Could a model boat cross the Atlantic?

[chad phillips]

I read about some guys that flew an RC plane across the Atlantic
http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/951680.asp?0bl=-0&cp1=1

Does anyone think it would be possible to do the same with a model
boat? Maybe have it solar powered? Or is the ocean just to tough for
such a small boat?

[Soren Kjaer Nielsen]

Of course can a model boat sail across the Atlantic.

But...some work have to be done about the power needed, maybe solar power
can give make enough power ?

More than 3000 km will take some time...awg speed more than 4 - 6 km/H (the
current mat be against sometime..??) need a lot of power.
4 km/H give a sailing time at more than 35 days...!!!!!

Soren


"chad phillips" <chad@windmeadow.com> wrote in message
news:1e6ea9f6.0309050848.7e0d01f9@posting.google.c om...
> I read about some guys that flew an RC plane across the Atlantic
> http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/951680.asp?0bl=-0&cp1=1
>
> Does anyone think it would be possible to do the same with a model
> boat? Maybe have it solar powered? Or is the ocean just to tough for
> such a small boat?

[Doug Warner]

"Soren Kjaer Nielsen" <skn@vip.cybercity.dk> wrote:

>Of course can a model boat sail across the Atlantic.
>
>But...some work have to be done about the power needed, maybe solar =
power
>can give make enough power ?
>
>More than 3000 km will take some time...awg speed more than 4 - 6 km/H =
(the
>current mat be against sometime..??) need a lot of power.
>4 km/H give a sailing time at more than 35 days...!!!!!
>

Hmm: Interesting project: Totally sealed, large flat deck covered
with solar cells, except for the GPS antenna. Program it to go
exactly where you want it to. =20

Problem: Arrival time would be an unknown, so you'd prlbably have to
include a short-range transmitter or cellphone to call someone to pick
it up when it arrives. =20

I wonder how Customs would feel about this? Would a 30-lb robo-boat
be subject to inspection? It could be a low-risk way to carry
contraband, especially if it navigates to some shallow-water location,
phones it's coordinates to the receiver, then sinks. It could even
leave a retrieval line on a buoy, visible only at low tide. The
receiver could "go fishing" any day, hook it and pull it up. If the
boat was designed to look like a large fish, so much the better if
anyone's watching..

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[Henry Springer]

On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 00:19:02 -0400, Doug Warner
<dwarner22@ccharter.net> wrote:

>"Soren Kjaer Nielsen" <skn@vip.cybercity.dk> wrote:
>
>>Of course can a model boat sail across the Atlantic.
>>
>>But...some work have to be done about the power needed, maybe solar power
>>can give make enough power ?
>>

There have been many cases of dinghies lost on the eastern coast of
America ending up in the British Isles so a sturdy well sealed model
boat could certainly make it. The obvious power source is sail, like
all long distance cruising boats. Some sort of autopilot would be
needed rather than r/c then launch in USA, recover in Ireland
(probably).

Going the other way against the prevailing winds would be much more of
a challange!

[Fly Higher]

The plane project has been in the works for a couple of years now. this
plane was actually the fifth one they launched. Only weighed around 11
pounds (5.5 kilo) half of which was fuel. It did use an auto pilot with GPS
but, it also had satelite telemetry and would send status back every so
often. It's average speed was around 45 MPH and it flew at an altitude of
between zero and 300 feet.

Power was a modified .60 ci (10ccm) four stroke. It used Colman lantern
fuel with something else (I forget what) mixed in. The engine ran just
under 4000 RPM and burned fuel at some rediculous low rate of 2 ounce per
hour or something like that. It also had an onboard generator for the
electronics.

The airplane itself was nothing really unusual. About five foot wing and
not unlike any scratch design one might find at the local flying field.

The guy that lead this project is Maynard Hill. From Maryland and well know
in the plane circles. He holds or has held some 26 records with model
planes.

F. H.

"chad phillips" <chad@windmeadow.com> wrote in message
news:1e6ea9f6.0309050848.7e0d01f9@posting.google.c om...
> I read about some guys that flew an RC plane across the Atlantic
> http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/951680.asp?0bl=-0&cp1=1
>
> Does anyone think it would be possible to do the same with a model
> boat? Maybe have it solar powered? Or is the ocean just to tough for
> such a small boat?