Flying a model airplane in Brazil, with video!
February 23, 2009 4:01 PM Subscribe
First person video of Gabriel flying his model plane around Rio and landing it through the balcony of his 10th story apartment. Here's a greatest moments compilation that includes him launching and retrieving the plane from a boat, a moving train, through tunnels and around high rises. Here he is flying a plane with no engine, using only his car's windshield to generate lift. Also, RC Groups' "What to Buy For Video Piloting." Oh and Brazil is very pretty.
"landing"?
posted by Bezbozhnik at 4:14 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by Bezbozhnik at 4:14 PM on February 23, 2009
nifty!
posted by leotrotsky at 4:21 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by leotrotsky at 4:21 PM on February 23, 2009
That was fantastic, especially the part where he zips through traffic below the trees.
posted by furtive at 4:21 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by furtive at 4:21 PM on February 23, 2009
especially the part where he zips through traffic below the trees.
Imagine being in one of those cars, and I even saw a bicycle, when that little plane come buzzing in 20 feet off the ground. WTF?
posted by netbros at 4:23 PM on February 23, 2009
Imagine being in one of those cars, and I even saw a bicycle, when that little plane come buzzing in 20 feet off the ground. WTF?
posted by netbros at 4:23 PM on February 23, 2009
I would just like to say that "Hocus Pocus," by Focus, is the greatest rock instrumental ever conceived by man or god. Also, these videos are awesome.
posted by steef at 4:28 PM on February 23, 2009 [5 favorites]
posted by steef at 4:28 PM on February 23, 2009 [5 favorites]
I've got a cool, cool uncle. He used to get really high and take this enormous RC plane (like 2m wingspan) out to an empty stadium parking lot, smoke some weed, then sit down in the parking lot and have the thing come straight at him and see how close he could get it to his head. So it would be flying right over his head around 90 miles per hour. One day he got pretty baked and was sitting down, flying the thing around the stadium, and then he went into his head buzz routine, only he forgot that like 20 feet behind him was his awesome, airbrushed, shag carpet interior, mutha-fuckin-pimp conversion van. As in "Hey, do you like vans? Well do ya wanna hang out?" So the thing buzzes him at 90mph, VVRROOOOOOOOMMMMM, and then CRASHES into the van, asploding into pieces and destroying one side of the van. I've got a cool, cool uncle.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:33 PM on February 23, 2009 [11 favorites]
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:33 PM on February 23, 2009 [11 favorites]
Wait, was this the PSA thread?
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:33 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:33 PM on February 23, 2009
Reminds me of some stuff I used to do back in Vice City.
posted by barnacles at 4:36 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by barnacles at 4:36 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
I want to see what the plane looked like after that "landing" ...
posted by T.D. Strange at 4:41 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by T.D. Strange at 4:41 PM on February 23, 2009
I love flying my RC planes, especially slope gliders. I see it as a form of meditation: you can't concentrate on anything else when you have a plane up. This is some brilliant flying - on the car engine link, it's not till the very end where he cuts the engine and flys using the car's "bow wave" as lift. Still some very amazing flying though.
P.S. counting down to the first "omg how irresponsible, he'd lose his AMA insurance in a second in the USA" post. *sigh*
posted by pivotal at 4:44 PM on February 23, 2009
P.S. counting down to the first "omg how irresponsible, he'd lose his AMA insurance in a second in the USA" post. *sigh*
posted by pivotal at 4:44 PM on February 23, 2009
good flying.
I don't understand why r/c guys insist on building airplane-like vehicles when their engines are so ridiculously not like those in 'real' airplanes. such a powerful little engine might as well be strapped to a stabilized brick, a principle aptly demonstrated by the F-104 and later the F-4. why are they wasting time and energy to make it look like an extra300 when it flies nothing like it?
I'm much more interested in an ultra-powerful and nimble remote work platform. a tiny sky crane helicopter if you will. with remote video like a military UAV so I could actually use it to access points usually inaccessible to me. like twenty feet off a cliff at grand canyon or right outside the top floor boardroom of a downtown skyscraper. the photo opportunities seem endless.
there are platforms like KAP that can produce really impressive images but they're kites and balloons and not really something I could launch from a parked car without making it so easy to find me that even the corporate badges can do it. (they're a problem not because I intend on breaking any laws but because they don't care if I am, they just want to hassle people with cameras to all die.)
"so why are you not doing it, krautland?"
because krautland can't drive a nail into a wall, much less build anything involving screws. I just have ideas.
posted by krautland at 4:44 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
I don't understand why r/c guys insist on building airplane-like vehicles when their engines are so ridiculously not like those in 'real' airplanes. such a powerful little engine might as well be strapped to a stabilized brick, a principle aptly demonstrated by the F-104 and later the F-4. why are they wasting time and energy to make it look like an extra300 when it flies nothing like it?
I'm much more interested in an ultra-powerful and nimble remote work platform. a tiny sky crane helicopter if you will. with remote video like a military UAV so I could actually use it to access points usually inaccessible to me. like twenty feet off a cliff at grand canyon or right outside the top floor boardroom of a downtown skyscraper. the photo opportunities seem endless.
there are platforms like KAP that can produce really impressive images but they're kites and balloons and not really something I could launch from a parked car without making it so easy to find me that even the corporate badges can do it. (they're a problem not because I intend on breaking any laws but because they don't care if I am, they just want to hassle people with cameras to all die.)
"so why are you not doing it, krautland?"
because krautland can't drive a nail into a wall, much less build anything involving screws. I just have ideas.
posted by krautland at 4:44 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
I was looking for an old video of an RC copter doing some crazy tricks, and I came across this video of an RC Copter rigged up to fire rockets
posted by delmoi at 4:56 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by delmoi at 4:56 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
I don't understand why r/c guys insist on building airplane-like vehicles when their engines are so ridiculously not like those in 'real' airplanes.
R U happy??
posted by LordSludge at 5:11 PM on February 23, 2009 [6 favorites]
R U happy??
posted by LordSludge at 5:11 PM on February 23, 2009 [6 favorites]
But could the plane take off if it were on a conveyor belt moving in the opposite direction?
posted by Thoughtcrime at 5:33 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by Thoughtcrime at 5:33 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
Can he see the video as the plane is flying?
posted by gottabefunky at 5:42 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by gottabefunky at 5:42 PM on February 23, 2009
DRUG TURF STREET GANG
posted by davejay at 5:45 PM on February 23, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by davejay at 5:45 PM on February 23, 2009 [3 favorites]
Yeah, it's really only a matter of time before these things are being used as armed UAVs for street gang drug turf wars and the like.
or as drug mules. seems kind of difficult to search during a traffic stop.
posted by krautland at 6:04 PM on February 23, 2009
or as drug mules. seems kind of difficult to search during a traffic stop.
posted by krautland at 6:04 PM on February 23, 2009
btw: that draganfly x6 is awesome but $15,000? ouch. I don't need their cameras either, I have my own. build me one for $2,000 and I am your first customer.
posted by krautland at 6:12 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by krautland at 6:12 PM on February 23, 2009
Yeah, I thought I remembered this from awhile back. Flying a two meter remote control plane through a four km tunnel under Stockholm at 70 km/h piloted from inside a car.
posted by netbros at 6:15 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by netbros at 6:15 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Okay, Lord Sludge's FLYING LAWNMOWER is the coolest thing I've seen all month.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 6:55 PM on February 23, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 6:55 PM on February 23, 2009 [3 favorites]
my cousin gets on his surfboard behind the skiboat and then drops the rope and pumps the wake around the lake.
posted by MNDZ at 7:09 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by MNDZ at 7:09 PM on February 23, 2009
What is the music in the first video?
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:22 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:22 PM on February 23, 2009
krautland: I'm pretty sure I've read of UAVs being used for drug-running (kinda like mini-subs are now), but it might just have been border patrol scaremongering / speculation. OTOH, if it hasn't happened yet I don't imagine it'll be much longer.
Speaking of UAVs, DIY Drones often has interesting posts.
posted by hattifattener at 10:01 PM on February 23, 2009
Speaking of UAVs, DIY Drones often has interesting posts.
posted by hattifattener at 10:01 PM on February 23, 2009
I wonder what his 9th floor and 11th floor neighbours think of this? Just a matter of time before he gets it a bit wrong, and ...
posted by woodblock100 at 10:41 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by woodblock100 at 10:41 PM on February 23, 2009
Flying lawnmower:
My first thought was Harry Potter. My second was to suspect that my midnight snack was laced with LSD.
Chasing a plane through a seemingly endless tunnel:
"Lost Tiree, lost Dutch...they came...from...behind..."
First person view of a plane flying into a tall building:
Reminded me of...
Don't get me wrong, watching the first linked video is like being on the world's greatest roller coaster, and yet I felt just a tad queasy about the ending.
/killjoy
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:27 AM on February 24, 2009
My first thought was Harry Potter. My second was to suspect that my midnight snack was laced with LSD.
Chasing a plane through a seemingly endless tunnel:
"Lost Tiree, lost Dutch...they came...from...behind..."
First person view of a plane flying into a tall building:
Reminded me of...
Don't get me wrong, watching the first linked video is like being on the world's greatest roller coaster, and yet I felt just a tad queasy about the ending.
/killjoy
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:27 AM on February 24, 2009
That first video makes me think of that mission in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that I was never able to complete, where you fly a model airplane around and try and shoot up five roaming drug dealers. But then again, it is Rio. Just off camera the model plane´s machine guns were blasting away at rival gangleaders. (Oh and I happen to be in Rio right now. Coincidence? Yes.)
posted by marmaduke_yaverland at 3:48 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by marmaduke_yaverland at 3:48 AM on February 24, 2009
spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints: "I've got a cool, cool uncle. He used to get really high and take this enormous RC plane (like 2m wingspan) out to an empty stadium parking lot, smoke some weed, then sit down in the parking lot and have the thing come straight at him and see how close he could get it to his head."
"He used to get really high and... smoke some weed..."
posted by tehloki at 4:13 AM on February 24, 2009
"He used to get really high and... smoke some weed..."
posted by tehloki at 4:13 AM on February 24, 2009
surely someone has built an RC plane with a camera that feeds its video to a headset he wears in realtime?
posted by 6am at 4:20 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by 6am at 4:20 AM on February 24, 2009
Confirmed: I'm envious of birds.
Also confirmed: If I could fly, I'd be an asshole.
posted by Magnakai at 4:22 AM on February 24, 2009
Also confirmed: If I could fly, I'd be an asshole.
posted by Magnakai at 4:22 AM on February 24, 2009
This sort of thing really freaks out the military. That's why some of their contract work is to come up with systems to shoot down these sort of UAVs.
posted by garlic at 6:54 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by garlic at 6:54 AM on February 24, 2009
I wanted to be the first to say how dangerous this is, but from the way he's catching the plane in the greatest moments compilation, it must be one of the ultralight models. You can see more of it in the buzzard video. Really cool.
The heavier planes can go like 60mph+ and weigh 10lbs+, so that would be really dangerous. People have died from being hit by them before.
posted by no_moniker at 8:03 AM on February 24, 2009
The heavier planes can go like 60mph+ and weigh 10lbs+, so that would be really dangerous. People have died from being hit by them before.
posted by no_moniker at 8:03 AM on February 24, 2009
Some more videos and info over at fpvvideo.com, including some car and trains.
posted by Z303 at 8:15 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by Z303 at 8:15 AM on February 24, 2009
I'm pretty sure he's using an Easy Star which is not only foam, but the prop is actually in the middle of the plane so it can't really hit you. They're easy to modify and popular among UAV builders and the like.
posted by geoff. at 8:28 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by geoff. at 8:28 AM on February 24, 2009
Here's a link that may have been posted a while back of a flying lawnmower. (WMV, yuck). As someone else here said, RC engines are so powerful you could strap one to a cinder block and make it fly.
6am, they do make a video kit for a few hundred that you can attach to your RC plane or car and beam video to some head mounted goggles to give you that VR cockpit view of whatever you're piloting. Pretty cool and definitely something I want to get my hands on at some point.
posted by daHIFI at 8:51 AM on February 24, 2009
6am, they do make a video kit for a few hundred that you can attach to your RC plane or car and beam video to some head mounted goggles to give you that VR cockpit view of whatever you're piloting. Pretty cool and definitely something I want to get my hands on at some point.
posted by daHIFI at 8:51 AM on February 24, 2009
>What is the music in the first video?
It's a medley of "Carcará" and "Pisa na Fulô" — the composer is João do Vale, I'm not sure who sings this version; might be Zé Ramalho.
posted by Tom-B at 9:58 AM on February 24, 2009
It's a medley of "Carcará" and "Pisa na Fulô" — the composer is João do Vale, I'm not sure who sings this version; might be Zé Ramalho.
posted by Tom-B at 9:58 AM on February 24, 2009
surely someone has built an RC plane with a camera that feeds its video to a headset he wears in realtime?
Maybe even with head tracking/tilt control? Videos: 1, 2, 3
posted by Ogre Lawless at 1:55 PM on February 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
Maybe even with head tracking/tilt control? Videos: 1, 2, 3
posted by Ogre Lawless at 1:55 PM on February 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
I want to see what the plane looked like after that "landing" ...
Probably pretty much unscathed. These things are insanely light - it probably just bounced.
posted by dmd at 6:22 AM on February 25, 2009
Probably pretty much unscathed. These things are insanely light - it probably just bounced.
posted by dmd at 6:22 AM on February 25, 2009
« Older 3 on 23-F | Signs of very cool. Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by GuyZero at 4:05 PM on February 23, 2009 [5 favorites]