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Archive: Flying
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February 18, 2008
Wired Science on DIY UAVs
Wired Science has a nice segment on Wired Editor in Chief Chris Anderson's efforts to bring together amateurs working with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Feb 18, 2008 05:25 PM
Flying, Science |
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February 12, 2008
Personal helicopter lifts you above the rest
Is this really the world's smallest personal helicopter? Your guess is as good as ours, still it looks like a pretty cool way to avoid the morning rush if you don't mind burning a hole in your scalp. Watch the video!
A Personal Helicopter Can Lift You Up - [via], Link
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Feb 12, 2008 07:00 AM
Flying |
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January 31, 2008
The trials of the jet pack
Popular Mechanics has an informative piece on the many trials and tribulations of the fledgling "jet pack" industry, starting with the deceit in the name itself:
Then there's the bad news. First, these jet packs aren't what they seem: Jet-powered devices are in development (and models were tested as early as the '60s), but all models on the verge of availability are, in fact, jet-free and called, officially, rocket belts. Second, while last year there were two commercial rocket-belt manufacturers--Mexico's Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana (TAM) and Colorado-based JetPack International--there are now three: Thunderbolt Aerosystems, based in California, plans to start selling its ThunderPack TP-R2G2 rocket belt to customers this summer. Why is another entry in the fledgling human-flight business bad news? After all, three companies might be just enough to spur the kind of innovation that a healthy niche industry needs.Well, that's the problem with so-called jet packs: everything...
[BTW: Here's a piece I did on the original Bell Rocket Belt many moons ago.]
The Inside Story of When Jet Packs Really Are Coming [via] Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Jan 31, 2008 11:00 AM
Flying, Science |
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Full size Electric Plane
Electric cars, and conversion kits, can be found all over the Internet. But when was the last time you saw a full size electric plane? Yeah, me neither. This is not an RC toy, it's a full size, human carrying, electric plane powered by an 18 kW, 25hp, brushed "industrial" motor. It flew for 48 minutes and went 50 km, that's about 31 miles. I would love to know what kind of noise it made as it flew by.
On Sunday, December 23, 2007 at 11:50 took place, the first flight of F-WMDJ ELECTRA, equipped with an electric motor of 25 hp and Lithium-polymer batteries.
The website was originally published in French, but there is a translated version that has some interesting information and more pictures. - Link [Via]
Related:
- An Amazing electric car - Link
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Jan 31, 2008 02:00 AM
Flying |
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January 30, 2008
The low-down on BALLS 17
BALLS 17, the premiere experimental rocketry launch contest, has been announced for Sept 26, 27, 28 in Black Rock, Nevada. The event website has details on BALLS 17 and the competition rules.
This is the extreme rocketry event where experimental rocketeers push the envelope of size, staging/clustering, altitude, home-made components and motors, and cutting-edge rocket tech. Not for the faint of heart and not for children. Bring your hard hat.
BALLS 17 - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Jan 30, 2008 06:00 PM
Events, Flying, Science |
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January 23, 2008
HALO2 High Altitude Balloon
Another successful high altitude balloon flight with some gorgeous images. Alexei writes:
High altitude ballooning is an emerging hobby, since the price of GPS and communications equipment has gotten quite low. It is an excellent hobby for people fascinated by space flight and telerobotics and has many learning aspects -- from systems design to electronics design to software engineering. There is also an exciting risk factor, namely, that you could lose your precious electronics if something malfunctions. In this project, many of my interest and knowledge areas came together. Also, I have verified that the Earth is indeed round and that space is black.
Helium Balloon Mission to Near-Space - Link
Related:
- Successful High Altitude Balloon! - Link
- High Altitude Ballooning - Make: Video Podcast - Link
- A view from 66,000 feet up - Link
- Satellites on a Budget - High Altitude Balloons - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Jan 23, 2008 11:00 AM
Flying, Science |
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| Comments (4)
January 17, 2008
Robot catapult
An industrial robot turned into a bowling ball-heaving catapult.
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Jan 17, 2008 06:00 PM
Flying, Robotics |
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| Comments (1)
December 18, 2007
Snowball cannon
Say no more. (Usual cautions apply and read the comments for some tips on "keeping all your digits and spleen," which is always something to keep in mind.)
Pneumatic Snowball Cannon - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Dec 18, 2007 06:00 PM
Flying, Instructables |
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| Comments (0)
December 17, 2007
Nicely documented high-power rocket build
Kevin Cook does a nice job of documenting his building of a 93", 45 lb., M-motor rocket, done as part of his Level 3 high-power rocketry certification.
Kevin Cook's Red and Black "Sky Attack" Level 3 Certification Project - [via] Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Dec 17, 2007 04:32 PM
DIY Projects, Flying |
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| Comments (13)
Vanity mirror and talk trainer for birds
The "Talk 'N Play" attempts to teach basic phrases to the birds in your backyard while also allowing them to activate lights on the device's front panel. Each button on the device, when pecked, triggers a new phrase played from the device's onboard speakers. The next version of this device should also teach your local birds to only use your neighbor's lawn furniture as an outhouse.
Talk N Play Bird Toy - Link, [via]
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Dec 17, 2007 01:00 PM
Flying |
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December 12, 2007
The NAR's worst nightmare
Another one for the "Don't Put Your Eye Out" file, a copper-hosed rocket motor made out of granulated sugar, honey, potassium nitrate, and water. Kids? Don't make me say it...
Two Dollar Rocket Motor - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Dec 12, 2007 06:00 PM
Flying, Instructables, Science |
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December 6, 2007
A free view of the world -- OpenAerialMap
David writes -
I thought you guys might be interested in putting up some balloons or kites and adding some open-source aerial data. You may also want to have a look at openstreetmap.org (which can overlay the aerial images) which is going to have full (10-year old) open-source/public-domain mapping coverage of the US sometime next year.A free view of the world -- OpenAerialMap - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Dec 6, 2007 06:00 AM
DIY Projects, Flying, Imaging |
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December 5, 2007
Amazing junk fliers on BBtv
On today's episode of BBtv, Xeni interviews Carl Rankin, a model plane builder who creates impressive R/C planes out of take-out food cartons, drinking straws, sewing thread, Reynold's wrap, and tape (among other things). There's also a fun video that uses Wonder Bread like clay to create "dough-mation."
BBtv: Flying Puppets / Wonder Bread - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Dec 5, 2007 02:00 PM
Flying |
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November 21, 2007
First-Person View hobby site
In response to the virtual pilot video item we posted several weeks back, a reader sent a link to this site, a portal related to "video piloting in the newly growing and exciting hobby of First Person View (FPV or RPV) that has become popular with Radio Controlled airplanes, R/C helicopters, cars and boats." Who knew?
FPV Video Home Page - Link
Related:
- Virtual pilot video rig for R/C plane - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Nov 21, 2007 08:00 PM
Electronics, Flying, Toys and Games |
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| Comments (2)
November 13, 2007
Fuel-cell flier
A fuel cell-powered remotely piloted aircraft buzzed quietly into the morning sky in a park near Van Nuys, Calif., August 25. The unorthodox flight was a triumph of collegiate innovation made possible by a nurturing program at California State University Los Angeles and a boost from NASA's Academic Investments Office and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.The college figures this is only the fourth public flight of a fuel cell-powered aircraft anywhere, and the first to use an improved type of fuel cell that greatly increases the power-to-weight ratio available for the aircraft. Fuel cells produce electrical energy in a conversion process that uses hydrogen and yields only water as a byproduct.
California Students Join Small Circle of Revolutionary Fuel-Cell Fliers - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Nov 13, 2007 10:55 AM
Flying, Science |
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| Comments (3)
November 8, 2007
Extreme Rocketry magazine
When I was a kid, I lived for rockets, both modeled and those build by NASA. I haven't been involved in the hobby for years, but whenever I see a rocketry mag at a newsstand, I buy it and fantasize about maybe diving in again. Of course, since I was a kid, hobby rocketry has gotten a tad... extreme. There's even a magazine dedicated to the more intense practitioners and their multi-storied birds. It's called, fittingly enough, Extreme Rocketry. The November 07 issue has recently been announced.
Extreme Rocketry - Link
Related:
- Model, sport rocketry reference source - Link
- Estes educator - Free resources for model rocketry - Link
- Transmitter/receiver/camera system for rocketry - Link
- AERO-PAC: High Power Amateur Rocketry - Link
From the pages of MAKE:
Happy Blastoff. Smoke, sound, and fury at the Large Dangerous Rocket Ship launchpad. Read this article in MAKE: 10: Home Electronics, Page 48. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition or click here to subscribe.
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Nov 8, 2007 08:00 PM
Flying, Science |
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| Comments (1)
Virtual pilot video rig for R/C plane
Check out this awesome Google vid of a gyro-stabilized camera rig with a video headset for an R/C plane. It puts you in the cockpit and the camera moves around as you move your head. And most amazingly, it uses all off-the-shelf parts.
Bromont golf club - [via] Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Nov 8, 2007 02:00 PM
Electronics, Flying |
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| Comments (5)
October 23, 2007
Homebrewed helicopter
AFP has a story about a 24-year-old Nigerian physics undergrad who builds backyard helicopters out of car and bike parts (and a crashed commercial plane).
The chopper... is made from scrap aluminium that Abdullahi bought with the money he makes from computer and mobile phone repairs, and a donation from his father, who teaches at Kano's Bayero university.It is powered by a second-hand 133 horsepower Honda Civic car engine and kitted out with seats from an old Toyota saloon car. Its other parts come from the carcass of a Boeing 747 which crashed near Kano some years ago.
Home-made helicopters hit northern Nigeria [via] - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Oct 23, 2007 04:00 PM
DIY Projects, Flying |
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| Comments (7)
October 1, 2007
Host a soda rocket party
MAKE pal Steve Lodefink posted the details on a couple of kid parties he's thrown centered on building and flying soda bottle rockets. When my son was little, he really wanted to have an Estes rocket party, but we thought it was probably too dangerous for 6-7 year old kids (even with close supervision). Doing water rockets is a much better idea. All of the rockety fun, minus the gunpowder and serious combustibility (although you'll want to have a healthy respect for the power of the slightly more benign projectiles used here).
Water Rocket Party - Link
From the pages of MAKE:
Soda Bottle Rocket. You don't have to be Burt Rutan to start your own rocket program. With a few empty soda bottles and some PVC pipe, you can build a high-performance water rocket. MAKE 05 - Page 78
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Oct 1, 2007 07:00 PM
Crafts, DIY Projects, Flying, Toys and Games |
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September 30, 2007
Paraglider made from storage bags
By way of the awesome AfriGadget site comes this Wired story about a paraglider builder/flier from South Africa:
Cyril is the only black South African currently registered with the sport's ruling body. And it all started with a glider he made from plastic bags, purloined rope and baling wire, a glider that flew -- sort of -- though it both amazed and horrified the professional paragliders who saw it.
Freedom Flight: Kid's Homemade Paraglider Leads to Fame - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 30, 2007 01:12 PM
DIY Projects, Flying |
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