrete examples: cargo routes in coastal and border areas, internal logistics routes between specific points and operations between islands in Southeast Asia, before opening the door to uses such as emergency rescue, remote sensing or agricultural and forestry tasks. From trial to market. After this first milestone, the next step will not be an immediate implementation, but an additional testing phase. It is expected that the vehicle will continue to accumulate flight tests before its eventual entry into service, an important nuance to avoid confusing initial technical success with operational maturity. Even in this scenario, according to China News, the project has 20 order intentions and closer cooperation with several firms. We have to wait to see if we will see the HH-200 beyond the testing scope. Images | CCTV In Xataka | Boeing has surpassed Airbus after years behind. That doesn’t mean I’ve regained control.

The United Kingdom has a laser capable of shooting down drones flying at 650 km/h. And each shot is the same as two beers.

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For some time now, armies have pursued an idea: weapons that fire energy instead of projectiles. Already in the Cold War was experienced with systems capable of concentrating heat at a distance, although technical limitations relegated them to tests and prototypes for years. Today, with advances in electrical generation and beam control, that ambition has begun to emerge from the laboratory, although it still entailed challenges that for a long time seemed impossible to solve. The UK seems to have solved the most important one. From the laboratory to real combat. He DragonFire program marks a turning point in the evolution of directed energy weapons, and it does so by going from technological demonstrator to embedded operating system. The United Kingdom has decided to accelerate its deployment until 2027integrating it into Type 45 destroyers and becoming the first European country from NATO in deploying a functional naval laser. There is no doubt, the movement is not only technological, but also doctrinal, because it implies changing the way in which air defense at sea is conceived, integrating new layers that do not depend on traditional ammunition. Two beers for the price of a shot. The key element of DragonFire is not only its accuracy, but rather its economy. Each shot costs just about 10 pounds (just over 11 euros) in electricity, just a couple of “pints” in a pub compared to the hundreds of thousands that a conventional interceptor missile can cost, which completely alters the balance between attack and defense. we had seen it in Ukraine and now in Iran. In a scenario where cheap drones are launched by the dozens or hundreds, responding with expensive missiles had become unsustainable, while a laser allows the pace to be maintained. without depleting critical resources. This difference makes the laser an especially attractive tool in modern conflicts where saturation is more important than sophistication. Extreme precision and new capabilities. The system has proven capable of hitting targets the size of a coin a kilometer away, maintaining the beam on moving targets until causing structural failure. More: its architecture combines multiple fiber lasers in a single high-quality beam, guided by electro-optical sensors and continuous tracking systems. Furthermore, its sustained firing capability eliminates one of the main limitations of conventional weapons: need to rechargeallowing you to take on multiple threats consecutively in a matter of seconds. The response to swarms. The rise of cheap drones and swarm attacks has put in check to traditional defense systems, designed to intercept more limited and higher value threats. DragonFire positions itself as the direct response to that change, offering an effective solution against small, fast and numerous targets without compromising missile arsenals intended for strategic threats. In this context, the laser does not replace existing systems, but rather complements themreinforcing short-range defense and freeing up resources for more complex scenarios. From sea to air and land. Beyond its naval deployment, the program aims for broader integration in ground and aerial platformswhich infers a structural change in modern weaponry. Let us think that the possibility of standardizing this type of technology in vehicles, ships or even combat fighters opens the door to a new generation of systems where energy progressively replaces to physical ammunition. Analysts recalled by Army Recognition that although there are still limitations (such as the need for line of sight, electrical power and thermal management), the advancement of DragonFire indicates that that concept before fantastic of “infinite ammunition” has ceased to be a theoretical idea and has become an operational reality in development. Image | UK Ministry of Defense In Xataka | Spain has built a laser that shields the backbone of its Navy: the A400M is now ready for combat In Xataka | China has achieved something hard to believe: reducing the production of laser weapons and parts for electric cars to one second

For Finland, protecting its roads in World War II was essential, so flying trees were invented

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In a war it is not only doing and being, but also appearing. We have already seen recently how Iran pretended to have parked fighters so that Israel wastes its missiles, but this trick of playing catch-up is older than gunpowder. In fact, in World War II the United States had until ‘Ghost Army’ who was dedicated to these tasks. Precisely within the framework of the second war on a planetary scale, this curious story of concealment of infrastructurewhich is run by Finland. Finland is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula, the easternmost of the triad made up of Norway, Sweden and Finland. That makes it have a border with Russia, only at that time it was the USSR. Its situation on the map made it fight three wars in three different positions: the Winter War where it was attacked by the Soviets, the Continuation War in which the USSR attacked it, taking advantage of the Nazis’ Operation Barbarossa and the Lapland Warin which he fought against Germany after signing his armistice with the USSR. The photo that illustrates the cover of this piece and that you can see in full immediately after this paragraph was taken by Osvald Hedenström and is preserved in the photographic archive of the Finnish Defense Forces, along with the legend written by the photographer: “The Finns have camouflaged the 10 km from the border on the Raatteen road with country roads, with fir trees that seem to hang in the air, because right on the border there is an observation tower erected by the Russians. Suomussalmi, Kuivajärvi 1941.06.27” Flying trees on the Raatteen road. Sa-Kuva The cheapest camouflage of World War II That is to say, the legend makes three facts clear: that there was camouflage that covered the 10 kilometers of road from the border, which included rural roads and the main highway, and that the threat was a Soviet observation tower right on the muga. As? With fir trees lying. The Finnish army was noticeably inferior to the Soviet one, so they took advantage of the terrain, explains Colonel Petteri Jouko, a military historian at the Finnish National Defense University. for Atlas Obscura: “The Finns did not have the funds to purchase large quantities of artificial camouflage, such as nets, they did use trees, leaves and foliage to confuse the enemy” Because Finland is also a country with exuberant nature: the density of its forests is around 75% of the territory. according to the FAOso discovering critical infrastructure for the movement of troops and supplies such as roads or railways was a piece of cake for the Soviets. Obviously this resource of camouflaged roads was only effective for sky-level observationbut not for reconnaissance aircraft. Trees laid to hide critical infrastructure. Sa-Kuva This camouflage technique was technically simple but arduous. The Finns cut down the pine trees near the roads and then suspended them with steel cables that they had tied to other trees at the ends, although they also used wooden poles. The result, as can be seen just above, in another photograph from the Finnish archive, is that it seemed that the trees were flying over the roads, which from a bird’s eye view appeared to be just another leafy forest. Currently, none of these tree structures have survived; the passage of time and the abandonment of these rural roads has condemned them to their disappearance. In Xataka | Ukraine has found the antidote to Russian kamikaze drones in World War II: an optical illusion worth 500 euros In Xataka | A secret Nazi bunker in Germany hides the most sought-after treasure on the entire planet: hundreds of tons of rare earths Cover and photographs | SA-kuva (Finnish Defense Forces photo archive)

a pig flying on a drone

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The date of the lunar new year in China changes every year, but always falls between January 21 and February 21. And like in any home, whether from the east or the west, the custom is to celebrate it. So a farmer from Sichuan had the idea of bring down some pigs from their mountain farm to sacrifice them. The normal thing would be to use a truck, but this farmer chose a way that on paper seemed more comfortable (for him, of course, but not for the animal): use a drone. Their experiment did not last long: the first pig became trapped in a power line, causing a blackout that left thousands of the village’s inhabitants without electricity. Early in the morning of Saturday, January 24, a villager in Tiefu, Tongjiang County, Bazhong City, Sichuan, had that happy idea. It was so early that there was little visibility, as reported by the South China Morning Postso the rope got tangled in a high tension cable, leaving the drone and the pig suspended in the air and causing a short circuit. And among the risks involved in carrying such a load in the event of possible falls on people and objects, it seems like the least of the problems. It is true that if we talk about drones, China plays in another league as we have already seen in practically any self-respecting celebration and also in war scenarios. Without going any further, have developed models capable of shooting at 100 meters away with surgical precision. And that a farmer has a drone at home capable of lifting a pig and the confidence of being able to bring this adventure to a successful conclusion is another test that would probably occur to few farmers in Spain. “Until pigs fly” does not apply in China Tap to go to the X/Twitter post The villager and those helping him tried to control the situation and carry out a rescue without success, until finally the authorities had to intervene. Up to 12 workers were needed to restore electricity at five in the afternoon, after carrying out emergency repairs with a cost of 10,000 yuan (about 1,200 euros) and 10 hours of blackout. According to the Hong Kong mediathe authorities are investigating the event because it would be an unauthorized flight as it is a no-fly zone. As explains Sinahe Regulation on the Protection of Electrical Installations prohibits people from flying kites, balloons or other floating objects within a radius of 300 meters on either side of overhead power lines. And if you do so, you must have the express authorization of the county energy department and apply relevant security measures. In case of non-compliance, you face civil and even criminal liability charges. Furthermore, although there are agricultural drones that are already used in agricultural facilities, with their loading restrictions and restricted areas, their use to transport live animals It is not allowed either: Of course, carrying a large animal moving does not seem like the safest thing in the world for the stability of a drone. And if we talk about animal ethics, even worse. However, China does not have a comprehensive national animal welfare and protection law: its current regulations It focuses more on health and biosafety than on ethics of well-being. The Asian media does not report on the condition of the unfortunate pig after the air incident, but given its tragic fate, the omens are not good. The drone accidents are the order of the day in China. The Sing Tao echoes the data of the Sichuan Provincial Agricultural Mechanization Association and these events are quite common: in 2024 alone and in that province alone there were more than 40 safety accidents caused by illegal operations that ended with injuries, property damage and electrical failures. In Xataka | China’s new futuristic drone is already flying alongside the J-20 fighters. And Beijing has shown it without saying a word In Xataka | China plays in another league in drone shows: what it is doing in 2026 we have never seen before Cover | Dan Renco and NEXT TV

After months without flying, the DGT’s Pegasus return to the skies. And they are already hunting offenders

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Since entering service in 2013, Pegasus helicopters have become one of the systems with which the DGT monitors the roads. Apart from controlling the speed of traffic, the cameras are so powerful that they allow them to distinguish whether we look at the cell phone while driving either we don’t wear the seatbelt. Due to maintenance and contract issues, the nine Pegasus they stopped flying for almost two months. 51 million euros later, they are back on the roads. AND they are already catching to drivers who circulate as if the highways were circuits. The Pegasus of the DGT return From September 1 to October 25, the nine Pegasus of the General Directorate of Traffic were grounded. They did so due to the expiration of the maintenance contract they had up to that point and, as no company interested in occupying that position for the maintenance of the helicopters had presented itself, the deadlines forced them to leave the service. Failing that, drones with similar capabilities were responsible for monitoring from the air, but a few weeks ago an agreement was reached to renew this maintenance, as well as an improvement in some components, such as recording systems. With everything in order, the DGT has as aim double annual flight hoursgoing from the 2,750 hours registered so far to 5,500. It is already bearing fruit. The video on these lines was caught on November 1, one of the key dates in mobility in Spain, and we can see how a driver without a seat belt reaches a peak of 217 kilometers per hour on a Malaga highway. The ‘prize’ is a 600 euro fine and six license points for going at that speed, as well as another 200 euros for going without a seat belt. He hasn’t been the only one caught doing 200 km/h recently. In total, The investment will be 51 million euros until 2028 for this road control from the air, but it could reach up to 80 million if the contract is extended for another 22 months. And you may be wondering how they work: They are helicopters Eurocopter AS-355 Ecureuil 2 and AS 350 armed with the MX-15 radar that detects speeding at 300 meters high and up to a kilometer away. They have GPS positioning to have exact coordinates. Using a laser rangefinder, they measure distances and record the position of the vehicle every three seconds. They also calculate the average speed of the vehicle. In the case of a violation, recording begins and the fine is sent electronically. Pegasus has shortcomings, such as it cannot record the license plate well in adverse conditions or at night, but The Mossos d’Esquadra have another lookout in the skies: Falcó. It operates in a similar way to the Pegasus, but with the advantage that it allows the license plate to be read both at night and in the rain. Precisely, one of the problems of the Pegasus is that some of its technologies have become outdated, but with the new maintenance and technological update plans, they want to catch up. But hey, in the end, the easiest way to avoid being hunted by these helicopters is to pay attention to both the signs and common sense. Images | DGT Magazine In Xataka | Very effective and practically undetectable: how the DGT’s “invisible radars” work

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