A Flight of Transatlantic Fancy

Washington Post ^ | August 14, 2003 | William Wan

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

A Flight of Transatlantic Fancy Silver Spring Man Achieves Dream With First Model Plane Trip Across Ocean By William Wan Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, August 14, 2003; Page B03

An 11-pound airplane crossed the Atlantic this weekend and flew into history. It carried no passengers and no cargo -- except for the 20-year-old dream of a retired engineer from Silver Spring.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

Best story yet of this amazing feat! Mr. Hill is one who doesn't know how to quit!

[steplock]

Good Picture of the Inventor! Where's the plane! :>(

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

A picture on this site.

http://tam.plannet21.com/FAQs.htm#look

Also some more info if you back space to the end of com.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

Only one gallon of lantern gas used! Engine ran for 38 hours. I'm not sure how it took off with so little power.

[steplock]

I'm actually pleasantly surprised that the govt didn't shut this down hard since it falls under "guided missile" area under the fed regs.

Those regs are what really hurts the amateur rocketeers and even affects the development of a civilian reusable rocket and space exploration.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

Well they fly autonomous models often in college aerodynamic competitions. This is when several teams from differant schools of aerodynamic engineering students build models to compete for models which can fly the longest, lift the heaviest loads, use the least fuel, fly the furtherest, or whatever. Also other record attempts have used them. I don't think there is any rule that declares them a guided missle. Of course the lower altitudes they fly often allows them to fly without FAA notification.