woo!
Okay, one more from the weekend. This is the same fête that had the amazing model jets last year. Did I post about the amazing model jets? I can’t find anything about them. Well, they were amazing. And they weren’t there this year — I think the bad weather put them off. I imagine those things cost about as much as a small car.
But this dude was there with his badass heliocopter. It’s big — maybe a yard from tip to tail — and it runs on gasoline (or whatever petroleum product those little models use) and it was just gobsmacking what he was doing with it.
Nothing like the relatively slow and stately quad-copters, nuh-uh.
The maneuver in the picture he called “mowing the grass.” Yeah, he’s flying the thing upside down, inches from the ground. He got even closer at one point.
But what really astonished me was watching how hard and fast he could sling it around. I honestly don’t know how it took the momentum, or…what do you call it when you break out of the momentum? Anyway, as far as I’m concerned, he was definitely breaking several important laws of physics.
And if that’s what the civilian toys are like, I couldn’t help wondering what the military had at their disposal. You wouldn’t even have to weaponize them. You could drop one of these buzzing varmints in the middle of a group of Abduls and Mohammads and just fuck with them for a while. I bet you could get them shooting each other in no time, trying to bag the toy.
And another completely unrelated but interesting link: the Hill of Shards.
Posted: June 15th, 2016 under personal.
Comments: 8
Comments
Comment from Uncle Badger
Time: June 15, 2016, 10:14 pm
Apologies for the carp photo. As it was raining, I assumed there would be nothing to shoot so I just took a pocket Lumix with me instead of a DSLR.
Have you ever tried following a fast moving object on one of those rear screen things?
Last year’s jets were very, very cool… Some model maker in Churmany has made a fully flying Concord, which is incredibly good – BIG and even has the raising and lowering snoot.
Comment from Anonymous
Time: June 15, 2016, 11:31 pm
I believe what you’re referring to (break out of the momentum) is technically known as “jerk.”
Comment from Steamboat McGoo
Time: June 16, 2016, 12:07 am
Yeah, Anon, it’s the third derivative of position – i.e. the derivative of acceleration.
Stoaty, those models usually run on ethanol (like me occasionally) and castor oil (unlike me) with a dab of nitro-methane tossed in for aroma (which I love to smell) – er, or maybe as an ignition accelerator.
Comment from Nina
Time: June 16, 2016, 6:32 am
And I thought my expensive hobbies were…expensive! Imagine how much these birds must cost!
Comment from Mr. Dave
Time: June 16, 2016, 7:23 pm
A guy I know machines his own ram jet motors for those toys. I have access to titanium so he’s nice to me. Come on Ramsey Clark. Croak.
Comment from Deborah HH
Time: June 16, 2016, 7:32 pm
Oh I could spend a lot of money on these toys. We used to live near a lake where model boat enthusiasts came to race their speed boats. They were about six feet long and LOUD, and mind-boggling expensive. For that much money a man could buy a real boat (not a speed boat, but still … )
On a more placid note, one Christmas my darling nephew gave ME (not me and Husband, let me be perfectly clear) a set of RF controlled helicopters. Little ones, about eight inches long. They had “laser beams” on the control so you could shoot down the other helicopter.
It was a riot, and as much fun as you can have and still be legal. We had to set time periods and take turns. I had a house full of company and every one wanted to play with the helicopters.
Comment from Steve Skubinna
Time: June 16, 2016, 10:36 pm
Full sized helicopters also violate the laws of physics.
Or at least the laws of common sense.
Comment from Uncle Al
Time: June 17, 2016, 2:49 am
@Steve – an old chopper pilot friend given half a conversational opening will trot out his description of a helicopter: 80% by weight moving parts flying in close formation.
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