I think it sounds like a cool project, even if not most expedient way to get the desired video coverage.<br><br>Make sure to check the FAA regulations on unmanned balloons and aircraft early in the design process so you don't wind up with the feds on ya!<div>
<br></div><div><a href="http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr;rgn=div5;view=text;node=14%3A2.0.1.3.15;idno=14;sid=7ab0981e777072d67753a16fb284eda3;cc=ecfr">http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr;rgn=div5;view=text;node=14%3A2.0.1.3.15;idno=14;sid=7ab0981e777072d67753a16fb284eda3;cc=ecfr</a><br>
<br><a href="http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1411095">http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1411095</a><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 10:54 AM, Jake <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jake@spaz.org">jake@spaz.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div class="im">> 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>
</div>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<br>
is told to stay in one place it should end up flying directly into the<br>
wind. If the wind is faster than what is needed for zero climb/fall it<br>
can aim its prop down to reduce lift, and if the wind is too slow it can<br>
automatically circle the spot.<br>
<br>
yes it will have a battery, and use electricity. It will also carry an<br>
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<br>
them, however I want something a lot better. I understand that I will<br>
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<br>
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>
<div class="im"><br>
On Thu, 5 Jan 2012, Corey McGuire wrote:<br>
<br>
> 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/ucwiki/en/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.<br>
> 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>
</div>> * Small blimps bob around like a buoy. You'll get sea sick trying to<br>
<div class="im">> 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>
</div>> * Anything battery powered is straight out. Lifting a battery in to the<br>
<div class="im">> 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>
</div>> * Fuel poses another problem. You can't simply turn fuel craft on and<br>
<div class="im">> 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>
</div>> * Anything "copter" or "rotor" is going to eat through fuel because they<br>
<div class="im">> 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>
</div>> * 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>
<div class="im">> 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>
</div>> * <a href="http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/ardupilot-mega-home-page" target="_blank">http://diydrones.com/profiles/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/hobbyking/store/__17227__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.php?productid=453</a><br>
<div class="im">><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>
</div>> is nothing left to take away - Antoine de Saint Exup?ry<br>
<div class="im HOEnZb">> Keep It Simple Stupid - Kelly Johnson<br>
><br>
><br>
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