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."

Comments

I work with one of these guys...

[staggerlee]

...he's in the General Services department at National Geographic (and a better code and hardware hacker, in all senses of the word, than anyone in our IS group). This guy's spent months trying to build a GPS that would fit on your watch face.

The funny thing here is that he went to NG to offer them coverage - he wasn't looking for funding or anything - and they declined, saying there wouldn't be enough interest. Well now it's in the Post, it's on /. and to cap it all off, who's doing a TV special about it? Discovery. Ain't that a swift kick in the crotch.

Congrats, Foster - clear skies =)

The doomsday people...

[Uttles]

Have been asking about using this for bombs... Well, the US already has these that carry bombs, we're using them in Afghanistan. As far as this actual plane goes and any citizen trying to use one, it could never carry a bomb. It could, however, carry some sort of airborn biological weapon, but there are numerous examples of how hard it would be to actually hurt someone with a small amount of bio warfare.

GPLed do-it-yourself kit

[tramm]

Since Slashdot is now 100% robotics stories, you might be interested in building your own autopilot kit for model airplanes and helicopters. It isn't perfect yet, but we're getting there.

The hardware design and source code are all GPLed and available. The most recent releases have an OpenGL helicopter simulator for you to play with as well.

Cheating

[cr@ckwhore]

Here we go again! Just like the baloonist flew "around the world", we have another fake world record attempt at "crossing the atlantic".

The "around the world" baloon flight was no more than a circle around antarctica.

Traditionally, I think "crossing the atlantic" means crossing THE WHOLE THING. From US east coast, to Europe's west coast. I'm sorry, but Newfoundland to Iceland doesn't cut it. Granted, flying a model plane over that distance is an admirable feat, but I don't think it would qualify for a world record.

Excellent! Now, try that without a power plant!

[TheLocustNMI]

Well, i guess the next OBVIOUS step is a plane that can cross the Atlantic on nothing but thermals and tailwinds!

I mean, when you can keep an unpowered plane aloft for 36 hours, why not? Well, so far the straight-line distance record is only 226km, but with a GPS autopilot, and a thermal detection unit (get the scientist working on the tube technology immediately!), who knows!

FAI RC Model Records for Gliders

Lift!

Good Use as Cheap Military Drones

[sqlzealot]

The military is currently spending millions of dollars on next gen drone technology like like the Predator and Global Hawk when stuff like model airplanes has been under their noses the whole time. If this can fly to Iceland it can certainly fly around Afghanistan for a day or two. This model airplane couldn't have cost more than a couple thousand to make. Stuff an satellite phone and a webcam in there and you have cheap drone for less than $10k. You could buy hundreds of these for the price of one of those big drones. Imagine them swarming the skies, looking for baddies. Lot harder to avoid and hide from than one big drone. Big plus is model airplanes are SMALL! Give a pair to every special forces unit on the ground and they have quick intelligance in a pinch. Too bad military procurement is controlled by expensive-toy-loving generals and profit-seeking industrialists.

sigless

Re:Well, talk about an increase in drug traffic...

[AlecC]

As already said, the stealth bomber is untrackable because of extensive use of stealth technology to make it radar invisible.

I once saw a copper-coated table tennis ball which, it was claimed, was used to test the anti-intruder radar. The placard claimed it was throw out of a high-altitude aircraft and tracked by radar as it fell to earth, beint blown this way and that by the wind. When it landed, they sent a man out to pick it up - which he usually did.

Sealth technology has a big impact on flyability. I would expect that this plane, unstealthed, would have a radar crossection bigger than my table tennis ball, and stealthing it would ruin the range.