Collaborate Disseminate
Multirotor drones truly took off with the availability of lithium polymer batteries, brushless motors, and cheap IMUs. Their performance continues to improve, but their flight time remains relatively short due to the limits of battery technology. [Nicolai Valenti] aims to solve the problem by developing a hybrid generator for drones. …read more
Continue reading Hybrid Drones Could Have Massively Extended Flight Times
Russia has long been known for making large machines. They hold the current record for the largest helicopter ever made – the MiL V12. Same goes for the world’s largest airplane, the Antonov An-225. Largest submarine? Yep, they made that too – the Typhoon class. It would appear they’ve thrown their hat in the drone business as well.
While the SKYF drone is made by a private Russian company, it is one of the largest drones we’ve ever seen. Able to lift 400 pounds (a Phantom 3 weighs 2.8 pounds) and can fly for eight hours, the SKYF drone is …read more
Continue reading Russian Drone Can Lift 142 Phantom 3 Drones
Researchers are worried that doctors treating refugees might misdiagnose the resulting illness as pneumonia. Continue reading African Refugees Say They’re Being Forced to Inhale Gasoline as a Sedative
[amazingdiyprojects] has been making lots of test flights in his crazy eight propeller gasoline powered danger bucket.
We last covered the project when he had, unfortunately, wrecked the thing in a remote-controlled test flight. He later discovered that the motor’s crankshaft bearings had, well, exploded. The resulting shrapnel destroyed the motor and crashed the drone. He described this failure mode as “concerning”.
Also concerning is the act of stepping into the seat once all the propellers are started up. He tags this as “watch your step or die”. Regardless, he also describes flying in the thing as so incredibly fun …read more
Continue reading Repaired Manned Multicopter Flies without Horrifying Crash