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Hacking_and_Penetration_Testing_with_Low_Power_Devices

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224 CHAPTER 9 Adding air support<br />

The chosen aircraft should be capable of flying in windy conditions. Many toy<br />

quadcopters can only be operated indoors thanks to their inability to be flown in even<br />

a light breeze. The amount of wind that you have to deal <strong>with</strong> can vary significantly<br />

from one location to the next.<br />

The ideal aircraft is capable of Vertical Take Off <strong>and</strong> L<strong>and</strong>ing (VTOL). This<br />

permits the drone to be parked on a roof or other surface out of sight of the target.<br />

While VTOL is a great thing to have, an airframe that can also be flown as an airplane<br />

is desirable as it saves energy.<br />

The drone needs to have sufficient flight time to get it in <strong>and</strong> out. It would be<br />

convenient if battery power from the drone could also be tapped to operate the BeagleBone<br />

Black. Twenty minutes should be more than enough flight time. A drone<br />

that can only be flown for ten minutes or less is not terribly useful.<br />

The chosen platform should have space for the BeagleBone Black, Xbee, <strong>and</strong><br />

Alfa wireless adapter. If there is a way to fit a long range wireless antenna <strong>and</strong> large<br />

battery that is even better. The selected airframe must also be robust <strong>and</strong> affordable.<br />

There are several suitable aircraft for our purposes. I elected to use the QuadShot<br />

from Transition Robotics (http://thequadshot.com). The QuadShot is a flying wing<br />

platform <strong>with</strong> four motors that allow it to be operated as an airplane or as a quadcopter.<br />

The QuadShot is shown in Figure 9.1.<br />

The QuadShot meets our criteria. It has VTOL capabilities. Thanks to the ability<br />

to be flown as an airplane, it can be flown in considerable wind. The manufacturer<br />

claims that it is capable of carrying a half pound of payload. When flown as an airplane,<br />

flight times of 15-20 min are possible. The QuadShot has a place to mount an<br />

Xbee module <strong>and</strong> camera.<br />

Several models of the QuadShot are available. The most basic model known as<br />

the Latte is just an airframe, no motors, radios, or controller boards. The QuadShot<br />

FIGURE 9.1<br />

The QuadShot by Transition Robotics. This flying wing is operated vertically for takeoffs <strong>and</strong><br />

l<strong>and</strong>ings. It may be flown vertically or as a st<strong>and</strong>ard airplane.

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