<p>I didn't mean that to come off in an angry tenor.� And I wasn't responding to you. Rather, the person with the need.� Feel free to solve this problem your own way. </p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Jan 5, 2012 10:54 AM, "Jake" <<a href="mailto:jake@spaz.org">jake@spaz.org</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
I still don't think it's a good idea, nor do I think it will please law<br>
enforcement for obvious safety reasons.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
damn, you woke up on the wrong side of the bed.<br>
<br>
yes, i am expecting to have to write an autopilot program from scratch.<br>
<br>
by neutrally buoyant, i mean slightly heavier than air.<br>
<br>
it's an airplane, so it has to move forward to fight gravity, and when it is told to stay in one place it should end up flying directly into the wind. �If the wind is faster than what is needed for zero climb/fall it can aim its prop down to reduce lift, and if the wind is too slow it can automatically circle the spot.<br>
<br>
yes it will have a battery, and use electricity. �It will also carry an android phone. �I don't think this is too much weight for a balloon.<br>
<br>
other people have talked about a tethered balloon. �I am not stopping them, however I want something a lot better. �I understand that I will need to write software.<br>
<br>
I am not trying to please the cops.<br>
<br>
If anyone wants to help design the envelope shape, please contact me off list. �I'm looking to copy this design:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://solarship.com/" target="_blank">http://solarship.com/</a><br>
<br>
-jake<br>
<br>
On Thu, 5 Jan 2012, Corey McGuire wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
What is the expectation of flight time? �If it's anything longer than 20<br>
minutes, may I suggest an alternative?<br>
<br>
K.I.S.S.<br>
<br>
Balloon with tethers.<br>
<br>
Nothing relying on power and control is going to either withstand wind, have<br>
endurance, be lite enough to fly, or is going to stay in one spot. �And<br>
nothing is going to have autopilot/autohover for less than $2000<br>
(<a href="http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/KomplettsetUebersicht" target="_blank">http://www.mikrokopter.de/<u></u>ucwiki/en/<u></u>KomplettsetUebersicht</a>) unless someone<br>
is willing to spend a lot of DIY time. �One cannot will a device into<br>
existence that posses enough of all of these traits to beat a balloon with<br>
tethers.<br>
<br>
Besides, you'll need someone on the ground focused entirely on flight. Being that third person view in three dimensions is a challenging task,<br>
you'll find that most people get exhausted after almost no time at all.<br>
<br>
If you are still sold on the "something powered" solution...<br>
<br>
How do we fix flight time:<br>
�* �Small blimps bob around like a buoy. �You'll get sea sick trying to<br>
� �watch the video. �Not only that, they'll sail off unless you have a very<br>
� �decent power supply. �Also, anything neutrally buoyant in open air? �How<br>
� �are you going to get it back down? �I invite you to solve this problem<br>
� �FIRST.<br>
�* �Anything battery powered is straight out. �Lifting a battery in to the<br>
� �air means short flight times - period. �Grow the battery, increase the<br>
� �amount of work required to fly. �Quickly, your battery outweighs it's<br>
� �capacity.<br>
�* �Fuel poses another problem. �You can't simply turn fuel craft on and<br>
� �off. �If your craft goes out of control, then you have a spinning saw<br>
� �blade looking for a target. �There are solutions...but will they work to<br>
� �the satisfaction of, say, the police? �Believe it or not, there are laws<br>
� �to this effect, and they usually require flying outside city limits.<br>
�* �Anything "copter" or "rotor" is going to eat through fuel because they<br>
� �do not benefit from the mechanical advantage of wings. �Basically,<br>
� �flight time requires wings.<br>
Once you've solved flight times, control is still a problem:<br>
�* �Who is going to put the craft in a steady hover/flight pattern?<br>
�* �Will you have a rotation of pilots?<br>
�* �You can afford an auto pilot? �GREAT! �YOU still need to know how to fly<br>
� �and YOU still need to watch your craft at ALL TIMES.<br>
<br>
So far, through investigating this, I have found the following recipe:<br>
<br>
�* �<a href="http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/ardupilot-mega-home-page" target="_blank">http://diydrones.com/profiles/<u></u>blogs/ardupilot-mega-home-page</a><br>
�* <a href="http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__17227__Phoenix_2000_EPO_Composit" target="_blank">http://www.hobbyking.com/<u></u>hobbyking/store/__17227__<u></u>Phoenix_2000_EPO_Composit</a><br>
� �e_R_C_Glider_ARF_.html<br>
�* �<a href="http://coxengines.ca/product.php?productid=453" target="_blank">http://coxengines.ca/product.<u></u>php?productid=453</a><br>
<br>
I still don't think it's a good idea, nor do I think it will please law<br>
enforcement for obvious safety reasons.<br>
<br>
My recommendation? Balloons with tethers.<br>
<br>
--<br>
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler - Albert<br>
Einstein<br>
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo Da Vinci<br>
Perfection is reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there<br>
is nothing left to take away - Antoine de Saint Exup?ry<br>
Keep It Simple Stupid - Kelly Johnson<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote></div>