Sky High

Oh, I don't doubt the performance of the helos you mentioned but I just like the sound and smell of those turbines! [8D]

BB_DF

Hey, I hear ya. I was building one of [link=http://www.helicycle.com/]THESE[/link], but ended up selling it to a friend of mine. They use an overhauled surplus Chinook APU turbine, derated to around 100 HP, I think. It's capable of 300 HP if you pump enough Jet A into it. Ah yes, what a lovely smell.

Sky High

Speaking of an eggbeater... [link=http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7517900&postcount=17]Here[/link] is an RC version. [8D]

tend2it

This is COOL! ... Coanda Effect Flying Saucer demo
[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAWVt13K2bM[/link]

[link]http://jlnlabs.imars.com/gfsuav/n02.htm[/link]

The principle demo ... [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-SAQtODAQw[/link]

[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggUIJDgkSSs[/link]

[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5bshCNd4ZQ[/link]

He also has a quad-rotor here too ...
[link]http://jnaudin.free.fr/[/link]

X-UFO/X-3D stuff too ... [link]http://jnaudin.free.fr/uav/xufo/index.htm[/link]


--Eric--

Sky High

Yes that is very cool tend2it. So I guess the air created by that ducted fan passes over that curved surface and creates lift. I don't think those things would fly very well in any siginificant wind though.

Sky High

This high tech grenade launcher blows things up very precisely with the ability to launch multiple rounds in succession. It also launches something called a HUNTIR (High Altitude Unit Navigated Tactical Imaging Round) round which deploys a video pod with a parachute and wireless downlink to a height of around 700 ft. It was featured on a Discovery Channel show called Future Weapons.


[link=http://www.jefcommunications.com/asx/various/HUNTIR.ROUND-AP.asx]HUNTIR Round - Grenade Launched AP[/link]

BB_DF

I took the T-Rex up for a little hover practice for the first time. I have to agree with Lacey, the 600 is awesome! After some slight trimming, it would sit in a 4' hover without any input control at all. It's more stable than the DF with the Ti on. It was a little nerve-wracking lifting off the first time, but immediately I realized it's just rock solid and it isn't going to do anything unexpected. I had RC & Me set it up so for maximum stability for AP work, and it has longer, weighted flybars. There's no D/R or Expo settings needed, and it's rock solid. I tell you if you've never flown a ship like this it is an amazing experience. It weighs 6.6 lbs, the 4' rotor roars and the BL motor screams - I'm hooked! I figure it should be able to lift 2 lbs pretty easily.

BB_DF

Darth Vader would be proud.

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-BB

laceycopter

Told ya it was AWESOME!!!
Happy Flyin,
Lacey

BB_DF

Yes you did.

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-BB

Sky High

BB_DF, does that camera ball mount have pan and tilt? Can you post some night vision video from it too?

BB_DF

Sky,
The Eyeball Cam is pretty amazing. They can roll it down a hall or into a room and it rights itself. You can invert the image if you use it upside down. It has pan and zoom, but no tilt.

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- BB

Sky High

I have seen that before either on Tactical to Practical on the History Channel or Future Weapons on Discovery. They just tossed that ball into a room or down some stairs and the self level circuit corrected the image. I guess you could just mount the ball to a small tilt platform with a tlit servo to get your tilt function on the helo. How much does it weigh? I couldn't find the weight on that site.

BB_DF

It weighs about a pound - it's extremely rugged and a bit daunting to watch them throw it down a hallway or into a room, considering the amount of electronics and optics inside. It's heavier on the bottom and unless it gets jammed against something, it always ends up sitting upright on its base. They also attach it to a pole for looking into attics or on a rope for lowering down stairwells, etc.

BTW the demo today went great. Looks like hopefully we're still on track for the training program. We're thinking that two platforms -the SAVS and the T-Rex - should just about cover all our requirements.

-Bruce

Sky High

I shot this for CNN Headline News and Univision last Monday, July 2, 2007. The police video actually shows the crane falling on the car! I couldn't get the SAVS up because of the news helos. [>:][:@] I got some good ground shots though.

[link=http://www.jefcommunications.com/asx/helo/rcu/DFI/off.topic/CRANE-COLLAPSE.asx]Crane Collapse on Car[/link]

I operate my own breaking news video website in my area and below is the version that is available on my site with more shots than CNN and Univision used. It also has interviews with the officer that caught the crane falling from his dash camera and two other eyewitness interviews that CNN didn't use.

[link=http://www.jefcommunications.com/asx/helo/rcu/DFI/off.topic/CRANE-COLLAPSE-JEFCOM.asx]Crane Collapse on Car[/link]

scottslc

Thought you guys might like this vid. Wonder what the pilot could do with a draganfly!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...36251682690877

BB_DF

Scott,
Those guys like to invent new moves with names like the tic-toc, chaos, hurricane, etc. If I tried that I could add my own maneuver called "the auger".

BB

scottslc

mine would be the "Oh St**" lol

Sky High

These are some exotic birds from a small part of a series called Planet Earth on Animal Planet. It is absolutely hilarious how these boys try to get the girls with their brilliant colors and dances! [8D]

[link=http://www.jefcommunications.com/asx/helo/rcu/DFI/off.topic/EXOTIC-BIRDS.asx]Planet Earth - Exotic Birds[/link]

BB_DF

Here are some pics of the AskmanAP pan/tilt .50-size camera mount on the T-REX 600. The extra weight is going to take some getting used to, but I flew it again today and it seems the 600 doesn't have much trouble handling it. Of course there's no cameras installed yet. The main thing is you have to be really careful not to build up too much momentum in a descent. Still, I think this is kind of overkill - more suited for the Maxi-Joker with a 6' rotor. This unit is operated by a separate Rx/Tx system and an operator using a monitor or video goggles. I'm also going to fab a simple mount with a 30 degree down tilt, and shoot some pics & videos.

I'm still experimenting with the best approach to night orientation. Pic #3: I replaced the stock 600 7.4v 1100 mAh 2S receiver battery with a 2100 mAh (silver battery on the bottom). This battery also drives 4 high intensity LEDs, 2 blue facing forward, 2 red facing aft, mounted on the black aluminum crossbar behind the forward skid support. The upper 1300 mAh 11.1v 3S battery drives the black high voltage inverter mounted on the vertical member, which powers the port/starboard glow wires attached to the "faux wings". I'm really having a hard time finding a set of 600mm lighted blades - everybody seems to be out of stock.

Pic #4 shows a .05 Lux video camera from Range Video.

Pic #5 shows a 900 MHz transmitter/receiver system that will not interfere with the 2.4 GHz Spektrum Rx/Tx (also from Range Video).

Pic #6 shows a Bergen helicopter set up for very high AP flights. This is discussed in [link=http://www.helifreak.com/viewtopic.php?t=41346&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&st art=0]This Thread.[/link]

Ciao,
Bruce

Old Man Mike

BB_DF,

Thanks for posting the pictures. Looks like quite a setup. Can't wait to see some aerial video from it. I also found that thread most interesting.

Mike

Sky High

BB_DF, I would put a 5 LED array facing forward on each wing tip and a nose array which would make a huge amount of difference with orientation. That's the only way I've been able to fly the DF 100 yards away longitudinally at night and bring it back because all you can see are the lights. When all of the LEDS are facing you head on, there's no doubt that you're nose in.

BB_DF

Yes, I've come to the same conclusion. I call them my "come home to Daddy lights". The red lights facing backwards are sort of a warning indication to avoid fly-aways.

BB_DF

Here's some raw pop-up video shot with my old Canon PowerShot A80 (4 MegaPixel) camera and the AskmanAP mount. There's a roll compensator that adjusts for the side tilt during a hover, and you can see it swinging on the descent. I'm still adjusting to the extra weight and weird handling characteristics of all the extra hardware hanging below the skids. I ordered the AP-2000i stabilizer today and I'm sure it will help with the smoothness, plus getting a good camera - lighter with a better lens and built-in de-shake.

- Bruce

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kjf6pb-UmJQ

BB_DF

Here's a simple up-and-down shot with the Canon A80. I'm going to get the Panasonic DMC-FX07 this week and it should help a lot with the movement. I've also ordered the AP-2000i stabilizer system. Sorry about the length, the old camera's .avi format won't allow me to edit with Movie Maker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMdkdrijpDk

Here's an emergency landing due to the battery going dead! Notice how the ESC tries to warn you. It's hard enough to descend with all that extra weight, so I'm pretty pleased with the landing, all things considered. My neighbor had no clue what had just happened. The battery was so overdischarged the charger thought it was a 5S instead of a 6S. I've ordered a set of semi-symmetrical blades that allow a hover at much lower throttle settings with the added weight and longer flight times (so long as you don't want to shoot your videos inverted!), .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfUAS3fi0xw

- Bruce