UAVs land in the Smithsonian

(CNET) - From the early days of modern aircraft, much of the glory has gone to the daring individuals in the cockpits of those flying machines: Wilbur Wright, Eddie Rickenbacker, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, Steve Fossett.
Early in this second century of powered flight, however, an unprecedented number of unmanned aircraft are taking to the skies and taking over roles, especially in combat, that once were the exclusive domain of the aviator. In total, the Pentagon is currently fielding some 5,000 UAVs of all sizes, up from just a handful at the start of the decade. Continued

Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski