I would think a controlled decent is in the best interest of all, but it is flying, so an airframe certification may be needed, with limited amount of weight and maximum flying distance could be specified.
@Ed: ". If it's an unpowered bathtub-lifting body type thing, I wonder if you could argue that you're not flying, you're just falling with style? "
If you are using a control method for steering and using aerodynamics forces to generate lift, this is flying.
Is US space Shuttle flying? It is. Yours would be a 'flyer' as well.
I'm into high altitude projects too (check my profile). I wonder about the legality of 'flying' something back from balloon burst to land at some pre-defined spot. If it's an unpowered bathtub-lifting body type thing, I wonder if you coud argue that you're not flying, you're just falling with style?
Have you ever seen one of the beer cooler satellites, you know where they put a camera in a foam cooler with GPS and transmitters to seen back data. The down side to this is you have to go hunt down the cooler after the balloon pops which could be 50 plus miles away in the end. well I would love to replace the cooler with a lifting body UAV (a lifting body because it would have to travel through the jet stream on the way back down and its safer to do that with smaller wings. plus I like the look of them anyway.) so you would just came back to you on its own. it would be a lot of work and money but just think of how much fun you'd have when it worked.
What’s worse is by the time I get the money helium may cost to much to really think about it anyway but it would still be fun.
@ Darren
why? because you could that's why!
it's about pushing what you think is possible and honestly the artiest in me would love to see the pictures and video a UAV that high could come back with. but mostly its because at the end of the day it would just be a fun thing to do.
Comments
If you are using a control method for steering and using aerodynamics forces to generate lift, this is flying.
Is US space Shuttle flying? It is. Yours would be a 'flyer' as well.
The possibilities are endless right. lol
Have you ever seen one of the beer cooler satellites, you know where they put a camera in a foam cooler with GPS and transmitters to seen back data. The down side to this is you have to go hunt down the cooler after the balloon pops which could be 50 plus miles away in the end. well I would love to replace the cooler with a lifting body UAV (a lifting body because it would have to travel through the jet stream on the way back down and its safer to do that with smaller wings. plus I like the look of them anyway.) so you would just came back to you on its own. it would be a lot of work and money but just think of how much fun you'd have when it worked.
What’s worse is by the time I get the money helium may cost to much to really think about it anyway but it would still be fun.
@ Darren
why? because you could that's why!
it's about pushing what you think is possible and honestly the artiest in me would love to see the pictures and video a UAV that high could come back with. but mostly its because at the end of the day it would just be a fun thing to do.
I would love to have a uav to go that high.