Marines add an “RC” class to Camp Lejeune
Camp Lejeune, NC, is adding a new class to its roster: learning to launch, pilot and recover Group 1 assets, which are aircraft that weigh less than 20 pounds, typically fly below 1,200 feet and have missions that last from 45 minutes to 2 hours. They include RQ-11B Raven, Wasp, RQ-20A Puma and RQ-16B T-Hawk. […]
Really BIG RC planes, part 2
My post on Greg Hayfield’s 87% Pitts Python generated nearly 100 comments last week, from admiration to disbelief that someone would build and fly such a huge RC plane. Dave’s father Greg added to the discussion and shared that in the UK, large-scale RC aircraft (over 20kg, or 44 pounds) are subject to stringent inspections during the build […]
RC to the rescue!
Meet EMILY, an RC lifeguard! It looks like a buoy but is actually a small watercraft fitted with a flotation device. It can travel at speeds of up to 22mph and reach swimmers in distress more quickly, and sometimes more safely, than a human lifeguard. Check out the video!
Monster Scale: 87% Pitts Python
Get out of the way, ’cause that plane wants to FLY! The handiwork of father-and-son team Dave and Greg Hayfield, this monster 300+ (!) pound aircraft is powered by a 650cc Hirth engine spinning a 68-inch, 3-blade carbon-fiber prop. Hitec 805BB, 25kg servos are used throughout: 8 on the ailerons, 4 on the elevators, 2 […]
Watch this RC plane fly by itself!
Robotics engineers at MIT were able to program this plane to fly by itself in a parking garage, at speeds of up to 22mph, for almost 3 miles while it came within centimeters of obstacles! Anyone who’s ever flown in a tight space indoors will appreciate this amazing video. From the MIT news office: For decades, academic […]
Desert Aircraft engine powers new Raytheon UAV
Did you ever imagine that the DA engine that you use on your latest project is also being used by military drones? Check out this story from David Whichner for the Arizona Daily Star. The story doesn’t mention the power system, but our friends at Desert Aircraft have confirmed that the Pyros uses a DA […]
The future of flight?
On August 8, 2012, this aircraft flew for the first time at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Called the “X-48C,” this is a scale model of of a heavy-lift, subsonic aircraft that has a blended-wing body. During its first flight, the remotely piloted plane flew for nine minutes […]
Love those warbirds!
This video from Airailimages.com highlights 20 awesome warbird flights from the recent EAA Airventure Fly-In. It’s only 2.5 minutes long (and you deserve a fun break!). Bonus points for identifying all of the aircraft in the video!
“Fly” underwater in an aerobatic submarine!
The DeepFlight Super Falcon is a new breed of submarine that may be able to do underwater maneuvers like Immelmann tuns and barrel rolls to push the envelope in deep-sea exploration. And for just $5000, you can reserve a spot for a Lake Tahoe dive this October! Check out this article from DiscoveryNews.com. A new […]
Oshkosh: Aviation’s “Wild Kingdom”
This impressive video of the last week’s EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin looks at the legendary airshow from the perspective of a nature documentary. If you like airplanes, I promise that this clip will make your day! Thank you to Aero-TV for producing and posting this gem.
FIB: flying inflatable BOAT?
There’s a saying that even a barn door will fly if you strap a big enough engine to it, and this interesting vehicle helps to prove the maxim true. In this video, Polarismotor captures a nice takeoff, flyaround and even nicer landing of an FIB, or flying inflatable boat. How much would you pay to […]
Armed Quadrotors?
Check out this recent story by David Hambling that we found on the Popular Mechanics website! A camouflage quadrotor armed with a machine gun zips around a test range, destroying targets and setting dummies ablaze. By now, most of the nearly 11 million people who’ve seen the YouTube video know it’s a fake. There’s no […]
