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ASARV
Aug 29, 2006 16:58:11 GMT -5
Post by Enceladus Laboratories on Aug 29, 2006 16:58:11 GMT -5
Okay, I have a few preliminary designs of the airframe, as in sketches, done. The one that I'm leaning towards is posted on www.freewebs.com/midwestern_laboratories/engineering.htm . Once we've actually decided on the airframe design, I can engineer it in just a few weeks. Also, I designed the airframe so that it allows us to use the motor to get up to altitude, then cut the motor and glide, turning the motor on and off as needed. This is necessary because we are going to have so much electrical equipment on the aircraft that we don't want to way it down anymore than we have to with batteries.
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ASARV
Aug 30, 2006 0:35:31 GMT -5
Post by chimera388 on Aug 30, 2006 0:35:31 GMT -5
Okay, I like the glider idea, and I also see that you included a long wingspan in the design to accomodate this idea. I assume the GT will disassemble the aircraft for transport to the target area? PS, It takes a REALLY long time to access those pictures. Can you put them on photobucket or somewhere where I can get to it easier?
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ASARV
Aug 30, 2006 7:14:35 GMT -5
Post by enceladus on Aug 30, 2006 7:14:35 GMT -5
Okay, I'll sse about getting those on photobucket. The GT will have to dissasemblt and reassemble the craft, and I'm working on designing it so that it can be done in less than a minute, you know, snap it together like those foam gliders you get at the store.
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ASARV
Aug 31, 2006 20:06:46 GMT -5
Post by Enceladus Laboratories on Aug 31, 2006 20:06:46 GMT -5
Okay, got those sketches up on photobucket, the gallery name is enceladuslaboratories.
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ASARV
Sept 4, 2006 19:08:57 GMT -5
Post by chimera388 on Sept 4, 2006 19:08:57 GMT -5
Okay, I don't know if I alredy discussed this with you, but I want to see if we can put a practice beacon on the UASARV. That way we can locate the target (one that isn't the plane, like a hiker) and drop the Grace on the target, then the GTs can track to the hiker as if he had an ELT. Also, one of my friends says he knows how to get a L'Per on the plane so the plane can DF the target from above the mountains!
Also, magnets may interfere with the radio signal from the plane. We may need to come up with another method for attatching the wings. If you have any eletrical engineering friends, ask them. We will also have a new friend of mine on the team. He will post shortly.
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ASARV
Sept 4, 2006 20:54:16 GMT -5
Post by Enceladus Laboratories on Sept 4, 2006 20:54:16 GMT -5
Okay, that L'Per sounds like a good idea and so does dropping stuff on target. Oh, yeah, one of my friend's dad has a degree in both electrical and mechanical engineering, and he's also an ANG Major (retired). Oh, and good job getting another person for the team.
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ASARV
Sept 4, 2006 21:08:02 GMT -5
Post by Enceladus Laboratories on Sept 4, 2006 21:08:02 GMT -5
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ASARV
Sept 18, 2006 11:56:26 GMT -5
Post by gcolhogue on Sept 18, 2006 11:56:26 GMT -5
(Snip) Also, one of my friends says he knows how to get a L'Per on the plane so the plane can DF the target from above the mountains! (Snip) We will also have a new friend of mine on the team. He will post shortly. Well thats me, I really like the idea of the USARV I think that it has the capacity to save lives, because of that I'm on board 100%. Reading over some of the suggestions, and specs that have been posted there are one or two that if "partially" one may lighten your load... For instance cameras, I can only justify having a forward facing and a downward facing camera, Being a Ground team leader I know that we would not use the rear camera. The parachute i think is a good idea. One thing that concerns me is the overall weight that you are trying to put onto this small airframe... Just something to keep in mind. The "parachute a cell phone in is a good concept Idea, but in all of the operational areas that I have worked in, Cell Phone coverage was non existent. In regard to putting an L'Per on the aircraft, I think that would be the most useful tool that you could put onto an aircraft like this. 9 times out of ten, ground teams cant get reliable signals on their ground equipment. Looking at a set of sticks it would be relatively easy to put an antenna cone on the wingtips, and set the receiver to DF only, to that it makes it easy to fly toward the target and relay the information back to the crew. An ELT, or practice beacon is also an interesting idea and it might be worth following. Perhaps on a later model of the aircraft We could make a "module" as to where a GT could customize their aircraft for the mission. Take the l'per off and add a practice beacon for a missing persons search, or remove the beacon and add the elper for a missing aircraft search.. Let me know what you think. Here in ND I am a Ground Team leader, and when I get back to Colorado this summer I will be a part of the COWG GSAR school, where some great operational testing could occur. Look forward to working with you!
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ASARV
Sept 18, 2006 13:23:08 GMT -5
Post by Chimera388guest on Sept 18, 2006 13:23:08 GMT -5
Impact is from my squadron back home, just for some background. As to adding the l'per. I like the idea a lot. The biggest problem will be getting the data to the GT. The plane might be able to track just fine, but if the GT doesn't know where, so what? I suggest mounting the needle in view of the downward looking camera.
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ASARV
Sept 18, 2006 16:52:16 GMT -5
Post by Enceladus Laboratories on Sept 18, 2006 16:52:16 GMT -5
Well, first of all welcome aboard and glad to have you here! Seocndly, I posted previously on Grunt's Military and said I was going to modify and aircraft, but now, after thinking it over, I do not believe that's a good idea, so we'll stick to what we have here. Now, thirdly, I was thinking another thing to do was maybe hook up an onboard telemetry system, such as RCATS on the UAV ( rcatsystems.com/ ) and as for the wireless cameras, I found some at www.microwireless.net. ,the only thing I don't know about these is how far their range is; it says over 2000 ft, so I don't know really, but they are only $200. Oh, and also, the magnets are a no-go for breakaway wings, the guys at my local R/C shop said that even exposed metal touching other metal will cause too much interference, but he also suggested velcro or rubber-bands, both of which could hold and are easily replaceable. Well, that's just about it for now..plus I gotta go to CAP now .
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ASARV
Sept 18, 2006 18:02:16 GMT -5
Post by Chimera388guest on Sept 18, 2006 18:02:16 GMT -5
My preference would be to bands instead of velcro, yeah, they are harder to repair, byt velcro stops working after a while. New rubberbands are way easier than replacing velcro. Let me know when you begin planning rapid prototyping. Your school have a 3D printer?
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ASARV
Sept 18, 2006 18:09:40 GMT -5
Post by gcolhogue1 on Sept 18, 2006 18:09:40 GMT -5
I like the use of the rubber bands, perhaps something even easier than that... p cord. Im trying to think like a ground team member in the field, and as an "engineer" at the same time.
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ASARV
Sept 19, 2006 0:28:17 GMT -5
Post by chimera388 on Sept 19, 2006 0:28:17 GMT -5
P cord is hard to break. Part of the reason for attatching like this is not only for manual breakdown, but for dynamic breaking should it crash, preserving the aircraft. I think P-Cord is a little too awesome for that job. I think you and I have a good mix for that, Bob. You being the groundpounder, me being the engineer. Hopefully, we will get a product that the CAP really likes.
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ASARV
Sept 19, 2006 7:03:28 GMT -5
Post by Enceladus Laboratories on Sept 19, 2006 7:03:28 GMT -5
Yeah, at my school we have a 3d printer...and a printer that prints A, B, C, and D size paper. Also, I have Inventor Professional Version 10 at school (do you know what that is?) Oh, and my old middle school science teacher makes his own high strength rubber bands, so I might be able to get some from him too. And, while I'm here and posting I might as well tell y'all that e may have more resources because I joined the Technology Student Association (TSA) and it's like a community service/competition for middle and high school technology students.
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ASARV
Sept 19, 2006 9:42:35 GMT -5
Post by chimera388 on Sept 19, 2006 9:42:35 GMT -5
Is Inventor Pro 10 a CAD program? We use CTIA at ERAU.
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