Airbus said on May 7 that it has bought Bingen, Wash.-based Aerovel--a move that may expand Airbus' U.S. defense business. A several dozen employee firm, Aerovel builds the Flextotor vertical takeoff and landing helicopter drone. "Flexrotor is a small tactical unmanned aerial system designed for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions at sea and over land," Airbus said. "With the ability to autonomously launch and recover from either land or sea requiring only a 3.7 by 3.7 m…
