Drone demonstrated at Malmstrom Air Force Base
With a small crowd of legislators and civic leaders observing, a nonprofit group launched a small, unmanned aircraft at the former runway at Malmstrom Air Force Base early Wednesday morning.
Remotely controlled, the 30-pound Sandstorm plane with a 15-foot wing span performed a few silent loops as onlooker buzzed with excitement.
State Sen. Ed Buttrey, R-Great Falls, a director of the Center for Remote Integration, said the demonstration was meant to show the plane’s versatility.
He said the plane was developed and manufactured by Unmanned Systems Inc. in Columbia Falls, with the first few prototypes being sold individually to national companies, such as aerospace manufacturer Northrop Grumman, which also is marketing the aircraft.
