Browsing around on a web site dealing with radio control model airplanes I was struck (not literally) by one of the models offered. The airplane is targeted at beginners who more often than not have a very hard time learning to fly and land a model for a variety of reasons. This thing has some amazing features that wowed me:
1. A "virtual fence". The airplane "knows" when it is going too far away and automatically turns around to it won't fly away (and that does happen sometimes). When it is back inside the "fence" it rocks the wings to let the pilot know he has control again.
2. Panic recovery. It is not uncommon for a new pilot to become disoriented with the airplane and totally lose control. Push a button and it automatically recovers and flies straight and level.
3. Holding pattern. Again, when the new pilot loses orientation it will fly in a circle 65 feet overhead until orientation is regained.
4. Autoland. Exactly what it sounds like - hold a button and the airplane will land itself near where it took off.
While I'm not an engineer, I got to thinking about what has to be going on in this airplane to make all that happen. It has a sophisticated radio receiver and some type of computer on board. It has a GPS to keep track of where it is and an altimeter to keep track of how high it is. It has at least a crude autopilot to do all the things it does. That used to be very, very, expensive and weighed many pounds if it could be done at all.
When a model airplane flew the Atlantic in 2003 it took a team of engineers to make that happen. I knew most of them because I belonged to the same R/C club.
And this new model does all this with an all-up flying weight of 3.7 ounces, and retails for $170 ready-to-fly out of the box with a transmitter. Without the transmitter (if you already have one) it sells for $150.
I think this is absolutely amazing!
When I started flying R/C models in 1983 I spent at least four times that (in 1983 dollars) to get to the flying site with a five pound airplane that that I spent six weeks building and had to be watched every second or it was gone.
Anyone else have examples of applied tech that makes you think of how stunningly cheaper, better, and more reliable some things are now than "the good old days?"
1. A "virtual fence". The airplane "knows" when it is going too far away and automatically turns around to it won't fly away (and that does happen sometimes). When it is back inside the "fence" it rocks the wings to let the pilot know he has control again.
2. Panic recovery. It is not uncommon for a new pilot to become disoriented with the airplane and totally lose control. Push a button and it automatically recovers and flies straight and level.
3. Holding pattern. Again, when the new pilot loses orientation it will fly in a circle 65 feet overhead until orientation is regained.
4. Autoland. Exactly what it sounds like - hold a button and the airplane will land itself near where it took off.
While I'm not an engineer, I got to thinking about what has to be going on in this airplane to make all that happen. It has a sophisticated radio receiver and some type of computer on board. It has a GPS to keep track of where it is and an altimeter to keep track of how high it is. It has at least a crude autopilot to do all the things it does. That used to be very, very, expensive and weighed many pounds if it could be done at all.
When a model airplane flew the Atlantic in 2003 it took a team of engineers to make that happen. I knew most of them because I belonged to the same R/C club.
And this new model does all this with an all-up flying weight of 3.7 ounces, and retails for $170 ready-to-fly out of the box with a transmitter. Without the transmitter (if you already have one) it sells for $150.
I think this is absolutely amazing!
When I started flying R/C models in 1983 I spent at least four times that (in 1983 dollars) to get to the flying site with a five pound airplane that that I spent six weeks building and had to be watched every second or it was gone.
Anyone else have examples of applied tech that makes you think of how stunningly cheaper, better, and more reliable some things are now than "the good old days?"
. Now, having a battery with memory effect that takes overnight to recharge seems so limiting.
