AirCon

[shanker]

I still dont know what to call this event. but i figure since the military has drone planes. why cant we.

So i have been thinking about this contest for a while now. So here it is. Any Dc group that would like to join in can. The contest is really simple.

1. build a model airplane 1/8th scale gas or electric
2. figure out a way to fly that plane to las vegas for con.
3. The plane has to make this trip self guided (the use of gps and satalite are ok)
4. the plane's that make it will be judged buy a group of elected people.

I have started building my 1/8 th scale model now here are some pictures http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/Shanker511/?albumview=grid

also i got my plans free on line. they need some fine tweeking but they are quite easy to fallow. here is the site http://www.parkerinfo.com/plans/applans1.htm

so tell you what you all think of this idea it is not set in stone yet so the rules could change. :biggrin:

[erehwon]

I still dont know what to call this event. but i figure since the military has drone planes. why cant we.

So i have been thinking about this contest for a while now. So here it is. Any Dc group that would like to join in can. The contest is really simple.

1. build a model airplane 1/8th scale gas or electric
2. figure out a way to fly that plane to las vegas for con.
3. The plane has to make this trip self guided (the use of gps and satalite are ok)
4. the plane's that make it will be judged buy a group of elected people.

[...]

so tell you what you all think of this idea it is not set in stone yet so the rules could change. :biggrin:

OK, lemme make sure I've got this right as I have a 1/8 scale MQ-1 (with 1/8 scale Hellfire missles) sitting right next to me out at sunny Homey Airport, and it needs to fly to Las Vegas?!? Will there be extra points if the plane flies in from say... Peoria, IL? :biggrin:

[Deviant Ollam]

figure out a way to fly that plane to las vegas for conmaybe i'm misunderstanding something, but how on earth is the plane supposed to make it that far without recharging or getting additional gas? or is part of the challenge to build a model in-flight refueling fleet.

[Thorn]

Lessee, fly to waypoint; Refuel/recharge. Rinse, repeat. At say, 5 miles to each flight, and oh, 20MPH and refueling taking 15 minutes. That's a half hour for each waypoint traveled. I can probably cover 40 miles daily, figuring in things like weather, repairs, sleep. At 2400 mile to Las Vegas, that works out to a mere straight 60 days travel time.

Looks like I'll pass.

If you want to do some sort of autonomous/robotic flying competition, my suggestion would be to set your sites a little lower initially. Maybe finding space outside Vegas and have the competitors fly a closed circuit with points for hitting each waypoint exactly. That would be a realistic enough goal that you might actually get it organized and off the ground in time for DC16.

[DJ Jackalope]

I think the best solution to all of this and to winning the contest would be to make the airplane solar powered. So how small and how light are solar units?

[shanker]

Thorn That is a good idea haveing a place in vegas where we can fly the planes. I guess seing how far the planes can fly autonomous/robotic flying competition. so what do you all think about that ? It is not like this contest is set in stone so i think having it in vegas would be a better idea since it is more practical.

"If you want to do some sort of autonomous/robotic flying competition, my suggestion would be to set your sites a little lower initially. Maybe finding space outside Vegas and have the competitors fly a closed circuit with points for hitting each waypoint exactly. That would be a realistic enough goal that you might actually get it organized and off the ground in time for DC16." -Thorn

[erehwon]

I think the best solution to all of this and to winning the contest would be to make the airplane solar powered. So how small and how light are solar units?

Entirely doable, there stands a 48 hour flight (http://www.acpropulsion.com/solong/48_hour_flight.htm) on the record books. However if this contest were to happen, you'd want to have it as far far away from the strip as possible, otherwise DHS/FBI JTTF would have a cow wondering if any of these planes were packing a dispersal agent onboard. :eek:

[shanker]

erehwon that is cool thanks for the link. I know it could be done. I had a friend that did it. or said that he had flown a plane from colorado to canada. in a 48hour flite. but i wonder where in vegas we could fly...here is what that plane looked like

Wingspan: 4.75m
Wing area: 1.50 m2
Mass: 12.6 kg
Power sources: 120 Sanyo 18650 Li-Ion cells
76 Sunpower: A300 solar cells
Solar panel nom. power: 225 W
Battery mass: 5.50 kg
Max motor power: 800W
Min electrical power for level flight: 95W
Stored energy: 1200Wh
Speed range: 27 to 50 mph
Max. climb rate: 2.5 m/s
Control and telemetry range: 8,000m

I wonder what else i would have to do to get this off the ground. I think it sounds like a kick ass contest.

[erehwon]

Any thoughts of making this a little easier logistically?

Given the general spirit of unmanned vehicles, but the pain of lugging them to Vegas and then finding a safe location to fly them. Any thoughts about holding a mini DARPA Grand Challenge (http://www.darpa.mil/GRANDCHALLENGE/), traversing a set course in and around the Riviera Hotel?

[shanker]

i could see us setting up a place inside the hotel to do it . building a unmanded plane of auto . that finds it way arround the hotel. or compleats a task like finding someone or something using camera's or something ?

[TheCotMan]

Due to issues that came up in the past, if you want to run a contest, try to keep it in the convention area, which includes all convention spaces, skyboxes, or the Chill-Out space. Based on announcement from the past: no contest should bleed out into casino space, the guest/hotel space, or even the hallways between convention spaces. If you want to have something take place outside, but not in the chill-out space, you'll want to talk to Russ or DT about space for another event or contest.

I think that a game of Fox/Hound, or similar contest bled out into the non-convention space, the first year we were at the Riv. People in the contest running around various hallways with "scary electronics equipment" (computers, antenna, etc) caused some concern with Riv employees.

From history, you do no't need to do anything wrong or illegal to get banned from the Riv; by example, they have enforced, "guilt by association," when you consider the Asshole incident, and people in the same room, or present when security arrived.

I don't know local laws, or federal laws on where a contest on automatic, self-controlled aircraft would be permitted, but it would make sense that there should be space in the desert that surrounds Las Vegas to avoid problems.

[erehwon]

Any thoughts about holding a mini DARPA Grand Challenge (http://www.darpa.mil/GRANDCHALLENGE/), traversing a set course in and around the Riviera Hotel?

Lemme try making this post a little clearer for those that missed the above link... forgo the plane, use instead a RC car/truck/tank etc and then traverse a ground course around a section of the Riviera convention space. (Thanks Cot!) :biggrin:

[TheCotMan]

Lemme try making this post a little clearer for those that missed the above link... forgo the plane, use instead a RC car/truck/tank etc and then traverse a ground course around a section of the Riviera convention space. (Thanks Cot!) :biggrin:

Oh, I know *you* know about that. :-)

My comments were about the post between yours and mine that mentioned, "around the hotel," as a possible location for such a contest, and I wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page. I had visions of people following an automated device with laptops, video displays mirroring camera output, up elevators, around the building, onto loading docs, around the parking structure, and into hotel rooms. ("Oh no! Killer robots are invading the hotel! The hackers are trying to kill us!")

If you all want to move forward with such a contest and want space for it, now would be the best time to contact Russ to find out what is available. (Yes, I know you know about this too, but mention this so other people considering a plan for this consider a timeline to make it happen.)

[shanker]

So i could see a RC con but that kind of makes me think about defcon 11 where robotcon started. the contest was build a robot that would pilot its way through a corse and pick up an object and place it in a basket. I would love to build an rc car but planes are just much cooler.

[DaKahuna]

There is a very large parking space behind the hotel if someone wanted to play with radio controlled items I think a very nice course could be set up there. Also there is a parking garage adjacent to this parking area which can be a great observation area.

Just some food for thought.

[shanker]

That sounds good, about the parking garage or even the parking lot. I think that would rock since the weather really does't change down there. I e-mailed russ to see what he thought about the whole idea. I am still waiting on a responce from him. Well I guess I will talk it over with the 719 foke and see if we can some up with a concreat contest for con. That would rock.