MIT's Ion-drive sustainer takes flight

https://techxplore.com/news/2018-11-...ver-plane.html

https://phys.org/news/2013-04-thrust...ternative.html

This was a cover story in popular mechanics in the mid sixties. A gentleman named De Seversky I think. I started building one planning to figure out how to use a van de graf generator to provide the ~100K volts. My parents weren’t too enthused...

Or something like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Pluto

And it wouldn't even need those nasty batteries!

On 11/22/2018 7:33 AM, son_of_flubber wrote:
https://techxplore.com/news/2018-11-...ver-plane.html


--
Dan, 5J

I saw that on a car forum. While interesting, I wish they had a RC modeler help with rigging the craft. I also wonder how much the launch device added to the flight distance......basically, would it have gone close to as far just due to the launch?

On Thu, 22 Nov 2018 09:59:05 -0800, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)
wrote:

I saw that on a car forum. While interesting, I wish they had a RC
modeler help with rigging the craft. I also wonder how much the launch
device added to the flight distance......basically, would it have gone
close to as far just due to the launch?

I'd guess they had model fliers involved: the wing looks very much like a
free flight model wing and looks to be about the same size (2.5m span) as
a modern F1A wing and the flying speed looks similar to an F1A as well.

I looked for a launcher but couldn't see one, so maybe it was hand
launched. That would be easy enough: use a timer to turn on the high
voltage after its 1-2 meters away from the launcher. The launch looked
nice and smooth, which also points to a model flyer doing it.

Also, MIT is Mark Drela's home territory: he's long been heavily involved
in RC soaring and low speed aerodynamics and is the man behind X-Foil.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

On Thursday, November 22, 2018 at 12:59:07 PM UTC-5, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
I saw that on a car forum. While interesting, I wish they had a RC modeler help with rigging the craft. I also wonder how much the launch device added to the flight distance......basically, would it have gone close to as far just due to the launch?

Here are two papers from Steven Barrett on the topic:
http://rspa.royalsocietypublishing.o.../2175/20140912
http://rspa.royalsocietypublishing.o...20120623.short

They're from 2013 and 2015, so they may not answer any questions about this specific demonstration. I imagine that Dr. Barrett is working on publishing another paper which should answer those questions directly.

-Luke

Wen it flies off the ramp, look for the long black bungee (20' or so long) that is visible at the top of the ramp.

On Thu, 22 Nov 2018 15:11:04 -0800, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)
wrote:

Wen it flies off the ramp, look for the long black bungee (20' or so
long) that is visible at the top of the ramp.

Thanks: I missed that, at least partly because I couldn't stop the first
video on https://techxplore.com/news/2018-11-...ver-plane.html and
didn't think to watch the second one, which shows a lot of launches from
directly behind the test aircraft.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

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