The US has unmanned spy planes

A bagpipe disguised as a hummingbird has been unveiled by AeroVironment, a major contractor for the Pentagon, with a length of only 16cm and a lighter weight than an AA battery.

Spy plane 'hummingbird' mini, can fly at a speed of 17,7km / h and withstand winds 8km / h, took five years to develop at a cost of $ 4 million.

Army commanders hope to use 'hummingbirds' to spy on enemy positions in the war zone without being detected and be able to deploy it to both rural and urban environments.

Experts hope this type of aircraft, which can fly only by flapping its wings compared to the current model is based on the propeller, will eventually be able to pass open windows and parked on the line. electricity.

An advantage of the ' hummingbird ' is that the panel is designed as a portable gaming machine, which can be easily used by the younger generations of soldiers in the military.

The demonstration by AeroVironment, one of the world's largest drone operators, lasted eight minutes, showing that the flying robot passed through a building door and flown out.

Matt Keennon, project manager for AeroVironment, said that the pace of this tectonics-inspired nature has spurred the limits of aerodynamics.

He said two years ago, the company introduced its first hummingbird prototype but only flew for 20 seconds. With the latest eight-minute flight, engineers expect longer flight times after continuing research.

AeroVironment has produced a number of different drones for the US military. In 2010, there were 2,182 orders from the military for the Raven unmanned aerial vehicle, weighing 1.8kg with its 1.37m wingspan.

About 86% of AeroVironment orders come from the US government, which means that last year a $ 215 million payment was made by the Department of Defense.

The launch of the ' hummingbird ' came just weeks after the company announced a $ 30 million Global Observer with wingspan similar to a Boeing 747 that could survey a large area like Afghanistan.