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11-Pound Model Plane Vs. The Atlantic, Again

Posted by timothy on from the admirable-hobby dept.

Luap Nanreffeh writes "Last year, (/. Story 1, /. story 2) Maynard Hill and some retired NASA buddies tried to set a record for flying a model aeroplane across the atlantic ocean (from Newfoundland to Ireland). Their plan, using GPS, onboard controllers, and a gallon of gas, would have been the first to cross the Atlantic under FAI rules. They didn't have much luck last year, but now they're at it again. The first launch should be tonight."

13 of 301 comments (clear)

  1. direct reference to Simpson's episode DABF02 by sweeney37 · · Score: 5, Funny

    all of us from slashdot send Charles "Lucky Hammy" Hamster our support.

    good luck and godspeed, brave hamster.

    Mike

  2. Wouldn't it be better... by Sir+Haxalot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    instead of giving an exact date, just waiting until weather conditions are perfect to fly it?

    --
    I have over 70 freaks, do you?
  3. Drug running by GreenCrackBaby · · Score: 5, Funny

    So, how long until drug runners send little planes from Columbia to Florida?

    This gives me too many ideas...

    --

    "The market alone cannot provide sufficient constraints on corporation's penchant to cause harm." -- Joel Bakan
    1. Re:Drug running by Steffan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What makes you think that they aren't already doing this. It's not like they'd post to Slashdot if they were successful.

    2. Re:Drug running by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 5, Interesting

      So, how long until drug runners send little planes from Columbia to Florida?

      I remember, back when cruise missiles were first being developed, thinking how a strategic cruise missile (the one with the half-ton payload and restartable turbojet engine) would make a dandy drug smuggling vehicle. Load with a thousand pounds of cocaine, fly it below radar across the Gulf of Mexico and into the door of a large barn in some remote region of the US.

      The big problem would be if SAC happened to see it coming. It would look JUST like a strategic cruise misslle coming at the US over the Gulf of Mexico. B-)

      They might have gotten away with it back then. But these days the US keeps an AWACS over the Gulf all the time - to look for drug smugglers. Two can play at plowsharing.

      --
      Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
    3. Re:Drug running by stefanlasiewski · · Score: 5, Funny

      Are you kidding? Why would they try to swallow little airplanes when little balloons are much easier?

      Sheesh! Some people.

      --
      "Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
  4. Why NASA's efforts failed the first time around.. by Bowie+J.+Poag · · Score: 5, Funny

    They forgot to add in the additional weight of the coconuts.

    --
    Bowie J. Poag

  5. Re:No need for GPS by javiercero · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah, what onboard sensors would be those, intuition and luck?

  6. Thanks for the links by CracktownHts · · Score: 5, Funny
    (from Newfoundland to Ireland). Their plan, using GPS, onboard controllers, and a gallon of gas, would have been the first to cross the Atlantic under FAI rules. They didn't have much luck last year, but now they're at it again. The first launch should be tonight."

    You know you're reading Slashdot when "GPS" and "FAI" are assumed to require less background info than "Newfoundland".

  7. I can see it now. by MegaHamsterX · · Score: 5, Funny

    In the news today a nearly blind and deaf man was arrested for terrorist acts after his home built guided missile traveled the atlantic and started a fire at a shoreside housing complex, a terrorized elderly couple lost 16 cats in the fierce blaze.

  8. The NASA version... by Hawthorne01 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Oh, wait, 11 *pounds*? Damn, we did all our calculations for an 11 *kilo* plane!" (sound of a spash)

    --
    "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
  9. Re:Or... by SmackCrackandPot · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Japanese did try something similar in World War II. They tried using paper balloons to carry incendiary bombs across the Pacific using the jet stream. Crazy idea, but a few bombs did get through.

  10. And at the finish line.... by SoVi3t · · Score: 5, Funny

    Some poor Irish guy is gonna be standing on the beach all alone, get nailed in the head with a model plane, and get REALLY confused.

    --
    Defender of Microsoft and Communism!!!