Autonomous Model Glider Flies from 60,000 Feet

saccade writes "A couple years ago we read about a telemetry laden balloon launched to 80,000 feet single-handedly built by a laid-off engineer. Here's an even more elaborate one built at around the same time: A balloon launched model glider taken to about 60,000 feet that autonomously finds its way home. It had an auto-pilot and elaborate mission control system. Also impressive is the extensive testing done before launch."

Comments

On the off chance it's slashdotted:

[Saint Aardvark]

http://www.saintaardvarkthecarpeted.com/mirror/son de

All I have to say is "WOW". And well done.

1 kg "Payload" - but still very scary

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, "only" about two pounds of payload - imagine what a couple of pounds of sentex would do to the surrounding 'landing area' A smart stealth bomb ??? Homeland screwity need to know about this !

For once I read the FA

[toby]

And noted that the glider was eventually lost in inaccessible terrain, due to drift after launch and various other problems...

Sept 6, 2003: Glider Lost, 50nm north of the nearest paved road

Back to the drawing board...

Re:Wow

[Anonymous Coward]

747's (and most other triple autopilot aircraft) have been able to autoland for 30 years. Yes, I've done it. The autoland system has to be exercised every 35 days so 100's of autolands occur daily.

Re:Wow

[chinakow]

they already do, I saw a video where the pilots said the autoland is great in fog, zero visibility but the plane fined the runway, the real problem is taxing to the gate when you can't see out the window.

Anyway, it took me a while to find someone talking specificly about a 747 but here is a linkhttp://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_a viation/read.main/1882971/

Forget emergencies, try routine basis to keep certified, if you travel a lot, you probably have already been on an aircraft that has done an autolanding.

Re:Dangerous?

[putaro]

what's stopping them from gassing some public place? nothing really.

You are so right. It's been done: http://edition.cnn.com/resources/video.almanac/199 5/index2.html/

Coralized version...

[Anonymous Coward]

USE IT

A couple years ago we read about a telemetry laden balloon launched to 80,000 feet single-handedly built by a laid-off engineer. Here's an even more elaborate one built at around the same time: A balloon launched model glider taken to about 60,000 feet that autonomously finds its way home. It had an auto-pilot and elaborate mission control system. Also impressive is the extensive testing done before launch.

Re:Amateur guidance system?

[shadowbearer]

What would be the point? The technology to do this is already available all over the world; heck, most of it is actually manufactured elsewhere.

Sigh.

SB

AMA Rules on UAVs

[flyingV]

Note that the Academy of Model Aeronautics has rules in its current code [warning: PDF] that severely restrict the use of UAVs (if you plan to be covered by AMA insurance). The clause is as follows:

9. The operator of a radio-controlled model aircraft shall control it during the entire flight, maintaining visual contact without enhancement other than by corrective lenses that are prescribed for the pilot. No model aircraft shall be equipped with devices which allow it to be flown to a selected location which is beyond the visual range of the pilot.

Codec for their videos

[Yonatanz]

If you wish to see the videos on this website, you will need ATI's VCR2 codec, which you can download from the ATI website:

http://www.ati.com/support/drivers/misc/ATIVCRX.ht ml

Note the weird installer. It gave me the creeps but it worked.

Re:Dangerous?

[mangu]

acting on "angry, desperate & psychopathic" motives as opposed to some other agenda where they might be in it to gain power, money or some other goal

Those people will opt to become CEOs instead of terrorist masterminds. For the goals you mention where religious fanatism isn't a factor, it's usually considered better to have a penthouse in New York or Monaco, instead of a cave somewhere between Afghanistan and Pakistan to live in.