This radio control aircraft thing is getting out of hand

The other end of the scale. This shows the performance that can be achieved from very small and inexpensive models.

The first two models in this video are built to avoid the FAA's regulation that any RC model weighing more than 250g has to have its pilot's FAA issued number, name, address, and phone number posted on the outside of the model so that they know who to direct enforcement actions at when a pilot is observed in violation of their regulations. The FAA is talking about requiring all RC models to have transponders and there is in many places a maximum flight altitude of 400'. This has come about due to the explosion in drone numbers and antics and the desire of commercial drone operators to grab all the unfettered sky they can to conduct their business and to sweep recreational RC pilots out of their way. All of the negative incidents of RC model and full scale aircraft have been committed by drone pilots and all non-drone RC pilots have experienced increased regulation and oversight that had not been necessary in the previous 50+ years of RC model flight.

 
Who cares about very small models? :)

The above video was shot in a country without the FAA. And it doesn't matter if they have their own version of the FAA. Something that big can only be classified as a missile. And who built it? The wing loading was not negligible. The engines... The military are amateurs compared to these guys.
 
And now there's images of a 'Black Triangle' above Portland ANG...

But, crucially, no scaling info. So, prototype pizza-box 'grunt' drone for peeking over hill ? Or a really creative aero-modeller's dream-machine...
 
That RC model Concorde is bigger than some piloted, amateur-built airplanes! ... probably as expensive with four jet engines.
Why anyone would devote that much time and energy to an airplane that will not carry a man around is a mystery to me?????
 
This is similar to the question: Why did you climb Mount Everest? Answer: Because it's there.

Those with the engineering knowledge apparently decided to put their skill into building something that, while having no useful, profit-making purpose, did show their skill at building something they wanted.
 
This is similar to the question: Why did you climb Mount Everest? Answer: Because it's there.

Those with the engineering knowledge apparently decided to put their skill into building something that, while having no useful, profit-making purpose, did show their skill at building something they wanted.

.....and was great entertainment/fun too.
 
That RC model Concorde is bigger than some piloted, amateur-built airplanes! ... probably as expensive with four jet engines.
Why anyone would devote that much time and energy to an airplane that will not carry a man around is a mystery to me?????

Why spend $100,000 on an R/C B-52 that's just going to crash?

 
This is similar to the question: Why did you climb Mount Everest? Answer: Because it's there.

Those with the engineering knowledge apparently decided to put their skill into building something that, while having no useful, profit-making purpose, did show their skill at building something they wanted.

Same goes for high powered rocketry.




(This last guy was going to build a full scale Nike Hercules but I don't know why he didn't.)
 
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Why get out of bed? Why draw another breath of air? Why challenge yourself?

There are those that do, with a reason.

And there are those who do not, for any number of reasons.

David
doer
 
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There is another thread that has a bit to do with this one: What airplane do you fantasize about flying?

Flying modelers don't just fantasize about flying an aircraft, they either build or buy one and go out and fly it.

I've flown an X-32, Viggen, Me-163, a Sea Dart off water, a Space Shuttle, and there will be many more airplanes in the future. Flying models is fundamentally different from full scale flying and flying modelers don't necessarily want to fly real airplanes.

First off, unless you've had a charmed and well planned life and successfully climbed the steep pyramid to become a fighter pilot, you will never come anywhere near piloting any of the high performance aircraft you fantasize about. Most likely you will wind up having to make do with a garden variety Cessna or Piper. I do not think you can call flying in an airliner flying that you would want to do for pleasure and it is only a step above a Greyhound bus and the bus has the advantage that you can ask the driver to let you out to get away from stupid unruly people. I have only enjoyed full scale flying when I could see out the windshield or point out something interesting to the pilot and say "Let's fly over there."

The other advantage of being the pilot of a flying model is that there are very small consequences for crashes. You go and pick up the pieces and get another airplane and go back to flying. Most pilots take several airplanes to the field. If one airplane has an issue or incident that can't be readily fixed, you grab another airplane and fly again.

In full scale, crashes have dire consequences. Two of the pilots I've flown full scale with have died in crashes. A couple of weeks ago at a nearby airport, a 70 year old who spent 7 years building a Sonex homebuilt ended his maiden flight and life with a crash in a parking lot within 2 miles of the airport. I may not be the brightest guy in the room, but I'm smart enough to avoid the fatal mistakes of others.

I've lived long enough to be an old punk, and I don't feel lucky. A man's got to know his limitations.

I'll stick to flying models and hope to die many years from now at my workbench building my next airplane to fly.
 
I hope you can continue to do so for a very long time. Keep smiling and carry on.
 

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