Drones for maintenance: After autonomous C-5 scan, Boeing looks to 'weatherizing' UAVs to go...

The Air Force is teaming with Boeing to put autonomous technologies to the test, and a recent demonstration on a C-5 aircraft showed the promise of using drones to assist with aircraft maintenance. But now, the defense contracting giant needs to tackle its “biggest limitation” — making sure the drones actually work in all weather conditions.
Inside of a relatively quiet hangar at Dover Air Force Base, Del. during a recent demonstration, a drone buzzed around about a quarter of a C-5, stopping to hover over different parts of the aircraft as it took pictures that were fed instantaneously to a ground control station just feet away.
The demo was part of Boeing’s Autonomous Aircraft Inspection (AAI) program, a joint effort started a few years ago with autonomous aviation company Near Earth Autonomy, the two companies conducted the first drone scan of a C-5 aircraft to assist with maintenance inside of a hangar at Dover Air Force Base.