Success

[KA4DPO]

Took high altitude videos from my SIG Rascal today, estimate 2500 feet. The flight lasted for 38 minutes and we got about 20 minutes of video on tape. It was a fun project getting the camera installed in the fuselage and building a 50 MW transmitter. Downlink was 2.5 Ghz and the transmitter uses a Motorola 901 transistor driver and two in parallel. the matching network is still not as good as it could be but I will improve the design when I get access to a spectrum analyzer.

The plane is all electric with approximately 60 MPH top speed in level flight. It will cruise for up to 45 minutes on a 3000 mha lithium polimer battery. We plan to try for 5000 feet tomorrow if the weather holds but it's hard to see it at that altitude.

I'll post the videos to my web site soon..

[w3sy]

Awesome!! Do you require FAA approval and/or a flight plan?

[N1MLF]

That's too cool.. would tracking it with a beam or aprs be an option if it was outa sight?? What kind of range can you work with the RC and DL??

[KC9ECI]

APRS would be great.

[n0jzq]

That's a long flight on battery power ! Awesome.

Would this work in a big RC glider or is the package too heavy?

[KA4DPO]

Check out Northeast Sailplanes. There are setups just for large gliders. The Lithium Polymer batteries have a high energy to weight ratio. The only drawback is they can burn if you charge the wrong or if you crash the plane.

I tried to post some still photos but they didn't load. I'll try again.

[KA4DPO]

No flight plan, I don't think the FAA would care as long as you don't fly near an airport. Besides, a real airplane would pulverize mine anyway.

The range with my system (Futaba) is about one mile so 5,000 feet is as far as I would try to go. I'm not sure I can get that high without loosing sight of it anyway.

We actually tried flying a friends plane using just the video camera but it didn't work very well since the camera is fixed straight ahead. Also, you can't tell how much bank you have in a turn.

Here is a still picture from a radio shack flat foto mounted under the plane. This one is from about 500 feet and was taken a couple of months ago. I'll post video as soon as I am able.


http://home.earthlink.net/~buracho/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/image-02963329f49011d8.jpg

[WA5KRP]

DUUUUUUUUUUUUDE......that's a FREAK SHOW!


Extremely cool. SALUTE!




WA5KRP
Earthbound, Texas

[n0jzq]

That looks like someone standing at the end of the parking lot by the flat bed trailer. Is that you?

[KG4CGC]

I'm jealous now! That is Too Cool! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[KA4DPO]

Quote[/b] (n0jzq @ Mar. 05 2005,23:02)]That looks like someone standing at the end of the parking lot by the flat bed trailer. Is that you?
That's my next door neighbor, I'm over by the front of the truck.

Today was a flop, winds in the Northern Virginia area were 25 to 30 MPH and gusty. We'll try again next weekend.

[KI4FCP]

Quote[/b] (KA4DPO @ Mar. 05 2005,19:39)]No flight plan, I don't think the FAA would care as long as you don't fly near an airport. #Besides, a real airplane would pulverize mine anyway.

The range with my system (Futaba) is about one mile so 5,000 feet is as far as I would try to go. #I'm not sure I can get that high without loosing sight of it anyway.

We actually tried flying a friends plane using just the video camera but it didn't work very well since the camera is fixed straight ahead. #Also, you can't tell how much bank you have in a turn.

Here is a still picture from a radio shack flat foto mounted under the plane. #This one is from about 500 feet and was taken a couple of months ago. #I'll post video as soon as I am able.


http://home.earthlink.net/~buracho/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/image-02963329f49011d8.jpg
If the radio your using a Futaba PCM FM rig you can boost its output by using reg AA's instead of the rechargeable's they include with the radio. This will give you another 2.4 volts and operate the radio at full output power. We did this a lot for Oval and Drag racing due to the speed controls and static from the racing surface. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[KA4DPO]

Quote[/b] (KI4FCP @ Mar. 07 2005,07:37)]Quote[/b] (KA4DPO @ Mar. 05 2005,19:39)]No flight plan, I don't think the FAA would care as long as you don't fly near an airport. #Besides, a real airplane would pulverize mine anyway.

The range with my system (Futaba) is about one mile so 5,000 feet is as far as I would try to go. #I'm not sure I can get that high without loosing sight of it anyway.

We actually tried flying a friends plane using just the video camera but it didn't work very well since the camera is fixed straight ahead. #Also, you can't tell how much bank you have in a turn.

Here is a still picture from a radio shack flat foto mounted under the plane. #This one is from about 500 feet and was taken a couple of months ago. #I'll post video as soon as I am able.


http://home.earthlink.net/~buracho/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/image-02963329f49011d8.jpg
If the radio your using a Futaba PCM FM rig you can boost its output by using reg AA's instead of the rechargeable's they include with the radio. #This will give you another 2.4 volts and operate the radio at full output power. #We did this a lot for Oval and Drag racing due to the speed controls and static from the racing surface. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Thanks, I heard that but didn't know if it would make a huge difference in the range. I'll give it a try and let you know. We are planning to do an LOS range test in the next few weeks.

[kb2vxa]

Hi everyone,

That ranks right up there with the Amateur Radio controlled robot built a few years ago by a member of a southern NJ radio club. ATV on 70cM, talkback on 2M and control on 6M this cute little toy was fun and caused quite a stir in the meeting hall. After the meeting it was demonstrated, then we urged him to have a bit of fun with it. Being at the Elks the bar was open so he sent it through the doorway. Stopping and chatting with bar flies along the way sure got some wild reactions!

Now if you can get that plane to drop cherry bombs like someone I know you're really going to have some fun. (;->)

73 de a fiendish Warren KB2VXA

[N8CPA]

That picture is impressive! I always thought that a balloon supported ATV camera, beaming a live aerial picture of the site to the ground would make a great demonstration of an Amateur Radio mode at FD.