

R/C SR-71 - skotzko
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=SDbQ5xvsrIU

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starpilot
There are many RC models of unique aircraft. Here's one based off the Horten
brothers' flying parabola:
[http://static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/1/6/2/3/6/1/a1...](http://static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/1/6/2/3/6/1/a1390320-156-Horten%20Parabola%20Aerotow2007.jpg?d=1184348723).
The Hortens were WW2 german aircraft designers who specialized in flying
wings.

This RC SR-71 of course doesn't implement the most technically challenging
features of the actual aircraft: ramjet propulsion and titanium skin. It's a
very cool looking toy though.

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sliverstorm
(Also its top speed and flight ceiling, the handling of which posed unique
challenges for the time)

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ronnier
I highly recommend a visit to the Museum of Flight in Seattle where you can
see a real SR-71 Blackbird. It doesn't look like it came from this planet,
gave me the chills thinking about the people who created it.

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astrodust
Or when they created it. The first manned flight was in 1903. In less than
sixty years we had this plane. That's unbelievable.

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ortusdux
Few things about that plane that are not amazing. There is an engine on
display at the aforementioned exhibit in Seattle. Every tube on the outside
runs in a 'Z' configuration instead of just a straight line, because the
engine grows 6 inches longer at full operational temperature.

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__float
I think calling it a drone is a bit misleading. It's a radio controlled model
aircraft.

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ethank
Such a beautiful plane. I got the chance to see the second to the last flight
of the NASA SR-71 at Edwards AFB in I think 2001 or 2000. The airplane is
other worldly, loud as hell and simply beautiful.

They did a full Mach 3 overhead pass (at 50k feet I think) and also a bunch of
slow and high speed passes before it landed and it did a close up crowd taxi-
by. The engines at idle have a unique noise, different than any other jet they
had.

From the front its a higher pitch noise due to the fact that you're hearing
the eddies off the compressor (the engine had no slow RPM fan like most
military jets), and from the back like the worlds largest hair dryer.

At take off, it sent up a rooster tail of dust from the runway that went for a
half mile.

Sad that they retired the bird. Kelly Johnson was a super hero engineer.

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alevans4
Impressive. My initial reaction watching the clip is that he got the sound
right (loud). I've stood near the runway as a real Blackbird took off and
could feel my chest rattle from the sound as it rolled by.

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quinndupont
That's pretty amazing, however, the title is a bit misleading. He made an RC
Blackbird replica: not a drone, not life-size, not immune to radar, not
weaponized, thus not a Blackbird.

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micheljansen
That is just amazing. When I was a kid, I loved to read about high-tech
aircraft and space ships and I recall that the SR-71 was known for being hard
to handle at low velocities and altitudes (something about the shape of the
plane). I wonder if the same is true about the small version. It looks easy
enough in the video.

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shazow
Wow, the most impressive thing is that he actually managed to land it while
controlling remotely. That must have taken a lot of experience and skill.

I'd feel more comfortable writing some autopilot landing code for the thing
than to trust myself to not ruin months of work.

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ceejayoz
Remote control aircraft hobbyists get pretty used to weeks/months worth of
work smashing into trees, the ground, etc. That's why you start off on the
small, cheap projects first.

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ajray
RC Aircraft nerd here. This is very cool, but not at all uncommon (while this
particular model is, making scale remote-control versions are not). Pulse-jet
aircraft are some of the coolest things you can fly, but need a big field (for
safety reasons).

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runjake
"Drone" implies autonomous, or pre-programmed planned flight. This is an RC
aircraft. Cool, nonetheless.

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__float
This was my immediate reaction as well. But with a bit of consideration, I
don't really think this is the case. Interesting connotation though.

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geuis
There is no need to capitalize the word garage in the title. Also, the title
should indicate this is a video.

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georgieporgie
I'm surprised the aerodynamics work at scale and slow speed. Very nice work!
(Incidentally, I'm always amazed at the eyesight these guys seem to have, I'd
have no idea which way it was pointed)

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watmough
If you have enough power, almost anything will fly.

$100 (US foam kit, order electronics etc., straight from HobbyKing in Hong
Kong) or so and few evenings work and you can make something like this...
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPATzx-Nx-4>

Just google for 3D foamies, I have one and it's enormous fun. Can be flown
like a regular r/c aircraft also, not just for stunts, and they will carry
keyring cameras easily, just tape it on.

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georgieporgie
My personal favorite flying oddities are the lawnmowers:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNWfqVWC2KI>

The reason that the SR-71 surprised me is that it seems like it doesn't have
that much wing area (which is probably somewhat counterintuitive given the
length), _and_ it wasn't flying at a significant upward angle like those
foamies.

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watmough
Ahhh, if I remember right, the whole thing is basically a wing, and will fly
at some slight positive angle of attack.

As far as the model goes, it is probably constructed to be extremely light. It
certainly appeared to have quite sprightly performance, implying lightness,
since ducted fans aren't known for their especially high thrust.

