Syrian Rebels Build Unmanned, Remote-Controlled Military Aircraft

Following are excerpts of a video featuring an aircraft made by Syrian rebels, which was posted on the internet on August 30, 2012.

Rebel: With the grace of Allah we have built our first unmanned, remote-controlled glider aircraft. We equipped it with a camera that relays images back in real time. This aircraft is capable of carrying 50kg of explosives and dropping them on the positions of Assad's army. The aircraft has been named "Dawn of Freedom 1," and this is its first test run. Now we will listen to a brief explanation about this aircraft, by brother Qassem Muhammad, who supervised the making of this aircraft. Go ahead brother Qassem.

Qassem Muhammad: In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. This is a glider that uses this propeller here. The blades are 10 cm long. It is connected to a 14 horsepower motor, which can reach 6,600 RPM. The frame of the aircraft is 3 meters long, and it is remote-controlled. The wingspan is 3 meters. The motor runs on gasoline.

This aircraft was built by the Martyr Mohammed Al-Weis squad. We will now witness the first test-run of this aircraft. Go ahead brother.

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