New Scientist Tech - Breaking News - Invention: Wing-sprouting drone: "Wing-sprouting drone
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can fly where no pilot would dare and are hard to shoot down because they are so small. The trouble is, they also waste a lot of fuel taking off, so usually cannot stay airborne for too long.

But Daryl Elam of Arizona, US, is working on a drone that needs no fuel for take-off. It could simply be shot into the air like a shell, before sprouting wings for normal flight."