RCSchim's TriCopter over archeo dig & art installation

RCSchim has just released an awesome video showing a set of cool summer flights over an archeological dig site, as well as a very interesting art installation in the wild! More detail in the original blog post. Here is the video:

Team Black Sheep on SternTV

Team Black Sheep has just released a video from SternTV, which tells their story in about 12 minutes. German audio, English subs.

enjoy!

Polish RoboCopter - incredible stadium footage!

Another absolutely insane video from latajacakamera, a Polish robocopter camera outfit, who brought us the Polish riots videos recently. This time, filming stunning footage of a football match on one of the biggest stadiums in Poland... with winds of up to 50km/h... and at night!

Enjoy!

All Things That Fly podcast #210 is out!

Our RC friends on the other side of the Pond have just released episode 207 of the All Things That Fly podcast. You can find it here: http://www.allthingsthatfly.com/. In this episode (source: allthingsthatfly.com):

Lucien, Daniel, and Moose talk to shawn Spiker of Hitec/MultiplexUSA. We talk about Black Friday, new servos, new radios, H2Go and more...
Mentions:
ATTF November Giveaway

SN Hobbies

3DHS 74" Edge 540

Park Scale Models - Loving WR-1

New Hirobo Embla 450E Helicopter

2010 Fly Low Girl Calendar

Brian Wooliams Youtube channel

Hitec’s new Brushless Servos

Team Hitec

Holiday Electric Fly RC Expo - Dec 2,3,4 - Geneva, OH

Orlando Helicopter Blowout 2011

Sign up for the ATTF Newsletter

ATTF November Giveaway:
Prize #1

FMS 1400mm Hellcat from http://snhobbies.com

Prize #2

FMS 800mm Corsair from http://snhobbies.com

Direct Download: _210_-_Shawn_Spiker_of_HitecMultiplexUSA.mp3

ATTF is a very popular, US-based RC podcast hosted by a number of clued-up professionals, serving you with weekly news, sound technical advice and a multitude of 'war stories'. We here at rc-forc3.com recommend it to you. Look out for updates on their new releases here.

2011 3D RC Helicopter Competition Indonesia Trailer

A really cool trailer for the Indonesia Heli Competition just came out! Check it out below:

DTI RTN KSM150V1 GT - Turbine UAV test flight video

A test flight video just came out for this bizarre turbine-driven UAV. What an interesting construction!

News: Polish riot police captured by a robo-copter!

I found this incredible post on Roswell Flight Test Crew's blog earlier today:
http://roswellflighttestcrew.typepad.com/blog/2011/11/the-future-really-truly-is-now.html

it features the following two videos, which I can only say are... impressive!

News: Cellpro PowerLab 6 Charger is out!

Revolectrix came up with a brand new, state-of-the art charger in their PowerLab series - the Cellpro PowerLab 6. It sports an impressive set of features and some insane power, too! Here is a snippet from the manufacturer's website:

Source: www.revolectrix.com

Welcome to PowerLab 6, the second offering in the amazing Cellpro PowerLab series from FMA Direct and Revolectrix. Built on the same framework as the original Cellpro PowerLab 8, this latest Battery Workstation provides a virtually identical feature-set as the original. Capable of charging, discharging, monitoring, or performing multiple cycles on any current or future battery chemistry at alarming speed, PL6 is optimized to balance the need for high power, high current operations against the need for small size and affordability. The PowerLab 6 consumes some 23% less volume (size) than the original PowerLab 8. In keeping with the PowerLab philosophy, at $0.16 per WATT, it blows the lid off the competition and represents unprecedented VALUE. But power is only one part of the equation. Read the information, and talk to people who own a PowerLab and they'll tell you why and how it out-paces any other brand on the market in terms of it's rich feature-set, ease of operation, as well as it's expandability. You will be hard pressed to find a more stream-lined user interface, or more capable, native, and free P.C. software. Add to these facts, the industry's first, well-conceived plan to support safe parallel charging of virtually any number of same-cell-count packs all at once, and you will realize that the investment in PL6 has paid for itself many times over. You no longer need more batteries. You need a battery workstation that can charge, discharge, cycle or monitor many packs faster than you can fly them to depletion!

The full specs can be found here: http://www.revolectrix.com/PL6_specs_tab.htm

All Things That Fly podcast #207 - The Perfect Electric Setup

Our RC friends on the other side of the Pond have just released episode 207 of the All Things That Fly podcast. You can find it here: http://www.allthingsthatfly.com/. In this episode (source: www.allthingsthatfly.com):

Lucien, Daniel, and Moose quickly go over a few new products and then let Lucien run wild about the perfect electric setup and how to get there.

Mentions:
46” AJ Yak 55 from 3DHS

FMA Direct PowerLab 6

Thunder Power TP1430C charger

Multiplex Easystar II

Beam AvantGarde 600

FMS 1400mm Hellcat

FMS 800mm Corsair

SN Hobbies

Signup for the ATTF Newsletter!

ATTF November Giveaway

2 Dog RC (Use coupon code ATTF for 10% off your entire order)

ATTF November Giveaway:
Prize #1
FMS 1400mm Hellcat from http://snhobbies.com
Prize #2
FMS 800mm Corsair from http://snhobbies.com 

ATTF is a very popular, US-based RC podcast hosted by a number of clued-up professionals, serving you with weekly news, sound technical advice and a multitude of 'war stories'. We here at rc-forc3.com recommend it to you. Look out for updates on their new releases here.

YouTube Pick: Walkalong Glider Hand Flight

This is quite a treat for all those origami glider fans out there!

News: Roswell Flight Test Crew covers a Search & Rescue exercise

The phenomenal folks at RFTC  have just released an awesome video, where they cover a SAR exercise on location with their quad copters armed with FPV GoPro based systems! Enjoy the video and make sure to head on over to their blog for more details!

News: Real Flight 6 is out!

Image: www.knifeedge.com

The folks from Knife Edge Software have come up with a brand new release of their industry-standard simulator - RealFlight 6. Here are their product release notes:

RealFlight 6 is shipping now. If you install the RF6 upgrade or the full version, you will have version 6.00.014. If you install one of the Mega Packs, you will be updated to 6.00.019.Both 6.00.019 and a newer version, 6.00.021, are available as free updates for all RealFlight 6 owners.
We recommend all users update to 6.00.021. To obtain it, simply run the RealFlight 6 Launcher, click Additional Options, then click Registration/Updates. You will need to complete the online registration if you have not done so in the past. (This may be required even if you have registered previously; if so, just make sure to use the same password you used originally.) Then, click Update to Latest Version, or Update to Specific Version if you prefer, and follow the instructions.
Note that these updates are cumulative. As long as you obtain the latest update via the Launcher, you do not need to update to any earlier/in-between versions first.

6.00.019

NEW FEATURES:

● Added support for Airplane Mega Pack and Heli Mega Pack

FIXES/IMPROVEMENTS:

● Physics gadget is disabled during multiplayer games
● Physics gadget menu item is disabled when the gadget itself would be disabled
● Edit NavGuides dialog does not pause the sim
● Quick Edit dialog location is persistent
● Radio Gadget location and size persist correctly
● Multiplayer: Quick Load dialog does not allow clients to change their own airport
● Launcher: Removed download time estimates from online updates

AIRCRAFT:

● AH-64 Apache (EP5, HMP): Trims are set to neutral
● Air Camper (EP1, AMP): Fixed warning message on airplane load
● Bergen Gasser (EP1, HMP): Added glow for night flying
● Bergen Intrepid (EP1, HMP): Added glow for night flying
● ElectriFly Riot 3D (EP3, AMP): All aileron control surfaces are named correctly
● FlatOut CAP 580 (EP1, AMP): Properly trimmed for level flight
● FlatOut Reflection (EP1, AMP): Properly trimmed for level flight
● Heli-Max Axe CX Micro (EP6, HMP): Improved flight behavior
● Heli-Max Kinetic 50 (Trainer) (EP3, HMP): Initial azimuth for main blades is 0
● Ion-X (EP1, HMP): Added glow for night flying
● MX400 (EP1, HMP): Added glow for night flying
● Aurora, Aurora 3D (EP2, HMP): Added glow for night flying
● Fury Extreme (EP2, HMP): Added glow for night flying
● Raptor 90 SE (EP2, HMP): Added glow for night flying
● RJX X-Treme 90 (EP6, HMP): Blades break off normally
● Stratus 90 (EP2, HMP): Added glow for night flying
● Thunder Tiger Mini Titan (EP4, HMP): Added glow for night flying
● Ultrafly Radix (EP2, AMP): All aileron control throws match

AIRPORTS:

● Carl Henson Field: Pilot Fence Chainlink objects have correct material type
● Joe’s Garage, Joe’s Garage HD: Vehicles are correctly placed at ground level

Image: www.knifeedge.com

 6.00.021

NEW FEATURES:

● Added experimental grappling hook component

FIXES/IMPROVEMENTS:

● Hand-launch aircraft can be launched using the reset button when autopilot assist is enabled
● Aircraft Editor: Fixed various copy/paste related errors and crashes
● Multiplayer: Entering/exiting a session while seeking in rewind mode does not leave things in an in-between state
● Multiplayer: Games beginning mid-rewind do not leave things in a bad state or cause a crash
● Multiplayer: Adjusted damaged-based smoke in combat games
● Multiplayer: Physics difficulty defaults to Realistic after exiting a multiplayer game
● Multiplayer: push, lockposition and lockorientation console commands are enabled in MP but disabled in games
● Autopilot Assist is disabled in trainers (ex: takeoff trainer, airplane hover trainer)
● Chat gadget & console: Home/end/arrow keys function as expected, including when used in combination with the shift key to select text
● Minor fixes to German translation

AIRCRAFT:

● F-14 Tomcat (EP8): Standard color scheme is the default
● Heli-Max Axe CX Micro (EP6, HMP): Blades break off normally
● Tutor 600 Trainer: Initial azimuth for main blades is 0

AIRPORTS:

● Soccer Field HD: Stadium lights glow at night
● Soccer Field HD: Soccer Ball and Soccer Ball Bag airport objects are scaled properly
● Soccer Field HD: Soccer Ball airport objects’ weight is appropriate

Original Source: Knife Edge Software

We certainly look forward to testing it out!

News: RCGroups Podcast #9 is out

A new podcast from RCroups is out! As always, an interesting array of guests talking RC and beyond with Jim T. Graham. Please follow the link below:

Discussion RCG Podcast #9 - Hitec, 9 Time Funfly Champ, Event Coverage and more!

News: e-volo conducts the first successful manned multicopter flight

It's here! the first multicopter capable of flying with a person on board!

From the official release note:

At the end of October 2011, Thomas Senkel of e-volo made the first manned flight with an e-powered multicopter at an airstrip in the southwest of Germany. The flight lasted one minute and 30 seconds, after which the constructor and test pilot stated: "The flight characteristics are good natured. Without any steering input it would just hover there on the spot". This could be the future of flight, piloting a device as simple as a car. 

More information: www.e-volo.com

News: All Things That Fly #205

Our RC friends on the other side of the Pond have just released episode 204 of the All Things That Fly podcast. You can find it here: http://www.allthingsthatfly.com/

ATTF is a very popular, US-based RC podcast hosted by a number of clued-up professionals, serving you with weekly news, sound technical advice and a multitude of 'war stories'. We here at rc-forc3.com recommend it to you. Look out for updates on their new releases here.

News: GoPro HD HERO2 released!

Image: GoPro.com

WOW! A new product from probably the coolest camera company in the world - GoPro! It's a second incarnation of their HD Hero! It sports an impressive array of new features, as well as some interesting improvements to the existing hardware! The highlights that impressed me so far are:

• WiFi triggering and streaming
• external microphone socket
• 2x faster processor 
• 11MP sensor (the Hero has a 5MP sensor)
• sharper glass
• adjustable field of view in most modes (170, 127, 90 degrees)
• higher fps at lower recording modes (well, 120fps at wide VGA and 48 fps at 960p, nothing more)
• improved low-light performance

You can read more about the new release over at the GoPro official product page and you can find a full comparison with the original HD Hero here.

New Video: A Yellow Spot on the Sun

Since autumn is setting in properly in the UK now, Papa Jay and I took a trip to Richmond Park today to mark the end of the flying season and enjoy the unusually nice weather. We then rushed home (after a pizza!) to make sure we can still edit the footage and show a teaser of what it's like to be out and about with the London RC Project folks! Filmed entirely on a GoPro Hero HD camera.

Enjoy!

New Product: iPhly - iPhone RC controller

Photo: 78Dave from RCGroups.com

I'm happy to report that the manufacturer and designer of the iPhone RC controller has finally released it! You can read the full review at RCGroups.

New Product: Spektrum AR7200BX DSMX Flybarless

Photo: Horizon Hobby

Another horizon-related announcement today - a flybarless system from Spektrum! Interesting to say the least! Here is some info lifted directly from the product page:

BeastX flybarless technology is the most powerful, easiest-to-use flybarless technology flying today. And now with the amazing AR7200BX, you can add it to your 250- to .90-size helicopter while saving space and reducing flying weight at the same time. The groundbreaking Spektrum innovation combines a 7-channel DSMX receiver with a BeastX, 3-axis MEMS stabilization system into a single, compact unit. Besides eliminating the mechanical complexity of a flybar, the BeastX technology built into the AR7200BX lets you quickly fine-tune stability, cyclic response and tail response without touching a single linkage or require special software, All you need is your DSM2/DSMX transmitter and this unit.

New Product: Blade mSR X RTF

Photo: HorizonHobby.com

Blade (previously E-Flite) has just introduced a new micro heli to the table. It seems to be a flybarless fixed-pitch successor to the ever-popular mSR. More info, lifted directly from the product page, below:

Blade raises the bar yet again with the mSR X; the world’s first fixed-pitch ultra micro heli with advanced AS3X™ flybarless stabilization. The core of AS3X technology is a sophisticated, 3-axis digital sensor that stabilizes the rotor head and functions as a heading hold gyro. This, along with its powerful motors and high-precision cyclic servos, gives the mSR X a sense of stability and responsiveness no other fixed-pitch heli its size can match.

This should be an interesting...