UAVs at the Smithsonian

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.

Starting last week, the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution is recognizing that 21st-century technology in an exhibition titled "Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles." Pictured here in the museum are three of the six UAVs on display (from top to bottom): the RQ-3A Darkstar, the MQ-1L Predator A, and the X-45A Joint Unmanned Combat Air System. In the gallery pages that follow, we'll provide a look at all six aircraft in the field.