Gender
Male
About
Location
Birmingham, AL
Please tell us a bit about your UAV interest
I've been flying full sized aircraft for a few years, and the expense is keeping me out of the cockpit, never mind the costs of being able to do it commercially. Backing off into UAVs allows me to continue to stoke my love for things that fly, and I'm hoping the regulatory environment settles down so that a civilian UAV industry can flourish.
Hometown:
Birmingham AL
Activity Feed
"I guess it depends on what kind of functionality you're looking to keep on the ground. If only power, you'd try to get the lightest cable that will handle the current, as the bird will have to lift whatever length corresponds to the…"
"This might be relatively immune to FAA regs, for a while anyway, as it's really a powered kite, and not a free-flying aircraft. I thought of something like this as a deployable eye-in-the-sky for live streaming during active weather periods. I think…"
"I have two planes I'm wanting to convert: one is a PT40 I'm looking to make a low-budget mini-Gemini type plane, and an Ultra-Stick 40 I was wanting to use for something similar to what you've described above. The airframe is already complete, but I…"
"Any work on this lately? Seems like it would be a relatively light and non-mechanically-complex alternative to tilt rotors and the like. Though... weight would be more limited, so maybe not a heavy duty uav, but I still like the idea."
"If light enough, I can see a harder coating allowing for a smooth lifting body shape. The lift fans could be set in vertical tunnels (ducted/valved to lateral tunnels to change thrust vector?) allowing for very clean lines."
"For an unmanned light airship, not covered in highly flammable envelope material (as was the Hindenberg), I don't think Hydrogen is such a bad idea for this. Better lift, can be generated, cheaper... Even back in the "bad" old days, the Zepps had a…"
"Money and power. Bureaucracies live to grow, and will use any excuse to annex an activity in order to do so. Heck, one day, they'll regulate jumping rope, if the practitioner doesn't leave at least one foot on the ground. Paper airplanes? "You got a…"
"I just inherited a couple of airframes, a PT40 and an Ultra Stick. I figure I'll strip the aged MDS power out of the PT and convert it to electric (easier than re-plumbing and resurrecting a questionable engine anyway, I'm guessing). I'll fly it for…"
"I remember reading a magazine article years ago (probably Kitplanes) about some ranchers who used ultralights and very light airplanes... and the occasional light helicopter to save many many cowboy-hours during roundups and checking fence.
They…"
They…"
"Awesome demonstration of what people can do with UAVs besides blowing stuff up. I can see a swarm of these converging on a disaster area, simultaneously delivering emergency supplies and documenting/recording the locations of those who need help.…"
