Video: Killer Drones - The Future Of Crop Dusting?

 The idea of killer drones is fine with me if they're all about killing insects that hurt crops. In fact, I'd say that the idea of using Quadcopter-style drones for crop dusting is probably the most logical and viable use for these unusual flying machines.

Video screenshot: view from above a crop dusting quadcopter

 The video above shows a quad from the people at armcopters.com demonstrating an electric powered drone with a nice spray rig installed. Their website says they have systems with 22 and 66 pound payload capacities, tho I don't see them available for purchase at the moment. You might think that payload impractical as a crop duster, but the ability to more accurately target the crops, and do so from a much lower altitude greatly reduces the amount of chemical required to be dispensed to be effective. Even more, the powerful downwash from the rotors helps drive that chemical deeper into the crops where it'll be even more effective.

Video screenshot: underneath view of the crop dusting quadcopter

 While we continue to see electric drone capabilities improve rapidly, their time aloft is often still relatively limited due to battery capacity. That's where an idea like the gas-powered collective pitch quad concept from Curtis Youngblood might be perfectly suited to applications needing higher payloads and much longer durations. 

 Without a doubt, the future of the drone in this world is a sticky wicket, but I gotta say I like 'em as crop dusters!

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Video: Seriously Awesome RC XC-142 VTOL (Must See!)

 If you're short on time and just need an under-a-minute avgeek experience, you'll wanna go here instead of watching the video above... but if you like awesome, cool, and truly amazing examples of modern tech being used to make extremely difficult aircraft designs fly great in model form, then please take 15 minutes to watch this.

 The real XC-142 was a remarkably successful VTOL design from the early 1960's. However, even tho it proved capable of vertical takeoffs and landings along with over 400mph maximum speed, mechanical complexities and aerodynamic problems in certain phases of flight prevented it from moving beyond the prototype stage. Five XC-142's were built, and the only remaining example is the one turned over to NASA in 1966. It's on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and I have spend quite a lot of time looking this unique aircraft over on each trip I've made to Dayton.

 The December 2013 video above of the all-electric RC model XC-142 begins with northern California builder and pilot Ran D. St. Clair explaining a little about the design, then sharing some details on the open-source OpenAero2 flight controller software, and then showing the wing pivot process and interconnect with the horizontal tail. The first of the flying begins at the 3:10 mark. The flying footage is very impressive.
 

 As the inflight pic above shows, this model is extremely well built, but the really impressive work is how well the programming has been done to create a very controlled VTOL flying machine. Transitions from vertical to slow-forward-flight and then full-forward-flight and then back to vertical for landing are done with relative ease. The video is also very well done which gives you a really great opportunity to see this remarkable little model at its best.

 And in case you think that little vertical prop in the rear is a nod to the pitch-control tail rotor found on modern electric toy helicopters, think again... the real XC-142 has one there too for pitch control when in vertical mode.

 Bravo Ran D. St. Clair for some very impressive work! 

 
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Video: Brave New World Of Collective Pitch RC Quad Flying: Curtis Youngblood MantaRay

 If you're in the know about RC quad copters then you're probably aware that multiple world champion RC helicopter pilot and innovator Curtis Youngblood has pioneered the use of collective pitch blades into the quad copter concept. It's a lot like taking the tail rotor from an RC helicopter and adapting it for quad use... and tho the collective pitch adds some complexity, his design uses a single powerplant to drive all four rotorsets via belts and pulleys. His company CJ Youngblood Enterprises has been selling an electric collective pitch quad called the Stingray 500 since last year.

 What's especially unique about the video above is that this is a prototype for a larger collective pitch quad that also expands overall utility by being powered either by electric motor or via a gas engine. I only learned of the collective pitch quad idea yesterday, and in my research this morning I've seen how some in the traditional quad community don't see the advantages of a gas-powered quad... but the most obvious is the ability to dramatically increase flight time. It would also seem that payload potential would increase as well. Clearly the gas-powered quad is not meant to dominate the quad world, just dramatically expand it.

Video screenshot of the larger electric or gas powered MantaRay collective pitch quad 

 The bigger overall issue tho is the incredible increase in controllability that variable pitch blades allow. The smaller electric-only Stingray 500, which can be bought for $600, takes the quad into 3D hyper aerobatics. The two videos below give you a very good idea of what that really means. But the potential for a larger gas-powered quad like the MantaRay expands the commercial potential of the idea exponentially.

 Watching the video directly below of the Stingray is the closest thing I've ever seen to the flying robots seen in sci-fi films in the last 15 years... the ability and style in which this thing can be flown is straight up spooky. Beyond the extreme 3D nature of quads like the Stingray, Curtis is hoping the idea of extreme terrain racing might catch on where the capabilities of these amazing flying machines will break open an entirely new world of race courses and extreme pilots.

 Brace yourself for the brave new world... there's no stopping it now.

3 Videos: The Future Belongs To The Wingcopter! (OK... Maybe Not Just Yet)

 The Bubbleship VTOL from yesterdays Oblivion movie post has me cranked up on vertical flight concepts, so I did a little digging to see what VTOL dreamers are up to. I turned over a few rocks on youtube and found: the Wingcopter... and I gotta say this is a very impressive concept from a small team in Germany led by Jonathan Hesselbarth. It's just an RC model at this time but after several prototypes they seem to be on to a really good thing.

An impressive VTOL concept: the Wingcopter!  (photo: Wingcopter)

 When I observe a verti that's meant to achieve traditional high-speed forward flight, I'm looking for just one thing to impress me: transitions from vertical to forward and back again. The Wingcopter demonstrates this in the video above with amazing stability and control! You might have to watch the video several times to see that the the motors and props are moved back into the VTOL position at about the 29 second mark. The aircraft then decelerates to near stall speed when power is brought in again to complete the transition back to vertical flight. It doesn't just look 'doable', it looks like fun!

Onboard camera view with transition to forward flight and back to vertical

 The only big drawback I see with the concept thus far is that if this was a full-scale aircraft and the motor/prop assemblies became stuck in the forward flight mode, you've got a set of propellers that are going to extend well below the landing gear. That's a problem. My criteria for truly successful VTOL allows for a no-damage landing in the event that the hardware can't get out of forward-flight mode (sorry V-22 fans) - I can imagine tho that there'd be several possible modifications to the concept here to be able to meet that criteria. Overall, this is some seriously impressive work, both in the mechanics and the programming.

Detail of the motor/prop transition mechanics

 You can learn more about the various designs that led to this current configuration, as well as the mechanism that drives the pivot arms on the Wingcopter.com 'prototype' page. And, if you're interested in getting in on the fun with this amazing little flying machine, check out this page where you can actually purchase a Wingcopter ARF! Note that these guys don't appear to be in the RC kit biz, they just happen to be cool enough to to be willing to sell their work so you can experience it. No price is listed, you have to follow their contact link to inquire. 

 It's too early to say, but this just might be a truly viable VTOL concept for the future... Bravo Wingcopter!

Video: Wow! Full Size Aircraft Flies Inside Building!

 Never mind that full-size for a Cri Cri is only a 16 ft 1 in wingspan and just under 13 ft long... but that does still make for a pretty big RC model! And when a model like this is built out of foam to keep the weight crazy low, you get such wonderful flying qualities. Did you see that video of the 10 ft wingspan C-47 that weighs less than 6 pounds? I just love these big and slow indoor flyers : )

 Hat-tip to my friend Elliot at Scaled for the link on this full scale Cri Cri flying indoors, and for that C-47 link a few years ago too!

 Keep 'em flying -

Screenshot showing the full size RC Cri Cri flying indoors back in 2011

(btw, I drove 12+ hours yesterday to Oshkosh and back to get CampBacon staked out for OSH13. Same place as the last two years, just bigger, better, and currently it's much dryer than 3 years ago and much greener than last year! Bacon Parties, here we come : )

The 'Solar Impulse' Electric Flight Across America Is Underway!

Solar Impulse early today (5.3.13) departing Moffet Field (CA) headed for Phoenix

 Back in July 2010, the Swiss designed and built Solar Impulse all-electric aircraft made an amazing 26 hour overnight flight (video recap of that flight here) - and early this morning, May 3, 2013, the airplane departed Moffet Field in Mountain View California on a journey across the United States of America. It's a multi-leg trip with the first stop at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix Arizona... expected arrival is after midnight local time. The aircraft had just entered Arizona when this post went live.

 You can follow the progress of the cross country trip while it happens, including live video, at live.solarimpulse.com - and you can learn more about the overall journey from California to New York, as well as about the aircraft at solarimpulse.com/en/across-america. The aircraft will remain at the various checkpoints of Phoenix, Dallas, St Louis, Washington DC, and New York for several days each with potential opportunities to view the aircraft. Check the website for more details.

 The Solar Impulse is a unique and thus far very successful effort to create an airplane that not only uses electric power, but is ultimately powered by the sun. A follow up aircraft that is slightly larger is being built with the goal of flying completely around the world in 20 to 25 days, probably some time in 2015.

 Godspeed Solar Impulse and crew!

Mojave Fly-In April 20th (Tomorrow) - Experimental Oasis In The Desert!

Chip Yates will have his electric Long-EZ at the Mojave Experimental Fly-In April 20th

 As if having the world's most fascinating collection of aerospace companies gathered together on one California desert airport wasn't enough, the Mojave Air & Spaceport will also be attracting a very sweet collection of experimental aircraft tomorrow April 20th for the Mojave Experimental Fly-In. Chip Yates and his fast (over 200 mph) electric-powered Long-EZ will be there along with many other unique and impressive homebuilt and race aircraft from the past, present, and future. Race aircraft like the biplane speedster Phantom and the amazing over 400 mph Nemsis NXT will be there, along with Burt Rutan's Catbird, and a wide range of other great aircraft... you can get a better idea of what's expected to attend by checking out mojaveflyin.com.

 In addition to the extremely cool aircraft to look over (and their pilots and owners to talk to), Scaled Composites will have reps at the event as well as Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company. 

 I had planned to make the trip to Mojave to soak up all this fabulous experimental avgeekery and bring back a boatload of pix to share with you, but my regular work schedule got in the way again and I won't be able to get there. Hopefully I'll still be able to fetch up some great images from some sources out there for a sweet follow-up post.

 If you're deeply interested in cutting-edge aerospace design and manufacturing on the fringe of the future, Mojave is definitely the place to be!

Video: Keyboard As An Elevator... The Flying Piano! (RC)

 There seems to be no end to the number of everyday items that can be turned into a wild-n-wacky RC flying model, including a grand piano! And what a great flying piano it is too. With a slab keyboard for the elevator (it's split, not sure if it's elevons) and a profile piano man for the rudder, this lightweight electric has a lot of wing area and performs quite well, especially at high angles of attack. The video is well done too which makes it all the more fun to watch. But if you're not a fan of piano music you might wanna turn the speakers down.

 This is definitely one of the world's most unique biplanes : )

  Video screenshot: when tuned right, this flying piano has perfect pitch : )

Video + CoolPix: Aero Telemetry Starts Carving 20 Foot Wingspan Spruce Goose!

 Today marks the 65th anniversary since Howard Hughes made the one and only flight in the fascinating 320 foot (and 11 inch) wingspan Hughes H-4 'Hercules' - or Spruce Goose as we've always known it. That makes a pretty cool day to find out about a new project by the guys at Aero Telemetry. If you don't know about the off-the-scale cool stuff done by Aero Telemetry, check out:  OMGosh! Museum Quality, Half Scale (UAV) Hughes H-1 Racer.

 Watch the video above and read the info below (from the Aero Telemetry youtube page) - and then keep your eyes open for more updates on the project both here on AirPigz and at AeroTelemetry.com... oh, and check out the CoolPix of the Spruce Goose on its only flight from 65 years ago today at the bottom of the post : )

Video screenshot showing the 20' wingspan Spruce Goose fuselage halves

On November 2, 1947, Howard Hughes made history by flying the world's largest airplane, the mighty Hughes Flying Boat, more commonly known as the Spruce Goose. 

Today, 65 years later, November 2, 2012 Aero Telemetry is pleased to introduce the next airplane in our Hughes Aircraft Company Trilogy.... The AMA legal (120lbs), museum scale, 20 ft wingspan Spruce Goose.

Using experience gained from building and flying our original airplane for Martin Scorsese during the movie The Aviator, this new airplane is being meticulously designed with the most precise attention to detail.
Working with The Western Museum of flight and several ex-Hughes Aircraft employees, Joe Bock and his team of Aviators were given access to "never before seen" photographs and original Hughes Aircraft Company Flying Boat blueprints and documents detailing the technical intricacies of the complex and graceful Hughes Flying Boat. Joe and his team have turned this information into one of the most graceful and beautifully detailed model airplanes ever built. 

Aero Telemetry and Joe Bock have created the world's largest flyable, most historically accurate and detailed scale model of the Spruce Goose...again.

And so begins the life of the Aero Telemetry Flying Boat.

(click pic for hi-res) Howard Hughes on Nov. 2, 1947 and the only flight of the Spruce Goose

Video: Marvelous RC Cam Fun Over Germany - Must See!

 It used to be that really great RC videos meant you just watched a really cool model do its thing, but the days of small HD cameras have opened up the experience to put all of us in the pilot's seat. The challenge however is to make a video compelling enough to be worth watching.

 Well here's one from youtuber muethenmetz (aka crazy horst) that's worth way more than the almost 8 minutes is takes to watch it all. With multiple camera views on a simple little Graupner 'Rookie' electric airplane, this video mixes excellent video quality with a great sense of humor and loads of awesome views over Germany. I've rated this as an absolute 'must see' and the screenshots below help to show you why. Watch this video! : )

Screenshot of rear facing cam showing a launch from an elevated balcony in town

Sreenshot from front facing cam over a beautiful German building on a foggy day
 

Screenshot approaching hot air balloon with the RC pilot in the basket!

Screnshot of the big 'catch' at the end of the video - great stuff!