A 1957 film from the Department of Defense. I love the visual teaching method used in these early films. Lots to learn here if you wanted to understand the forces on an aircraft.
AERODYNAMICS – Forces Acting On An Airfoil
FPV and Flight Stabilization AMA Revised Policy
It’s important not to fall into the swirling well of panic and paranoia. We so often hear those kinds of reactions from the those less informed whenever the AMA speaks out on a subject. I certainly favor the future development of our hobby to included FPV (First Person View) technologies and flight stabilization capabilities. The AMA is working very hard to avoid having issues with government officials deciding each and every model flying activity needs to be regulated and centrally controlled. PLEASE observe common sense and do your part to help everyone avoid this kind of onerous over reaching oversight that seems to be the trend in America these days. It’s your and my job to do something about it. Check out the revised policy below on the AMA blog site.
Dennis Kirby, First EDF
Dennis is well known as the owner of Kirby’s Kustom Graphics.
Little more for me please….
Yesterday without formal planning or awareness, I began an experiment about something for which I’ve always felt was a non issue for me, yet I had never quite formally established the ascertion as fact. Having spent the entire day hour by hour enjoying coffee, much of it quite strong I was indeed in rare bean nirvana. Even unto 7pm, I was enjoying my new found caffeinism enough to brew yet another pot. Not unimportant to the experiment, the supply of warm cups was maintained even as 9pm rolled around. Just then, it crossed my inner awareness, my father had always refused to imbibe in all things Columbian brew after 1 or 2pm owing that he wanted to be fully prepared for the following day. My consumpition unhindered, willingly topping my cup off one last time as 10pm approached. Now as I write to you, having only just become aware of my blind subject participation in said experiment: I am quite sure that through the hours of darkness, I did in fact nap several times.
Russian Carrier Landings
Ruskies like to show of also. Borris, with a giant ramp, we don’t need to worry fi they will pull back and climb out. hehehhe
Great Shock Wave Video With Narration
Video by AVweb.com.
Freedom works in Oklahoma: Kendra Lives!
Police said the 40 caliber bullet struck 32-year-old Stacey Jones in the shoulder, scaring him out of the house. He was arrested a short distance away and charged with first degree burglary. I bet that stung a little bit eh?
Unbelievably establishing once again that guns don’t kill people, little girls defending themselves from dangerous villains do. However, don’t think this evidence will mean anything favorable for you with the anti-self defense anti-constitution Kool-Aid drinking crowd. They are going to keep fighting for the neutering of America and Americans in every way possible. It’s up to you and I to do our part to stifle these dreams. Hey, encourage them to move to Uganda or Rwanda where the dreams of total gun control and seizure have been realized and mass murder of unarmed citizens ensued. See JPFO.org for the Gun Control Genocide Chart and learn about “Death By Gun Control”. Famous for gun control are Khmer Rouge, Hitler, the millions killed in Nationalist China after private ownership was banned or severely restricted. Not company I wish to align myself with.
Stacey Jones relearns what most of us already understand, it’s dangerous to assume that it’s your right to forcibly liberate citizens of their hard earned money, property or freedom. Protecting your self from these sorts of persons is without a doubt one of the very reasons these rights are guaranteed in America and need to be protected and preserved. I am without a doubt fully proud of my country, my constitution and my right to do as Kendra St. Clair did and protect myself and my family from evil. We’re glad your still here Kendra!
Read more:
ABC News.
The Fluid Dynamics Of Drag Part II
What has less drag, a smooth surface or one with imperfections such as rivit heads or seams?
High Cell Count Packs
Sonny P. Writes:
What is the proper way to charge a 14 cell A123 battery?
Sonny,
I take from your question that your concerned about the large cell count and not the rules of charging this particular chemistry of pack.
Since you need to balance it from time to time, it should be charged as multiple lower cell count packs from time to time. All rules must be observed regardless of cell count or type of lithium chemistry. So, were I building a 14 cell aircraft pack for myself, I’d build it probably as two 5 cell and one 4 cell packs. In this way I could hook up to my balance charger and balance it. If you have a charger capable of balancing 8 cells, you could do two sevens. I am un-aware of any chargers capable of balancing more than 8 cells even though there probably are chargers that could manage a non-balance charge of 14 cells. Even if you owned one, you’d still want to be able to break the pack down (electronically) and charge it in shorter segments from time to time to maintain balance.
In the case of two 5 cell and one 4 cell packs for example, The pack could be literally 3 packs that are put in series in the model. You might use Anderson Power poles to do this to minimize the number of connectors needed. Each pack would of course have it’s own balance harness for plugging into the node port (balance port) of you charger.
It would also be possible to build the pack as one 14 cell block with one set of output wires for the ESC. However, you could put tap wires in that are heavy enough for charging at the union between the 5th/6th cells and 10th/11th cells. You would build in balance harness respecting this same cell spacing. So that “electronically” (if not physically) you have 3 battery packs, two 5’s and one 4. NOTE! This type of pack bould, the central tap wires would be positive or negative depending on which segment you were charging.
With a 14 cell charger you might be charging through the main output leads while your at the flying field. Yet, when your prepping the model for a trip to the field, you would be able to charge the pack in 3 steps (one step for each pack division 5 cell, 5 cell, 4 cell) with balance harnesses connected to your charger. In this way you’d be getting regular balance charges to keep all cells equalized.
Happy Flying!
Dave
Felix Baumgartner: Red Bull Stratos Mission
At this moment I’m watching the Discovery Channels 2 hours of coverage for Felix Baumgartners record atempt. Evidently to set many records including first mach 1 jump, highest jump, highest baloon flight and longest free fall. I’m just wondering why they don’t have some interesting characters to add commentary. Imagine a round table with a pro jumper, NASA astronuat, SR-71 pilot, high altitude expersuch as an Everest climber. What a round table that would be discussing all the problems and technology involved in a record attempt like that.
I hope it is a success. I can’t help but wonder wahy the capsule turns slowly up at such high altitude. There must be an air movement difference from top to bottom of the rig? Looking out, it’s not blue, it’s black form this altitude. That’s pretty high. 104k feet at this moment, over 31 miles. Getting clost, he’s jumping at about 120k.
UPDATE
MISSION COMPLETE!
During free fall Felix seemed to be comoplaning his visor was fogged up. I think he was wanting them to give him more altitude updates. Might have been too high to open the visor at the them time. There was no forthcomming info from MIssion Control, so he popped the chute about 10-15 seconds short of the the free fall record. However, still a super successfull record attempt with many other records sure to be moved up. At this moment, the Capsule is still floating down under it’s chute. I”m sure all this will find it’s way to the Smithsonian soon.
Red Bull Stratos site.
To my question about why the balloon turns in such a thin atmosphere, I’ve thought of my own answer. Depending on the time you were watching, the balloon was rising from 10-20 feet per second. So, in effect it’s rising vertical into a wind of that speed. The balloon being an odd shape would be effected by that much air moving around it. As it got higher and higher, the air got thinner and thinner, the balloon getting more regular in shape (less lumpy more bulb like) the balloon/capsule unit twisted about less and less. So there you go.