MyGeekShowBanner.pngtopMyGeekShowHome.pngtopBeginnerToExpert.pngtopTheAirplanes.pngtopWatchmygeekshow.pngtopUSATrip.pngtopTheForum.pngtopAboutUs.png
 
USA Trip Details

Overview
We're planning on flying an RC airplane all 3,000 miles across the United States sometime in 2014.

Announcement & Additional Details Video


4 Year Plan
2011: Year of Flight. We wanted to master general flight dynamics, including
1) Design: wing shape, aspect ratio, thrust ratio, and prop selection, and
2) Implementation: how to fly in wind, how to take off from the ground via launcher, carriage, and hand launch, and how to fly with agility.
In short, we want to be able to build a high-performance airplane from scratch that can match or exceed a kit.

2012: Year of FPV & Technology Aided Flight. As we will be flying out of sight of the airplane most of the time, we'll need tons of technology to help us get to our landing spot miles away. We'll need autopilot so we don't have to hold the airplane steady for 12 hours a day, On Screen Display to show us critical information (amp hours used, altitude, heading, etc.), GPS integration to tell us where we are, where we're headed, and how to get there, Return Home functionality in case we lose signal and need to recover the airplane, gyroscopes to help the flight be stable, etc.
   
We will also be covering the following topics: transmitters, receivers, range limitations, video equipment, cameras, how to record on a laptop, how not to interfere with the signals that control our airplane, how to select optimal transmission frequencies (900 mhz, 2.8 ghz, 5.8 ghz), how to fly from a camera perspective, how to build an airplane that gives an unimpeded view, how to build an airplane that can carry all this equipment, how to make the airplane aerodynamic with all this stuff onboard, etc.

2013: Year of Long-Range Endurance. We need to get to the point where we can fly miles away at high speed for over an hour. We'll learn how to build fast, efficient, powerful airplanes that can, without stopping to cool down or recharge, cut through a hundred miles of air in less than an hour and a half.

2014: Year of Trip Preparation and Execution. Lastly, 2014 will be the year of building the actual airplane that will make the journey, gathering all the support equipment, practicing with the team that will travel with us, and, finally, making the trip of a lifetime.



Safety Statements:
  1. We will NOT make this trip unless it is safe, legal, and socially responsible to do so. Besides, we are going to post the video online for the whole world to see anyway.
  2. This trip is still years away, and a lot can change during that time, so we can't predict what the legal/social environment will be when that day comes. We want to be able to make the trip at that time if it is appropriate to do so.
  3. We have no reason to fly within three miles of an airport (we will, in fact, stay MUCH farther from airports at all times). We will obey the current and any subsequent FAA notice(s) to successfully make the journey.
  4. We are planning this trip with safety--not convenience or speed--in mind. We are making detailed plans to completely avoid airports (from major to local sizes), cities, hospitals, schools, stadiums, and basically anything that is sensitive that should be avoided. This will add significant travel time and planning effort to the trip, but it is the right thing to do.
  5. We realize that there isn't a 1-mile by 3,000-mile unoccupied public park we can fly over all the way from San Diego to Boston. We realize that there will be times when we fly over a home or place of business. We do not take this lightly. We will not make this trip unless we have established, tested, and proved multiple redundant safety mechanisms. This is why it is going to take us years of testing, learning, and proving to make this trip.
  6. A majority of the trip is going to be near interstate highways, where there is nothing but pastures and open fields.
  7. And finally: We know that there will be those in and out of our hobby that will still disagree with the trip no matter what precautions we take, and we do not intend to be disrespectful in pursuing this goal.
We're always open to ideas on how to make this trip safer and constructive to our hobby's image.

Thanks!

-Trent & Nick
 
 
lwrHome.pnglwrBeginnerToExpert.pnglwrTheAirplanes.pnglwrWatchmygeekshow.pnglwrusatrip.pnglwrTheForum.pnglwrAboutUs.png
Legalese: Be a safe and responsible member of society, know you and your equipment's limits, check local and national laws, and don't try what we do unless you are ready and able to take personal responsibility for the outcomes. We take safely precautions and conduct legal research for each episode that may not be shown during episodes.