Slashdot Mirror
Transatlantic Model Airplane Flight to Begin Shortly
dtmos writes "An update on this old story -- Maynard Hill's attempt to fly an 11-lb. model airplane across the Atlantic (from Newfoundland to Ireland) is due to begin tomorrow night, Newfoundland time. This would be the first transatlantic flight by a true model under FAI rules (this plane was too large to qualify). News and updates, background information, some technical info."
Here Looks very cool!
Too bad he hasn't learned basic rules of HTML:A M%201_map.gif
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~barrettjf/Images\T
Backslashes and spaces. Pfft. (fixed in the link above).
(-:
That said, someone else prolly did the site.
S
Ummmm.... I think you'd better get those eyes of yours checked out. The target is not Iceland... but rather Ireland. Albeit, there is only one character difference in the names.
Lift is a function of the shape of the wing's airfoil, the size of the wing, the angle of attack at which the wing is flying, and the speed of the airflow over the wing. It does not equal control and I have no idea what you mean in terms of it rises as a square. Two wings of exactly the same square footage can have different lifting capabilities based solely on the aspect ratio of the wing (ie the length compared the width). That is why you may have noticed that gliders have long skinny wings- they maximize the lift for the given amount of area.
The choppy winds will pose less of a problem in many respects also. The "choppiness" is caused by different aircurrents affecting the aircraft simultaneously. In a 747 moving at 600kts with a 200' length, you are going to intersect numerous sheers of aircurretns repeatedly, bouncing the plane around and causing the "choppiness". A slow tiny thing like this model just isn't going to have that problem.
Personally I wish them well. They are undertaking a great challenge, and I would love to be there with them!
If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
We are thriving, healthy, and accomplishing more than any species ever has before. ... and destroying our environment, our basic source of life, everyday. For Christ's sake, the profits of a couple of friends of George W. Bush is more important than trying to save our environment from fatal changes (Kyoto).
Don't be afraid about the our planet dying because of us, it will simply change. The problem is it's us that won;t survive these changes.
Dynamic soaring has just recently come into a practical reality. It is an absolutley insane way to have some fun. http://www.reeseproductions.com/mpegs/QuickTime/LT 1large.html/ QuickTime/LT 1large.html
I have heard some very serious discussion from Joe Wurts about developing Autonomous Dynamic Soaring aircraft able to cross the atlantic, like the albatross.
http://www.reeseproductions.com/mpegs
Err - no...
Commercial ATC Operators don't 'see' the aircraft on screen, they 'see' a transponder signal (known as a 'squawk') which is sent by the transponder unit when the ATC Radar strikes a detector on the aircraft. Only Military Radar Operators actually 'see' a true radar return signal.
Disclaimer: I meant what I thought, not what I wrote! What? You can't read my Mind? Oh dear!