What is the difference between a drone, a model and a light plane?

Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2013/12/26/drone_plane_madness_with_canon/

We go shooting UAVs in Essex

Posted in Bootnotes, 26th December 2013 10:02 GMT

Christmas is over, it’s grey outside, and you want to look at pages of blue skies, exotic locations, and smooth, aerodynamic models. Yes, you’re ready for El Reg’s dabble in the extreme end of modelling... aircraft modelling that is.

Way back in the summer we were invited to a day out at Stow Maries, a refurbished WW1 aerodrome in Essex. The object of the day was to test out Canon’s top end photographic kit, including its EF 200-400mm 200-400mm f/4L IS USM extender 1.4x lens, which we were were using with an EOS 5D Mk III body.

This is the sort of kit wildlife photographers rely on to get right up close to something with sharp teeth, incredible markings and the ability to disappear in an instant. Unfortunately, there’s not much in that line within spitting distance of the M25, so the next best thing is planes.

So it was that we were treated to a display of both full size aerobatic aircraft, and some seriously large detailed models.

Now, your writer's experience of aircraft extends to checking SeatGuru before accepting any seat assignment, keeping his elbows in when the meal is served, and never knowingly getting into anything with propellers.

As for model planes... well we’ve not paid an awful lot of attention since the heyday of Why Don’t You. Yes, we’ve been tempted by some of those helicopters in Maplins. But model planes? It’s all a bit geeky, but not really like real flying. Is it?

Well, how do you like the idea of spending tens of thousands of pounds servicing your own jet engines, or getting certified for the sort of flying skills that keep the US and UK's expanding fleet of UAVs in the air.

An RC T33 Shooting Star reaches for the clouds

If speed, and noise is what you’re after, something like that red-and-white T1 Hawk, or the T33 Shooting Star might be more in your line. The T33’s engines, we’re informed, deliver 36lbs of thrust, while the Hawk's delivers around 50lbs - Yves Rossy uses four of the same JetCat P200SX engines on his flying suit. The A10 Warthog’s two engines give around 2x160 Newtons, or around 72 lbs in all.

Red and White and flying all over Essex

Sopwith - it's not just a DOS game

The biplanes come from Dawn Patrol, whose mission is to produce incredibly exact replicas of WW1 aircraft, like the one-third scale Fokker D7 and Sopwith Pup you see here. Dawn Patrol are part of the Large Model Association, which specifies an incredibly high level of detail, covering everything down to the fabric that covers the airframe and the stitching.

Vould you be so good as to give me ein push...

Dogfight east of Barking

Some of the same people behind Dawn Patrol are are also responsible for the refurbished model of the Handley Page Hannibal you see here. With a 14 foot (4.2m) wingspan and coming in over 20kg, this is again in the Civil Aviation Authority’s light aircraft category.

An expensive habit? How much free time do you have?

It only looks like they're using this Handley Page HP.42 as a picnic table

Something like the Hawk might cost in the line of £10,000 to £20,000. (That's only slightly more than the camera kit we were using.) The engine alone - something like the JetCat P200SX - will be £4,000. Forget the AA batteries. It runs on the same Jet A1 fuel as regular full size jets - otherwise known as kerosene.

Nope, I can't see the pilot either

The shell comes as a kit. You’re going to have to put it together yourself - or pay someone to assemble it. Other add-ons, such as gyros to smooth the flight, a cockpit kit, even a pilot, will of course bump up the price. And you’re going to want a special paintjob, aren’t you? We’re reliably informed that, assuming you have a day job, two to three months solid work in the evenings and weekends should get you into the air.

And how much air?

Something like the Hawk will weigh upwards of 20kg, putting it within the scope of the CAA’s regulations on light manned aircraft. So, you’ll need the appropriate credentials and exemptions to allow you to get your new baby off the ground.

You’ll then be legal for 400 feet, or 1,500 feet if you’re operating from an airfield that can put out a message to airmen warning them not to overfly. As for speeds? No one made any particular claims in our earshot, but apparently you're talking upwards of 160mph (320kmph) for the jets, with the record standing at around 300mph. As it was, snapping these things in flight was a matter of luck more than judgment. Part of the luck being having pro-level kit.

This starts to sound like being a real pilot doesn’t it?

But for £20,000 you could buy your own plane couldn’t you? Why footle around with models? Well, as one insider put it to us, “We all ... could do full size, but can’t be bothered.”

First there’s the appeal of being able to pour your cash into amassing a collection of (frankly gorgeous looking) models rather than diverting a large amount of your available air bucks into hangerage, airport fees, maintenance and the like. Not to mention fuel.

Spaff all your cash on a gorgeous model...

Then the fact that going for a full pilot’s licence allows you to fly... where exactly? As our insider puts it, the UK skies are horribly congested. And on top of that, there’s the various levels of grading you need each time you want to try a different model of plane.

Anyway, our mole predicted, before too long, your average airshow will largely consist of models, if only because the real things will be too rare, if not unsafe, to risk over a crowded airfield. Or put another way, if you’ve got £20k to spare, you too can be Douglas Bader, Chuck Yaeger, or Snoopy, and show off to an ooh-ing, ahhh-ing crowd.

If you want to take it to the logical conclusion, military aviation is increasingly becoming the province of un-manned drones anyway, and at tomorrow’s airshows, the “pilots” will be the ones tapping standing at the side of the runway, tapping an iPad.

Drones? Get used to 'em

The received wisdom appears to be be that the leading edge of the RC world is about 10 years behind the military world. Whispers suggest that the military world is quite happy to tap the expertise of top RC flyers - though the people in blue and khaki are not prepared to give the RC world the sort of access to the GPS network that allows military drones to effectively “knock on the door” - or just blow it down.

Still, craft like the DJI Phantom quadcopter pictured above can apparently operate within an accuracy of about a metre. Good, but not quite good enough for government work. Still, at around £1,500 “in the air” with 15 minutes flight time and the ability to lift a kilo, you could certainly get plenty of HD footage of your neighbours, even if you can’t actually wipe them off the map.

Your great grandfather's introduction to aviation was something like this

Liked those pictures? Here's some more...

The Warthog, not the prettiest, but quite a mover

We didn't catch the name of this plane, but we like it

We think this is a Hellcat This is a Republic P-47C, thank you pedantic commentards - either way, it's terribly nice looking

There's no truth in the rumours that the Royal Air Force Fleet Air Arm, as represented by this Hawker Sea Fury, is shrinking

If you want to find out more about the serious end of model aviation, you should probably start with the British Model Flying Association and the Large Model Association.