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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."
Trolling Stones' lyrics quiz! - The Doors classic rock radio station staples version
See if you can get them all without using a search engine
You must provide the artist and song title for full credit.
1) i am the lizard king
i can do anything
2) motel money murder madness
lets change the mood from glad to sadness
3) do you hope to make her
see you fool
do you hope to pluck
this dusky jewel
4) if you give this man a ride
sweet memory will die
killer on the road
5) im gonna love you
till the stars fall from the sky
for you and i
g to the oatse
c to the izzex
fo shizzle my nizzle for my money, the doors are the best rock band ever, never having written a bad song.
No? Well head on over to sporktesticle.com and find out what you have been missing!!!
does it run Linux and is the software open-sourced ? If not, we're not interested.
costs with an 11lb payload (including weight of plane)...unless perhaps its carrying heroin. Still, i`m sure evil bearded terrorists are watching this with great interest...
...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.
/. and to cap it all off, who's doing a TV special about it? Discovery. Ain't that a swift kick in the crotch.
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
Congrats, Foster - clear skies =)
"I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing."
Here Looks very cool!
And don't even get me started on the inadequacy of the power source to last that long. Crazy dreamer.
I'm continually stunned by what mankind can accomplish in this day and age. A century ago, crossing the Atlantic meant going by steamship. A century before that it meant sailing, and hoping you weren't boarded by pirates. A few centuries before that it was impossible! Now we can do it with a model airplane; what next?
This is truly a technological tour de force. If anyone has any doubts as to the future of humanity, I suggest they need look no further. We are thriving, healthy, and accomplishing more than any species ever has before. I would do anything to see what we'll do a century from now...hey, if things keep going as well as they have been, I might still be around!
Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
Private cruise missles now possible (Score:4)
by Anonymous Coward on 02:22 PM April 29th, 2001 (#257923)
Now it is possible for individuals or small groups to build private cruise missiles. Think of a high tech version of Black Sunday... or imagine what would happen to the United States if someone flew a 1000lb pilotless bomb into the 2002 Oscars!
Have you seen the weather here?
It will be saturated before it gets here!
Check http://www.met.ie/
Phil
Stuart Little will be able to visit his relatives overseas!
Smithers: It's a nice model Sir..
Mr. Burns: Model?
Je t'aime Stéphanie
As the airplane approaches Spain... Air Traffic controller: "Unidentified plane, identify yourself" Air traffic controller turns to coworkers, "This can't be a plane it's too small, what's going on here." Unidentified Aircraft: "Umm... I just took off from here and I'm coming back to land, I ran into this strange green light and I think I shrunk."
I'm continually stunned by what mankind can accomplish in this day and age. A century ago, crossing the Atlantic meant going by steamship. A century before that it meant sailing, and hoping you weren't boarded by pirates. A few centuries before that it was impossible! Now we can do it with a model airplane; what next?
Ha. I won't be impressed until they can do it with a paper airplane.
This is important how?
Is some great scientific breakthrough being made?
What are the implications and how can this be used in the future?
for the environment! Smaller planes is less polution!
It's not that amazing. The blasted thing is a model plane... still uses fuel, still can fly on its own accord. Wow...
Call me when they do the first transatlantic paperplane.
And don't cheat and use a paperclip on the nose.
So seriously, someone tell me why, in 2010 (if not 8 years sooner) drug trafficers won't be using these things around the world for cross-country drug moving? The US coast guard is good at catching planes, but a model plane can fly in anywhere, as is practically "stealth" by comparison (size, noise, heat sig). With GPS worldwide, and even more accurate in USA (due to localized removals of accuracy-blocking) it can land on the beach at 3:00am for a pickup. NUTS!
I hope they remember to wind that rubber band up really really tightly...
Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
The plane is called "Spirit of Butts Farm". Is it powered by farts?
1. Do not touch or attempt to touch a UFO that has landed. Passing through the Earth's atmosphere the skin of the craft will be hot.
There is also a possibility of radiation. There is also a chance of steam being produced from the heated hull at the landing site.
2. Do not stand under a hovering UFO at low altitude. There is a possibility of radiation danger.
3. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CONTACT ALIENS if they appear, any movement on your part may constitute an act of aggression. If possible, back away VERY slowly. Make no gestures what so ever.
4. If possible note the time and take a photograph if possible. Note the shape and size of the craft, use nearby objects for a size comparison.
5. Do not touch any artifact from an alien spacecraft, the artifact may be dangerous, leave this to the authorites.
6. Get away from the area QUICKLY. Inform the local authorites or the military.
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.
~ now you know
of in-flight peanuts.
[NG] 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.
And NG is writing articles, too. Imagine that, NG having to play catch up!
Bart: The ironing is delicious.
Lisa: The word is "irony."
Bart: Huh?
If Nalgene water bottles are outlawed, only outlaws will have Nalgene water bottles.
My life had been very boring and drab. My subscription to Penthouse and National Lampoon were about to expire so my life had no meaning. I had
been working mowing lawns, trying to get enough money to buy a hard drive... since my ex-girl friend told me that hard things were nicer than floppy ones.
My parents were in California for US '84. My dad posted a note on the local college job board that he needed a baby-sitter to watch his 15 year old son
and sit by the pool and suntan. We got many phone calls. My babysitter's name was known to me only as "34-24-33".
The first days of my stay alone with the star of Debbie Does Dallas was pretty boring (since it was that time of month and I am not a vampire).
The third day of my stay, my baby-sitter sat down and told me that she had fantasies of molesting younge 15 year old boys who she babysits for. She
then proceeded to fufill our fate by sticking her soft hands down my pants and unzipping me. She took off her shirt and bra, slacks and panties then leaned
over and told me she wanted to whisper sweet nothings in my rear.
She told me she had seen this on a Cheech and Chong movie. I naturally went along with the fantasy. She took off my pants and placed
my 'joint' into her vibrating mouth. As soon as she began to choke, she turned her head up and told me that she had one more fantasy to fufill with
me. I said that I would do anything for her. She tied me to the bed with these handcuffs she had ripped off a fucking cop. She proceeded to spank me
and kept calling me 'bad boy'. Then, the little nympho took out a lighter and set my cock on fire and told me not to smoke.
As I began to burn, I could faintly see her molesting my pet gerbil while smoking a banana peel (which happened to be my pecker). I saw a violent
light, then a rainbow in the dark.
I was dead and in Heaven. I, being an active atheist, didnt believe a damn thing about this. I saw some gates and opened them and proceeded to go
through the bars. A man with a cane stopped me and told me he could answer any questions I had about Heaven. I proceeded to ask, "Sir, if I lived a good
life and kept Kosher, helped little old ladies across the street, do you think I could get a cute little angel to piss on my face every Thursday night in
Heaven??" The man immediately hit me in the balls with the cane and said, "There is no sex or corruption in Heaven, we all sit around and meditate
while listening to Culture Club tapes." I said, "Fuck this shit man, I absofuckinglutley dont want to spend my eternity in this fag joint." I then
left the gates and jumped into oblivion through the clouds. I fell through the sky and felt the earth seal around me. I began
to hear some faint music! I ran towards the music and heard some Ozzy Ozbourne, Crazy Train Playing.
I immediately screamed "Now this is more fucking like it!" I took out my pack of Menthol Players and lit it from the fire still pertruding from my cock.
A lady with extremely large breasts welcomed me into my new home. I saw men orgying in the fire-laden streets with beautiful women. I jumped on a 21-
year-old woman and started gangbanging her with my cock of fire. She stood up and screamed, "Why's your cock on fire??" I told her my plight and she
told me to go to Satan's wife.
I entered Satan's wife's house and signed the guest register. I ran up to her room where she was actively masturbating with a broom stick.
I said "wow!!" She looked up in ecstacy and and asked me what she could do for me. I blushed. She said, "Besides that!" I told her of my story. She said
she could help me quench the fires, but I would have to pledge my life to winning over the virginity of younge school girls. She placed my cock in her
mouth and the fire was quenched by our ecstacy.
I asked her what her name was in my last breath of passion. She said it was Lita Ford. I asked her if the lady who set my cock on fire back on
earth was one of her followers. She said her name was Wendy O. Williams. I said "wow!!!!" After having another engagement of oral sex with her
steaming clit, I was wisped away to the land of virginity and high school girls.
I found myself in a private school for young rich snobby girls. My new identity was Angus. I had no last name, but never questioned the intent
of my master's wife.
I first began to hunt out my prey with the high school cheerleaders. But, after noticing that they stuck to the floor while doing to splits, I
decided to go for less virtile girls. I seduced a young girl whose face reminded me of an ancient memory. I took her up to my apartment and she said
she needed help with her geometry. I showed her my obtuse angle and she showed me her acute one. As I tore off her bra, I noticed how undeveloped
she was. I took off her greasy panties and began to tounge her love channel. She started to moan and said she couldnt believe I was doing that to her. I
just told her to sit back and relax. As I licked her wet spot, I noticed her erect nipples and the tiny dew drops forming around her clit. I tounge fucked
her for 15 minutes then started to push my shaft up her. She started to moan with pleasure. I proceeded to tie her to the bed with a pair of hot handcuffs
which I had borrowed from Wendy. I forced my victim's head down over my pulsating dong. She began to gag a familiar gag. I let her head up for air
for a moment. Then to my surprise, she stuck her tounge out and it was flaming. I said "oh, shit, not again!" She set my dick on fire.
As I proceeded to go back to my mistress in the underworld of sex, I began to think of how good it would feel to get my pecker's fire quenched
again by Satan's wife's cool pulsating tounge. I entered Hell for a second time and everybody greeted me with praises and started begging for sexual
vibrators to be sold in Hell for a lower price. I said "Why ask me??" They told me it was all a test to see who would be the new number two. I began
to understand, as I remembered the ancient lyrics of an Iron Maiden song named "The Prisoner." I lit another Players and proceeded to my master's
flaming house in the depths of sex. I entered and Satan bowed down and kissed my hand. He said I am the new number two since he is getting a little too old
to get his cock sucked on anymore by his wife. I took the position gladly.
I realized my new position. I am SATAN! I have unlimited powers!! I begin to lead unsuspecting virgin girls to my domain. I conquer earth with
my flaming nympho's. I proceed to climb up the ladder of Heaven and gang bang all the ladies there and say, "You could have been doing this all your life
instead of living in misery trying to draft more people into your false faith!" I then pick up my brand new electric gibson challenger with new
tremelo bar and customized locking bolts with the perfect distortion. I yelled the ancient and foreshadowing lyrics of my coming into power...
"Heaven's on Fire"
To stand up and walk away from the computer.
Now, get in the shower.
Next, go outside.
Next, go somewhere to find a nice girl to meet.
Finally, never read slashdot again - it really sucks.
Thank You.
With all the "good" actors/actresses dead, the MPAA will have to charge us even more money for even worse movies. This would be very tragic indeed.
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.
-- http://www.swcp.com/~hudson/
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.
Skiers and Riders -- http://www.snowjournal.com
Did anyone notice that all the telemetry data indicates the planes are heading 280 degrees? That's no shortcut to Europe.
Charles Lindburg pilot figureen?
Anyone interesting in getting into model airplanes, esp. the new 'parkflyer' electrics (if you can't stand glow fuel, caster oil 'slimers') should read up at RC Groups - you can get a pretty good flight at the local soccer field with nice, quiet parkflyer electrics. I've just finished something called a Wing-E and it's a ball to fly in my nearby school yard, get's at least 10 minutes of aerobatic fun off one battery charge.
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
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!
thelocust[dot]org
Span: 9.67 feet
s play.html?ID=1
Length: 5.67 feet
Height: 2 feet
Wing Area: 6.1 square feet
Gross Weight: 28.9 pounds
Cruising Speed: 43 to 55 mph
Range: 1,875 miles
Service Ceiling: 15,000 feet
From: http://www.museumofflight.org/collections/craftdi
Words of wisdom from the site[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/ 08/0805_020805_transatlantic.html#related]:
"If the plane uses too much fuel per hour, the engine will run fine, but they will run out of fuel. If it uses too little, the engine can stall out, and if it does the plane will crash."
What kind of engineer tells this to the audience?
Are you refering to the same ocean water that is causing those nasty rust spots on MIR's quarter panels?
I take it that's not good then?
This article makes me want to drive my radio shack remote control car across the US. All goes well until its run over by a semi.
We already have planes with this capability. Predator/Darkstar can stay aloft for almost a day and have a significantly longer range. Not to mention that they take off and land by themselves and can carry missiles.
Remember, You are unique...just like everyone else.
Where do we send the money for the "51" prize?
I figure it's got to be organized, the competition to send a unmanned R/C plane with a wireless webcam over Area-51 is just too geeky to pass up.
Why, yes, I AM a Pagan Libertarian.
sigless
"Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out."
From the site:
Latest 09:20 EST 8/8/02 -
Last night the launch site at Cape Spear was covered with heavy fog--zero visibility and ceiling zero. Launch has been scrubbed and the team is looking for another opportunity.
Dude, That's IReland...not ICeland. BIG difference.
Do not confuse duty with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different.Duty is a debt you owe to yourself.
I've got a couple of these Hobby Zone Fighterbird's http://www.hobbyzone.com/fighterbird.html It's lots of fun because there is an IR or some other sort of sensor and transmitter on it so you can dogfight.
A couple friends of mine have 'em too and we've wasted waaaay too many hours 'shooting' each other down.
It's not as advanced as some of the newer park fliers but it sure is easy to fly, cheap, and lots of fun!
If this thing weighs only 11 lbs, including fuel, I'd venture to say it only has 1 to 1.5 gallons of fuel in it, MAX. Now, I don't know much about model aviation and how efficient their engines are, but even with the very light weight, thats quite a distance for that amount of fuel..
Don't Tread on Me
You could equip the RC plane with a bomb and a webcam and one of them wireless network cards and fly it into a political leader from across the Atlantic all while sitting at your computer in your underwear...
Well, they're taking off from Canada, Canadian gov has helped them out by securing the licenses for the flight and they even persuaded Ireland on their behalf to open up their airspace for this (previous model airplane flight had to go further north to Scotland because Ireland refused the license).
And this is the thanks they give? Pfffft!
Finally, the tiny receiver buried inside the plane's fuselage made contact with the guidance satellite orbiting thousands of miles above, and the laptop came to life.
I could write a whole B movie based on that quote : )
You can't take the sky from me...
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
because you don't get thermals in the middle of the Atlantic.
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
this is useful stuff!
if you go to thier status monitor, it says that the engine is turning 100 rpm, anyone familiar with model "glo" engines knows that this is impossible, these things idle at 2000 rpms. in my helicopter, its got an 8 ounce tank that lasts 6 minutes.
Where do I get the plans to build one of those gliders? That was awesome.
(B) + (D) + (B) + (D) = (K) + (&)
Another article I read indicated a fuel consumption of about 2 oz. per hour. Using a nominal 40 hr of flying time, 80 oz = .625 gal. Which would be about 3.5 - 4 lb of fuel.
Nice fuel consumption of 1900 miles per 0.625 gal or 3000+ mpg!!!
Laugh while you can, monkey boy!
Meaning half an hour later, right?
Won't mum be pleased!
Eclectic beats from Leeds, UK
handmadehands.co.uk
... floating along in his rickety fishing vessel in the North Atlantic hundreds of miles off the coast and probably as far from any other human being when suddenly he looks up and sees....
nnnnneeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......
this little red plane buzzing by.
One of two things will happen. Either he'll jump overboard... or he'll finally give up the sauce.
-S
--- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
Back in the 1990s their was a remote controlled aircraft that did this. It had a two gallon tank on it. In fact you can go to the Boeing Air and Space Museam and see the aircraft on display. I have seen in myself.
This site generally has comments about articles that are posted somewhere else. People usually go read them and then come back to make informed comments about what they read. But somehow you missed that part.
-- Probability does not dismiss possibility --
Now we can lay our own trans-alantic cable.
Looks good on paper at least.
Table-ized A.I.
I'm staking out a place in a bog near Clifden.
668: Neighbour of the Beast
The site says the launch was delayed due to fog. If the thing is running on GPS-assisted autopilot, what difference does fog make?
-
Give me liberty or give me something of equal or lesser value from your glossy 32-page catalog.
not too shabby either.
The model described in the article isn't any kind of real terrorist threat due to its limited payload capacity and slow speed.
However, that doesn't mean that creating a low cost cruise missile isn't beyond the means of even the smallest terror group or nation.
Check out The Low Cost Cruise Missile for a pointer to where the real danger lies.
Now is the time to bring back the idea of birds carrying letters across the country and stuff. Except you can use model airplanes. Really small ones. Guided by satellite and shit.
So does anyone have any info on the GPS componentry of their craft? I'm interested in different but related projects, but I have a tough time learning about the GPS modules that are available...