About our R/C Plane Challenge...

The original goal was to build an RC plane that was free of the usual limitations of RC flight.

The things that most annoyed me about RC flight are the usual short battery life or fuel time and the tight area in which you have to fly due to signal issues and sight problems.

When I'd just started RC flying I had what was probably the cheapest RC plane you could get. Ready to fly within a few minutes of opening the box. It didn't even have control surfaces but two motors that would between them control everything.

Then, one day, this thing went so high I could barely see it... It was waaaay up there. I have a photo of it but it's almost impossible to see.

Now, this was just a cheap plane. It was hard not to imagine what you could do with a purpose built plane...

Would an RC plane then be able to reach 30,000ft above sea level? As the idea got bounced around everyone seemed to like it so we just thought we'd get going with it. Then, the idea came to make the actual flight into a charity event. Media would love it and it could raise a bit for something useful.

The Main Challenges

Along the way will be numerous obstacles to overcome. These include things such as:

Airframe, Engine and Prop Design/Selection. This is a huge subject but we'll do our best to takle it in the tech pages on the plane. In brief we have to consider prop diameter and pitch, engine power/rpm characteristics, wing design (airfoil, aspect ratio etc) and the general equations of lift and drag. Lots of trade studies. Obviously all the above is made primarily for the low air density at the 'design point' - 30,000ft.
Power Supply. A very large amount of energy is needed to get the plane to high altitude. Not just for engine power but also for radio reception, transmission and powering of servos and onboard GPS and video components.
Radio Connections. Traditional radio control transmitters don't have enough range, and to get them further would require more power than is allowed so we need to look at alternative frequencies... This is quite a heavy subject so the details will end up in the technical pages.
GPS and Video. Both need to be extremely lightweight yet very accurate and high resolution. We can't have the video cutting out on us since this will be giving the pilot's eye view to fly by along with GPS. You can get some nice software now that displays real-time GPS on screen graphically.
Altitude and Air Temp. Up high we must expect the air temperature to be WELL below freezing. Infact, at 30,000ft it can be around -47C. The radio control plane equipment has to be tested to make sure it withstands these conditions.
Funding. Step one of the project is to get the plane itself built for which you'll see the donation system. The second step will be sponsorship for charity when we do the flight. Details to come.
Finding and Getting to a Suitable Location. Location is a bit of an issue. LOL. I laugh because there seems to be no one perfect place. Location has to be decided by laws, weather, populations, air traffic etc.

The best options seem to be some of the glider flying sites in the north of England.

How You Can Help

There are a few ways to help. Firstly, if you can support us it is very much appreciated.

Secondly, help spread the word! And if you know anyone who might like to help us, let them know.

Lastly, keep up to date with the sign up form below...

Stay Up-to-date

Above all else, this project is meant to be FUN. Whether we succeed with the specific altitude goal or not.

So as not to miss any news, videos or photos, sign up here to get free updates on the challenge! You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks, Paul


	About our R/C Plane Challenge... The original goal was to build an RC plane that was free of the usual limitations of RC flight. The things that most annoyed me about RC flight are the usual short battery life or fuel time and the tight area in which you have to fly due to signal issues and sight problems. When I'd just started RC flying I had what was probably the cheapest RC plane you could get. Ready to fly within a few minutes of opening the box. It didn't even have control surfaces but two motors that would between them control everything. Then, one day, this thing went so high I could barely see it... It was waaaay up there. I have a photo of it but it's almost impossible to see. Now, this was just a cheap plane. It was hard not to imagine what you could do with a purpose built plane... Would an RC plane then be able to reach 30,000ft above sea level? As the idea got bounced around everyone seemed to like it so we just thought we'd get going with it. Then, the idea came to make the actual flight into a charity event. Media would love it and it could raise a bit for something useful. The Main Challenges Along the way will be numerous obstacles to overcome. These include things such as: Airframe, Engine and Prop Design/Selection. This is a huge subject but we'll do our best to takle it in the tech pages on the plane. In brief we have to consider prop diameter and pitch, engine power/rpm characteristics, wing design (airfoil, aspect ratio etc) and the general equations of lift and drag. Lots of trade studies. Obviously all the above is made primarily for the low air density at the 'design point' - 30,000ft. Power Supply. A very large amount of energy is needed to get the plane to high altitude. Not just for engine power but also for radio reception, transmission and powering of servos and onboard GPS and video components. Radio Connections. Traditional radio control transmitters don't have enough range, and to get them further would require more power than is allowed so we need to look at alternative frequencies... This is quite a heavy subject so the details will end up in the technical pages. GPS and Video. Both need to be extremely lightweight yet very accurate and high resolution. We can't have the video cutting out on us since this will be giving the pilot's eye view to fly by along with GPS. You can get some nice software now that displays real-time GPS on screen graphically. Altitude and Air Temp. Up high we must expect the air temperature to be WELL below freezing. Infact, at 30,000ft it can be around -47C. The radio control plane equipment has to be tested to make sure it withstands these conditions. Funding. Step one of the project is to get the plane itself built for which you'll see the donation system. The second step will be sponsorship for charity when we do the flight. Details to come. Finding and Getting to a Suitable Location. Location is a bit of an issue. LOL. I laugh because there seems to be no one perfect place. Location has to be decided by laws, weather, populations, air traffic etc. The best options seem to be some of the glider flying sites in the north of England. How You Can Help There are a few ways to help. Firstly, if you can support us it is very much appreciated. Secondly, help spread the word! And if you know anyone who might like to help us, let them know. Lastly, keep up to date with the sign up form below... Stay Up-to-date Above all else, this project is meant to be FUN. Whether we succeed with the specific altitude goal or not. So as not to miss any news, videos or photos, sign up here to get free updates on the challenge! You can unsubscribe at any time. Thanks, Paul First Name: Email: