Next generation

[AH]

Soaring as we knew it no more

http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21572927-unmanned-gliders-powered-drones-are-old-hat-latest-robot-aircraft-are-wafted


AH

[[email protected]]

On Monday, March 11, 2013 2:45:26 PM UTC-4, AH wrote:
> Soaring as we knew it no more
>
>
>
> http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21572927-unmanned-gliders-powered-drones-are-old-hat-latest-robot-aircraft-are-wafted
>
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> AH

How about a 10 meter Nimbus 4?

http://www.icare-rc.com/nimbus4_10m.htm

[Martin Gregorie[_5_]]

On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:45:26 -0700, AH wrote:

> Soaring as we knew it no more
>
> http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21572927-unmanned-
gliders-powered-drones-are-old-hat-latest-robot-aircraft-are-wafted
>
>
As I think I said before, autonomous gliders that can find and use
thermals are old hat - it was demonstrated back in 2008. See:

http://zoogz/reference/reference/docs/aloft_etd.pdf
http://goosetech.homelinux.com/soaring/index.php

However, the Economist article contains a little bit too much hype for my
taste. I'd believe unpowered flights while thermals are available, but
you need something like this:

http://zoogz/reference/reference/docs/Zephyr-UAV.pdf

which carries PV cells and electric motors to fly all night unless you're
content to operate only in wave, ridge soar or dynamic soar waves like an
albatross and AFAIK there aren't even rumours about dynamic soaring UAVs.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

[Jim White[_3_]]

At 21:08 11 March 2013, Martin Gregorie wrote:
or dynamic soar waves like an
>albatross and AFAIK there aren't even rumours about dynamic soaring UAVs.
>
>
>--
My guess would be that whilst an albatross can survive in the water when it
gets the dynamic soaring wrong a UAV would be a write off!

[[email protected]]

Alpha Hotel...as in Neil's dad? As in the "racin rebel"?

[[email protected]]

On Monday, March 11, 2013 2:45:26 PM UTC-4, AH wrote:
> Soaring as we knew it no more http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21572927-unmanned-gliders-powered-drones-are-old-hat-latest-robot-aircraft-are-wafted AH

What's gonna happen when the people funding this find out that there are days when there are no thermals?
Oh, it's also worth noting that the places with the best thermals are commonly not where most of the people are.
Then throw in that most UAV's are supposed to stay below 400 ft.
What a con job!
LOL
UH

[Bob Whelan[_3_]]

On 3/12/2013 1:13 PM, wrote:
> On Monday, March 11, 2013 2:45:26 PM UTC-4, AH wrote:
>> Soaring as we knew it no more
>> http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21572927-unmanned-gliders-powered-drones-are-old-hat-latest-robot-aircraft-are-wafted
>>

>
> What's gonna happen when the people funding this find out that there are
> days when there are no thermals? <Snip...> UH
>

And you prolly thought that was a rhetorical question...

Answer: More money, of course.

Am I smarter than a 5th Grader? :)

Bob W.

[soartech[_2_]]

On Mar 12, 3:13*pm, wrote:
> On Monday, March 11, 2013 2:45:26 PM UTC-4, AH wrote:
> > Soaring as we knew it no morehttp://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21572927-unmanned-...AH
>
> What's gonna happen when the people funding this find out that there are days when there are no thermals?
> Oh, it's also worth noting that the places with the best thermals are commonly not where most of the people are.
> Then throw in that most UAV's are supposed to stay below 400 ft.
> What a con job!
> LOL
> UH

In addition this guy is in California. Wait till they try these things
in the eastern US where thermals
are no where near as strong or as plentiful. And not in the rain...

[[email protected]]

You guys aren't thinking like a bureaucrat. Envision the entire country blanketed with government (read: taxpayer)-paid-for, public-works-jobs-created, unattended, automatic thermal generators. Sort of like recharging stations for electric cars. When a drone needs a lift, it transmits the secure code, the gas generator fires up, and instant thermal.

All we have to do is hack the codes and land outs are history. Now there's a job for our technical wizards; forget all this nonsense about encrypted log files!

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.

[[email protected]]

This glider has been around for about 20 years.. It looks like the RnR XBXC. Designed for RC cross country racing. .. From the back of a pickup..
http://www.rnrproducts.com/airframes/gliders/xbxc.htm

On Monday, March 11, 2013 12:45:26 PM UTC-6, AH wrote:
> Soaring as we knew it no more
>
>
>
> http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21572927-unmanned-gliders-powered-drones-are-old-hat-latest-robot-aircraft-are-wafted
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>
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> AH

[SoaringXCellence]

On Monday, March 18, 2013 2:42:04 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> This glider has been around for about 20 years.. It looks like the RnR XBXC. Designed for RC cross country racing. .. From the back of a pickup..
>
> http://www.rnrproducts.com/airframes/gliders/xbxc.htm
>
I've owned two of them, Flew them at Montague XC Challenge for 10 years. Measured L/D around 30:1 at 30 knots. Longest flight over 6 hours, longest distance 76 miles.

Then I decided to spend more time in the "real" thing.