UAV distance records?

[ccfries]

Hi all,

Is there a place to find UAV distance records? Are there separate categories for heavier than air and lighter than air?

I've made an autonomous unmanned balloon (sub 100 grams) that's travelled 1300 miles, it's flown 4 times and was recovered three times (one is stuck in the top of a tree on private property in Nova Scotia, and our scouts didn't want to chop it down).

I have a feeling that some of you are doing better than that, but we're hoping that we're on the way to having sustainable flight on the order of weeks, for a circumnavigation...

Thanks for any hints,
Chris

Balloon 3.0 (from Chicago, IL to ~Halifax, Nova Scotia) is here: http://ivoryglobal.blogspot.com

Balloon 4.0 (quite a failure IMO, accidentally stuck in a tree during the launch and it stayed there for 18 hours beating up the balloons) :: http://ivorybomber.blogspot.com ... currently positioned in a box at a post office in Indiana, on its way home.

[stikmunkeyrc]

The Aerosonde UAV did cross the Atlantic for a distance of 3,270km and also did a record duration flight of 38h 48m at average speed of 50kts is ~3570km right here in Hamilton, VIC

[gkamysz]

What process did you go through to get FAA clearance for such a flight? I was considering it myself but with an engine powered airplane. AMA was of no help and after th FAI records for class F8 (autonomous) were abolished I lost interest. I'm not familiar with FAI's lighter than air classes, but I doubt there is an autonomous class.

Greg

[Gary Mortimer]

I will wait to catch it in Europe Chris!!

Good show

I have had lots of fun with these http://www.solar-balloons.com/ht_tetroon.html

Cheers

G

[jglenn]

1883 miles.


http://tam.plannet21.com/

Crossed the atlantic in 39 hours. Little gas engine with generator on it so
you don't need a big battery!


On August 11, 2003, model aviation history was made by a team of volunteers led by model aviation legend Maynard Hill. "The Spirit of Butt's Farm," also known as TAM-5, became the first aeromodel to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean, setting two world records in the process.

[Paul_BB]

This is really cool. Good luck for the round the world trip.
Paul

[jglenn]

It's coming, but with people onboard.

Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard has unveiled a prototype of the solar-powered plane he hopes eventually to fly around the world.

The vehicle, spanning 61m but weighing just 1,500kg, will undergo trials to prove it can fly through the night.

Dr Piccard, who made history in 1999 by circling the globe non-stop in a balloon, says he wants to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8120026.stm

Pretty big wing!

[ccfries]

What process did you go through to get FAA clearance for such a flight? I was considering it myself but with an engine powered airplane. AMA was of no help and after th FAI records for class F8 (autonomous) were abolished I lost interest. I'm not familiar with FAI's lighter than air classes, but I doubt there is an autonomous class.

Greg

I'm flying under Part 101 of Federal Aviation Regulations as an unmanned free balloon.

"PART 101—MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, UNMANNED ROCKETS AND UNMANNED FREE BALLOONS"
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.3.15&idno=14

Section 101.1 deals with applicability of the laws. If the payload is less than 6 lbs, you can generally design it to be clear of all the laws, and Section 101 doesn't apply. We're talking really pretty small, ~100 gram payload, about 4 ounces.

As long as we don't pose a hazard to anyone (101.7) and stays under 6 lbs, we can tly wherever we want in the US. :)


v5.0 is looking to avoid the superpressure mylar balloon situation. We're going to try to put together low-power altitude control. Our first thought was upside-down helicopters, but we're looking at a power cost of 1 watt for 10 grams, and trying to provide solar panels for 5 watts of power running all day and maybe 1 watt most of the night, will be difficult/expensive in a 200 gram budget. We looked to some of the human-powered "helicopters" for efficient blade designs, looks like something large and low RPM will be our best bet, unless there's an off-the-shelf solution to get 100 grams of thrust for 1 watt.

If we can figure that out, there's a small chance we'll be self-sufficient power-wise with some thin film solar panels, and lose H2 at a very very low rate, and potentially be looking at a circumnavigation.

Fingers crossed,
Chris

[ccfries]

For future reference (in case it comes up in a search)

Amateur Radio High Altitude Ballooning Flight Records
http://showcase.netins.net/web/wallio/ARHABrecords.htm

[macboffin]

The "Global Hawk has a range of over 12,000 miles.Thats half-way round the Earth.

[Paul_BB]

v5.0 is looking to avoid the superpressure mylar balloon situation. We're going to try to put together low-power altitude control. Our first thought was upside-down helicopters, but we're looking at a power cost of 1 watt for 10 grams, and trying to provide solar panels for 5 watts of power running all day and maybe 1 watt most of the night, will be difficult/expensive in a 200 gram budget. We looked to some of the human-powered "helicopters" for efficient blade designs, looks like something large and low RPM will be our best bet, unless there's an off-the-shelf solution to get 100 grams of thrust for 1 watt.

If we can figure that out, there's a small chance we'll be self-sufficient power-wise with some thin film solar panels, and lose H2 at a very very low rate, and potentially be looking at a circumnavigation.

Fingers crossed,
Chris

What are the requirements for long flights ? Keep the balloon under a given altitude ? Your new idea looks complicated. Aren't there any other ways to control the balloon ? How are controlled full scale balloons ? This project is awesome. I remember when I was young my brother and myself we used to build hot air balloons and we always wondered how far they travelled.

[RCAV8R13]

1883 miles.


http://tam.plannet21.com/

Crossed the atlantic in 39 hours. Little gas engine with generator on it so
you don't need a big battery!


On August 11, 2003, model aviation history was made by a team of volunteers led by model aviation legend Maynard Hill. "The Spirit of Butt's Farm," also known as TAM-5, became the first aeromodel to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean, setting two world records in the process.
May I point out that Maynard did it under the FAI rules. The Aerosonde flew autonomously across the Atlantic in August, 1998. A full 5 years earlier. Doesn't that count?

Kip

[jglenn]

I was not aware of that flight. How big is the plane? Like a Predator?

Sounds like the first longest record flight. The guy that flew 9 miles in
1.5 hours, how did he keep it in sight? Can you follow it in a Jeep and
not break the rule of VLOS?

[RCAV8R13]

I was not aware of that flight. How big is the plane? Like a Predator?

Sounds like the first longest record flight. The guy that flew 9 miles in
1.5 hours, how did he keep it in sight? Can you follow it in a Jeep and
not break the rule of VLOS?
The Aerosonde has a WS of 3 meters and took off at 13kg.

Kip

[jglenn]

Wow, that is smaller than I thought. Some kind of gas engine, no doubt.
Was it French? Is it legal to follow autonomous flights to keep them in VLOS?

[RCAV8R13]

Wow, that is smaller than I thought. Some kind of gas engine, no doubt.
Was it French? Is it legal to follow autonomous flights to keep them in VLOS?
The engine was a highly modified Enya R120 model airplane engine converted to run on gasoline. The plane was out of comms range for all but the first and last 60 miles.

Kip