Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this episode of Drone Stuff This Week from 31 March 2026, Ian, Mark and Johnny step in for Bruce, who is currently recovering in hospital
The team discusses the media's hysterical, clickbait reporting on drone sightings at US Air Force bases, noting that the US military has a history of misidentifying aircraft
They highlight a past incident where a directed energy weapon was used against an airliner near Legoland in Denmark, warning of the dangers of deploying lasers in the sky without proper training
In contrast, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) are praised for their effective counter-drone operations
The panel highlights the success of the Orcus system, which is now integrated at US bases such as RAF Lakenheath, and discusses a recently released MoD video from July 2025 showing a kinetic drone takedown
The conversation also covers the emergence of 3D-printed one-way attack drones with files available on Thingiverse, advising that builders should reinforce the designs with a carbon X-frame to ensure flight stability
In other news, the team examines a new 234g bicopter from Beihang University capable of a 74-minute hover time
Finally, they explore the implications of the Civil Aviation Authority's Article 2A, which introduces new regulations for commercial indoor drone flights and could potentially affect indoor drone swarms and light shows
In this episode of Drone Stuff This Week from 31 March 2026, Ian, Mark and Johnny step in for Bruce, who is currently recovering in hospital
The team discusses the media's hysterical, clickbait reporting on drone sightings at US Air Force bases, noting that the US military has a history of misidentifying aircraft
They highlight a past incident where a directed energy weapon was used against an airliner near Legoland in Denmark, warning of the dangers of deploying lasers in the sky without proper training
In contrast, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) are praised for their effective counter-drone operations
The panel highlights the success of the Orcus system, which is now integrated at US bases such as RAF Lakenheath, and discusses a recently released MoD video from July 2025 showing a kinetic drone takedown
The conversation also covers the emergence of 3D-printed one-way attack drones with files available on Thingiverse, advising that builders should reinforce the designs with a carbon X-frame to ensure flight stability
In other news, the team examines a new 234g bicopter from Beihang University capable of a 74-minute hover time
Finally, they explore the implications of the Civil Aviation Authority's Article 2A, which introduces new regulations for commercial indoor drone flights and could potentially affect indoor drone swarms and light shows
