How to find your AC ... novel idea ....

[solentlife]

I am a user of Electrically activated smoke bombs on my fixed wing models for shows etc.

It occurred to me today that there is a way to find your AC if it goes down ...

Now bear with me as this is a concept only at this time and needs care to sort to see if it would actually work.

The 2min bombs are actually light in weight and only require a small detonator cap with short length of fuse to ignite. Any battery of 2V or greater will detonate ...

The bombs get hot - so need a holder - but these are easily made ...

The concept is :

Fixing a bomb to a leg of the AC ... with trigger and detonator cap / small length of fuse ..

The active end of the detonator lead is held against a very short length of folded fuse pressed by tape to the open fuel end of the bomb.
Trigger lead from a small parkflyer Rx would activate the detonator and smoke would erupt marking the position of the downed AC.
At this stage it means a second Tx to trigger the Rx ... but I wonder if there's any 'brains' out there that could conjure up a system to do this without need for second Tx.

The smoke would not be triggered until you are close to position .. as the smoke is only short duration of 90 - 120secs.

Now - I know some may question my sanity on this ... but this concept may lead to some interesting solutions other than the usual GSM / Tracker solutions that we use.

??

Nigel

 

[solentlife]

Here's the gear as used on my fixed wing except battery then not required as Rx 5V is enough ...



Nigel

 

[MapMaker53]

You say the smoke bomb gets hot. My first concern would be it starting a fire if ignited on the ground and in contact with something.

 

[FlashBuddy]

I like your smoke bomb idea. Well, as long as it doesn't start an unwanted fire.

I and a couple others on here have developed a payload drop device that fires from the existing RC controller; it is a multi release system so I wonder if we could ignite the smoke bomb, then drop it as a marker. Might come in handy in some other applications - SAR for example?

 

[solentlife]

You say the smoke bomb gets hot. My first concern would be it starting a fire if ignited on the ground and in contact with something.

I'm not sure it would start a fire ... but point taken. The plastic case melts but no flame ... just smoke.

As I said its a concept idea ....

Nigel

 

[solentlife]

I like your smoke bomb idea. Well, as long as it doesn't start an unwanted fire.

I and a couple others on here have developed a payload drop device that fires from the existing RC controller; it is a multi release system so I wonder if we could ignite the smoke bomb, then drop it as a marker. Might come in handy in some other applications - SAR for example?

I will be honest with you ... I am not a supporter of amateur SAR with Phantoms ... too many incidents of amateurs causing grounding / problems for professionals ...

But for those who are professionally engaged ... another matter entirely.

My idea was not so much as a Drop Marker .... but as a marker to find the AC once its landed out. Get close enough to then fire the smoke bomb to be able to locate it.

I am sure that someone will have a small add-on that can be put to the Controller and small apparatus on the AC to do the job ?

Nigel

 

[BigAl07]

I will be honest with you ... I am not a supporter of amateur SAR with Phantoms ... too many incidents of amateurs causing grounding / problems for professionals ...

But for those who are professionally engaged ... another matter entirely.

My idea was not so much as a Drop Marker .... but as a marker to find the AC once its landed out. Get close enough to then fire the smoke bomb to be able to locate it.

I am sure that someone will have a small add-on that can be put to the Controller and small apparatus on the AC to do the job ?

Nigel

We've dropped message cards, radio, first aid kit, and ChemSticks from UAS in Search & Rescue but I'd be concerned about dropping a smoke bomb (even though the chance of fire is probably minimal) and also the short duration wouldn't lend very well to helping the boots on the ground get to the spot in that 90 - 120sec window.

 

[solentlife]

The SB 's I am using are of 2mins rating ... but you can get them for longer.... 10mins etc. The size of course increases.

The short duration is why I suggest - they only be ignited when you get close to location ...

Nigel