My Graduation Project

[j.m.]

I am a junior in High School right now, and I need to make a tangible product and an inquiry based research paper about something that interests me.

I am thinking about trying to make some sort of DLG with a video camera on the bottom that soldiers, law enforcement, etc... can use for moderately close range surveillance, in an easy to use and compact package. (wing breaks down, and tail comes off.)

Any idea's?

[Modelholic]

Sounds like a fun project. I'm not sure about the DLG approach. I realise that the quiet nature is appealing but without some sort of motive power this might be single use only. I can't land my glider at my feet more than one time in ten!! Also a soldier would need to reveal his position and also expose himself to enemy fire in the launch phase. An electric powered glider would allow you to keep the same general planform if you wish. I think the first thing I would do is choose my "camera" and then design the plane around it and the necessary systems i.e radio, motor batteries etc.
Good luck!!

[j.m.]

The idea of the plane was to see over some sort of obstacle that the user didn't want to go around/through. (i.e. a building or tree line.) He wouldn't have to expose himself to do this.

[bebev]

The use of a hand launch glider or a powered plane would restrict its use to off the street open spaces. For use around buildings and telephone pole wires a small electric powered helicopter would be more suitable.
Wind and weather conditions would be a factor to be dealt with and considered.

So yes in certain places and weather conditions any one type of aircraft could be used. but would be restricted by its capability to operate in that particular environment.

Good luck with the project.

[Texas Buzzard]

GO ON FULL SPEED AHEAD WITH YOUR PROJECT. GOOD TO SEE YOUNG GUYS HAVE SOME INGENUITY AND ENERGY.

JUST TRY THE GLIDER WITHOUT THE CAMERA AT FIRST....I KNOW AS YOU GO STEP BY STEP YOU WILL LEARN SO MUCH YOU'LL BE BUSY EVERY DAY...

JUST LIKE A BASEBALL PLAYER CANT GO FROM h.s. TO THE BIG LEAGUES AND HIT HOME RUNS - ----> YOU MUST GO THRU THE LEARNING CURVR.................TAKE THE BABY STEPS AT FIRST....GO EASY .. IY WILL COME!!!

[j.m.]

Yeah, um...

The only hard part will be designing a camera that has true live feed, without a big heavy transmitter.

Making a composite DLG is like a walk in the park for me.

[spyder11]

check out the video piloting forum.. you'll learn a lot and it is a perfect way to achieve this goal.. 1mi long radius of range is common. you fly fpv, or first person view

[j.m.]

FPV will NOT work for a battle field or hazardous environment (you WILL get shot).

I was thinking more of a screeen attached to a Tx.

Anyways...

I talked to my God father, and he says that getting a live video feed and an UBER small camera will be very feasable.

Also, all of the FPV systems I have seen in won't fit in a DLG fuse.

[jdlightening]

hey im doing my grad project on UAVs and am trying to build a prototype UAV that has VTOL. Which highschool do you go to??

[j.m.]

That's some complicated programming you'd have to use for that...

Sound fun, though!

I go to Leesville Rd. High. I'm guessing your a junior, too?

*Update*

Met with my godfather...

We went over a few things, I roughed out some hotwire templates, and he showed me the little camera he had.

TINY! About half a 9v battery in all dimensions, (I.E. a little cube) for the camera WITH the transmitter inside it. Video quality is great, and we tested the range out to ~250' going from a tree house to inside his garage. Didn't get any problems at that range. So, I'm guessing that we could probably go close to 600' or maybe 700' without a concrete building between the Tx and Rx.

I now have my hotwire table set up, and i'm slowly putting the finishing touches on my templates.