I know I'm probably going to get some heat for posting this, but some of you may enjoy a little collage of a "day in the life of a BlackSheep" nonetheless
If it helps, all approvals necessary were obtained, an army of ground helpers were available, as well as constant communication with the heliport tower to stay in the loop about incoming traffic.
Comments
Hey Trappy, have a look at this video. NASA did do some testing on foam impacts:
There was no authority to block off roads (the authorization was requested, but denied as the police deemed it unnecessary). Obviously the spotters and security are not visible, it was a video shoot! the editor would have had a field day if he had to edit out block signs on sidewalks or police officers navigating traffic. there were a few "points of interest" where I needed security. For example I needed to be sure that there was no high car inside the tunnel as I approached. I needed to be sure there was no car coming around the corner as I did the landing approach (where the guy tried to catch the plane). The car that was approaching as I took off (2nd or 3rd shot of the video) needed to stay back while I launched. I needed to be sure that no medical helicopter was going to land while I was flying over the helipad. I was alerted prior to "going in" that there was a person crossing the road that I needed to be aware of. These points were covered by security and spotters. The cars and pedestrians themselves were alerted, but that was about it. We didn't have additional authority and - as it was proven at the end - more security was also not necessary.
Most important thing of such a stunt is that you have prepared for it thoroughly and your emergency spots covered. The last shot (landing on rooftop) was an "emergency" landing as traffic on the street was getting busy all of a sudden so landing on the street was no longer an option. The motor burnt out a day before during stress tests. One servo was replaced a week before the shoot after an inspection. That - and a fair bit of training for the pilot - are the kind of things that guarantee safety, not blocked traffic or cordoned-off sidewalks. Once you're 400 ft up you're within range to hit someone across half the city if things go horribly wrong.
This thread makes things even more absurd. Claims of 150MPH in a dive?
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15598890&postcount=1
That hammer to the head would be a walk in the park.
Trappy, to stop this discussion, which is starting to get ridiculous, can I ask you to post a video of your foamie going full throttle into you? If everything is as harmless, as you claim it to be, we'll see that ourselves and there will be nothing to talk about besides admiring your awesome skills. If we don't hear from you in a week, we'll know it didn't go all that smooth.
TBS Zephyr AUW: 2.3kg = 5.0 lbs with a statement of fiberglassing the leading edges.
http://fpvlab.com/forums/showthread.php?2389-TBS-ZEPHYR-finally-fin...
Trappy's "sweet spot at 2.2kg"
http://fpvlab.com/forums/showthread.php?2389-TBS-ZEPHYR-finally-fin...
Trappy's "regular flying" has a max of 100 MPH.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15622936&postcoun...
A typical hammer has a weight of 1lb traveling somewhere around 25 MPH? (since golf clubs only reach 100MPH when swung by amatuers).... So which would you prefer. A 1 lb hammer at 25MPH to the back of the head or a 5 lb fiberglass reinforced foam plane at 100 MPH to the back of the head? The plane appears to be a factor of 20 worse....
Now, I'm not really that concerned with "absolute" safety. I've done lots of dangerous things in my day, white water kayaking, motorcycle racing, etc... All things that I chose to do. And I balance the risks imposed vs. level of protection, etc. We all choose the risks we want to take, whether it's climbing Everest, or eating a diet of high-fat, high-salt foods.
Ultimately the people there were probably in at about the same risk they are anytime they drive on a freeway.
But I am curious about the claims about "security". I hear all this talk about spotters and security. I didn't see any in the video, other than the guy who tried to catch the airplane. I do see a lot of people walking and driving on the streets, who don't seem to be aware of what's going on. In my mind, security would entail cordoned-off sidewalks, security blocking traffic from the roads being flown over, etc.
What am I missing?
what's sad is that you assume terminal velocity as anything near impact speed, and the fact that you missed the weight by almost a factor of 2. not interested in a debate, waste someone else's time please. thanks.
It's sad I have to do this: An avatar flying over NYC, Page 13
1.4m wingspan, 2kg
Speed: 40 – 150 km/h
Endurance: 90 minutes
Altitude: 5600 meters
Power: 750W
Sorry Paul, it doesn't.
Sorry Trappy, your own website says different.
-
11
-
12
-
13
-
14
-
15
of 19 Next