Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Transatlantic Model Airplane Flight to Begin Shortly

Posted by michael on from the scramble-the-fighters dept.

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."

6 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. I work with one of these guys... by staggerlee · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...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 =)

    --
    "I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing."
  2. At last! by teamhasnoi · · Score: 5, Funny

    Stuart Little will be able to visit his relatives overseas!

  3. Power for their engine by Damion · · Score: 4, Funny

    I hope they remember to wind that rubber band up really really tightly...

    --
    Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.
  4. GPLed do-it-yourself kit by tramm · · Score: 4, Interesting
    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.

    --
    -- http://www.swcp.com/~hudson/
  5. Re:Good luck by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 5, Informative

    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?
  6. Imagine the fisherman... by sdo1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... 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?