Aeronautics students can shatter records even with small model planes. Sounds interesting, read on. A group of Aeronautics and Astronautics students from Stanford tested their battery-operated autonomous aircrafts at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center. Made in balsawood and foam the group flew the $500 DIY pane four times to muster a record for a self-piloted Blue Panther.
Failing in the first attempt to get it there, the autonomous plane managed about 7,142 feet, before the team lost contact with it, but the intelligent thing was good enough to land safely, thus setting the record for the highest flight by an autonomous model airplane. The third attempt at the Edwards Air Force Base flew to approximately the same height before losing out.
In the final attempt the aircraft made it to 8169 feet, winds made the craft crash from such heights, owing to which the flight that’s highest cannot be counted for the record. Enjoy the video for some real eye-treat.
Via: StanfordNews/GadgetLab
