Posted on 07/11/2014 2:14:07 PM PDT by Rio
As aerial drones become more commonplace in our skies, one inevitable thought arises: people will try to shoot them down.
Some people consider drones to be pesky and intrusive devices. Other people see them as an exciting and challenging target. The latter group have given rise to a thrilling new sport target: gnat drones.
Gnats are scaled-down, military-style R/C drones designed for target shooters. These highly maneuverable drones are loaded with explosive charges under each wing.
But if you think you can shoot one down, good luck. These drones are nearly indestructible, and they can zip and roll through the sky at speeds up to 80 mph.
Gnat drones have already taken off in the United Kingdom, but the sport is just now starting to catch on in the US.
Arizona entrepreneur George Ford is one of the pioneers of the sport here in the US. His company, Gnat Warfare, is a traveling service that offers gnat target shooting experiences to target shooters across the country.
Ford launching a gnat drone.
Ford’s going rate is $4,000 a day, and his clients include everyone from corporate executives to Navy Seals.
This video from KSAZ-TV has more about Ford’s business. It will give you a taste of what it’s like to shoot at a gnat drone.
Gnat Warfare isn’t the only drone target shooting action going on in Arizona. Earlier this year, the biannual Big Sandy Shootout in Arizona’s high desert featured a massive gnat drone shootout. Hundreds of machine gunners gathered along a quarter-mile-long row to blast gnat drones out of the sky. Click here to see footage of the event.
I can just hear someone shout ... evasive pattern delta
Cheap counterdrones sound more feasible to be than shooting at them directly.
RC flying was never this much fun when I was a kid!
Sounds like a bit of a challenge to those tasked with constructing backstops.
ping
No kidding! “Hey, dad, me and the boys are going over to the school to launch drones an shoot at them!”
Yeah, that would have never worked. *sigh*
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