Anybody here fly model aeroplanes?

[Cliphead]

You need to check the law if you're planning on letting it fly itself on gps, you probably need a license for that sort of thing. I'm happy to be contradicted on this though.

Got all the gear I need sussed but a very good point and something I'm not sure about. I could launch this thing and send it off all the way to Edinburgh via Stirling and back taking video. If the computer detects something going wrong or not enough power to get home it comes back to base and all the way it can be tracked on Google Maps / Earth.

So far I can't find anything about the legality of this although I'll have liability insurance but the horror of bringing down another aircraft cos it got ingested into an engine doesn't bear thinking about. I can program it to stay below the altitude that most private and commercial aircraft fly at and keep it out of controlled airspace but still a high sphincter factor.

Early test flights will be within visual range anyway just to be sure of the tech. It'll probably take the CAA six months to respond with a head scratch regardless.

[Cliphead]

[aussielong]

Got all the gear I need sussed but a very good point and something I'm not sure about. I could launch this thing and send it off all the way to Edinburgh via Stirling and back taking video. If the computer detects something going wrong or not enough power to get home it comes back to base and all the way it can be tracked on Google Maps / Earth.

So far I can't find anything about the legality of this although I'll have liability insurance but the horror of bringing down another aircraft cos it got ingested into an engine doesn't bear thinking about. I can program it to stay below the altitude that most private and commercial aircraft fly at and keep it out of controlled airspace but still a high sphincter factor.

Early test flights will be within visual range anyway just to be sure of the tech. It'll probably take the CAA six months to respond with a head scratch regardless.

There was a good doco about the next gen model aircraft recently. I think it was called "rise of the machines". The next gen are called drones. Miniature flying aircraft with huge range and live broadcast capability. The doco pushed the view that these things spying on people is going to be as big a revolution as iPhones or google.

Stopping them taking out Passenger aircraft is a big concern. Privacy is second. These things have advanced hugely in the last 10 years. I think they called them "unmanned aerial vehicles" for YouTube searches.

They had a band of helicopter drones flying round in a coordinated pattern playing musical instruments. They bashed out jingle bells I think.

[Cliphead]

There was a good doco about the next gen model aircraft recently. I think it was called "rise of the machines". The next gen are called drones. Miniature flying aircraft with huge range and live broadcast capability. The doco pushed the view that these things spying on people is going to be as big a revolution as iPhones or google.

Stopping them taking out Passenger aircraft is a big concern. Privacy is second. These things have advanced hugely in the last 10 years. I think they called them "unmanned aerial vehicles" for YouTube searches.

They had a band of helicopter drones flying round in a coordinated pattern playing musical instruments. They bashed out jingle bells I think.

Exactly what I'm building. The helicopter drones have something like 10 mins endurance. My flying wing fully loaded with cameras about 1.5 hours. Long ways to go yet, got the plane bu not the rest of the bits yet.

[Platypus]

A friend of mine does. He flies big stuff incl. this jet !
Velox - Kingtech Turbine K80 - Diesel S50 - YouTube

[Cliphead]

A friend of mine does. He flies big stuff incl. this jet !
Velox - Kingtech Turbine K80 - Diesel S50 - YouTube

Respect!

[gingerjedi]

If you want some 'stick time' without breaking lots of balsa wood 'Leo's RC Sim' on Android is a great way to learn.

[Old Hack]

I've taken your advice Cliphead and am starting flying lessons and cannot wait.

My nephew flies model planes, and is quite a dab hand. However, when he was 17, with his first proper petrol powered one, he wondered what the range was of the flight controls and set the plane off on a straight course, dipping it every once in a while....

I often wonder how far it went, and what it eventually hit.

He now has a small jet one I believe, so beware if you are near windemere and hear a very shrill noise, like a small jet flying low...

[SupremeSpod]

Just had my first experience with a friends and it's very good fun (I've ordered a replacement ). I took delivery of a Skywalker X8, which when completed will be used for first person view / autonomous flight, recording and sending back live video as it does its thing flying by GPS waypoints. Meanwhile a trainer and all the necessary bits will be here later in the week.

Advice / abuse welcome as always...

Don't fly it over Coulport. It will get shot down.

Oh and be careful which type of GPS you're using. Some/nearly all are designed to shutdown at certain rates of acceleration and increase in altitude. So, if you're after making a "V1", be selective

[SupremeSpod]

Got all the gear I need sussed but a very good point and something I'm not sure about. I could launch this thing and send it off all the way to Edinburgh via Stirling and back taking video. If the computer detects something going wrong or not enough power to get home it comes back to base and all the way it can be tracked on Google Maps / Earth.

So far I can't find anything about the legality of this although I'll have liability insurance but the horror of bringing down another aircraft cos it got ingested into an engine doesn't bear thinking about. I can program it to stay below the altitude that most private and commercial aircraft fly at and keep it out of controlled airspace but still a high sphincter factor.

Early test flights will be within visual range anyway just to be sure of the tech. It'll probably take the CAA six months to respond with a head scratch regardless.

Take a leaf out of BAe's book and test at Machrihanish/Campbeltown...

Or if you've plenty of money head down to Woomera...