Ohohia - The Pacific-Crossing Attempt
This is a journal of my progress toward my goal of flying a model airplane from Hawaii to California. The inspiration for this project originally came from the Aerosonde, which is not technically a model airplane, but my desire to do this was really driven by the STAR team. They succeeded at flying a model airplane across the Atlantic! It was merely proof that it can be done.
Links
Resources
- Robotics Connection
- Spark Fun Electronics
- Paparazzi UAV
- Smart-Fly
- Open-Source Auto-Pilot
- FMA Co-Pilot
- SuperCircuits
- DMU 6X IMU
- Rotomotion IMUs
archives
- 08/01/2003 - 09/01/2003
- 09/01/2003 - 10/01/2003
- 12/01/2003 - 01/01/2004
- 05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004
- 08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005
Note that entries appear in reverse chronological order
Sunday, August 17, 2003
Introduction
Welcome. This begins the journaling process for project Ohohia. Ohohia is a Hawaiian word that loosely translates to "flying spirit". It is what I am going to name the model aircraft that I am developing that will fly (all by itself) from Hawaii to California - almost 2300 miles. This is no small feat for an airplane that will weigh 11 lbs or less.
TAM5 of the STAR team completed an 1888-mile journey from Newfoundland to Ireland in mid-August of this year (2003). I was glued to my computer screen waiting for updates as the airplane slowly made its way across at somewhere around 50 miles per hour (43 MPH when the air was still and calm).
Although my crossing would establish a new distance record, it is not the recognition I am after. I just have a yearning to know what it is like to achieve such an accomplishment. If I am going to do it, I may as well make it official. I certainly want to make it more of a public affair than the TAM5, because I think it would be interesting to people if they could watch the event unfold online.
Some people would be urging it on, rooting for it, hoping that it will complete the distance. Other people will be just waiting for it to disappear - and expecting it to - hoping to have the experience of being able to say, "I told you so!" Others may peek in and wonder why time is being "wasted" on such a silly project. Others will want to know how it was done. The point is, such events are a different experience for everyone.
I want people to be able to share in the experience - whatever it means to them - by being able to view live tracking data online while the event unfolds. I am hoping to be able to send back images from the airplane as well, as I think it will have a greater impact by seeing things from the airplane's perspective.
The Transatlantic crossing attempt by the STAR team was reported on Slashdot before the event took place. It was amazing to see how many people chastised the idea, thinking it was idiotic (among other things) and was doomed to fail. I mean, how could a model airplane with only 5 lbs. of fuel go 1888 miles? How preposterous!
But they made it!
My goal is nearly 2300 miles - over 400 miles further than the TAM5! I am in the very early stages of research. I have not yet determined if this distance is possible. I believe it is, but the verdict is still out on that. For one thing, the air currents in the Pacific where my plane would be crossing is very different than over the Atlantic where the TAM5 crossed. It will require spending considerable time studying the weather patterns to determine when the best time of the year would be to make the attempt...and in which direction (HI to CA, or CA to HI).
My friend Dave is an expert with internal combustion engines. He has made many enhancements and improvements to small engines to increase their run time and efficiency, while at the same time increasing their power and reducing weight. Based on a rekindled idea he had some time ago, he is currently experimenting with a new fuel option that is expected to become the magic potion we are looking for to make this crossing possible. If it works, it will merely be a question of desiging and building the airplane (and the control system it is to carry).
The control system is what I am currently working on, and have been actively developing over the last year and a half. As with all projects, it seems, this one has taken longer than expected, already. According to my original plans, I should be making the crossing attempt in about six months from now. But, now it looks like it might be another year or two.
I also need to start looking for funding, especially since I have been laid-off since April and have had great difficulty finding a new job in the Silicon Valley area. It is very expensive to live here, so my projects have been suffering greatly. I may wind up moving, which will cut into valuable development time as well.
Anyway, I will report my progress and items of interest regarding the project, in this blog. If you have any interest and necessary skills to contribute to the development of a small autonomous airplane, I would like to assemble a small team for this project. It seems a bit too much for me to do on my own, and having a motivated teammate always helps keep things moving.
For more information about one of the components of this project, look at RC4. This is a critical component that will allow me to switch between auto-pilot and manual (R/C) control at the launch point and the landing point.
TAM5 of the STAR team completed an 1888-mile journey from Newfoundland to Ireland in mid-August of this year (2003). I was glued to my computer screen waiting for updates as the airplane slowly made its way across at somewhere around 50 miles per hour (43 MPH when the air was still and calm).
Although my crossing would establish a new distance record, it is not the recognition I am after. I just have a yearning to know what it is like to achieve such an accomplishment. If I am going to do it, I may as well make it official. I certainly want to make it more of a public affair than the TAM5, because I think it would be interesting to people if they could watch the event unfold online.
Some people would be urging it on, rooting for it, hoping that it will complete the distance. Other people will be just waiting for it to disappear - and expecting it to - hoping to have the experience of being able to say, "I told you so!" Others may peek in and wonder why time is being "wasted" on such a silly project. Others will want to know how it was done. The point is, such events are a different experience for everyone.
I want people to be able to share in the experience - whatever it means to them - by being able to view live tracking data online while the event unfolds. I am hoping to be able to send back images from the airplane as well, as I think it will have a greater impact by seeing things from the airplane's perspective.
The Transatlantic crossing attempt by the STAR team was reported on Slashdot before the event took place. It was amazing to see how many people chastised the idea, thinking it was idiotic (among other things) and was doomed to fail. I mean, how could a model airplane with only 5 lbs. of fuel go 1888 miles? How preposterous!
But they made it!
My goal is nearly 2300 miles - over 400 miles further than the TAM5! I am in the very early stages of research. I have not yet determined if this distance is possible. I believe it is, but the verdict is still out on that. For one thing, the air currents in the Pacific where my plane would be crossing is very different than over the Atlantic where the TAM5 crossed. It will require spending considerable time studying the weather patterns to determine when the best time of the year would be to make the attempt...and in which direction (HI to CA, or CA to HI).
My friend Dave is an expert with internal combustion engines. He has made many enhancements and improvements to small engines to increase their run time and efficiency, while at the same time increasing their power and reducing weight. Based on a rekindled idea he had some time ago, he is currently experimenting with a new fuel option that is expected to become the magic potion we are looking for to make this crossing possible. If it works, it will merely be a question of desiging and building the airplane (and the control system it is to carry).
The control system is what I am currently working on, and have been actively developing over the last year and a half. As with all projects, it seems, this one has taken longer than expected, already. According to my original plans, I should be making the crossing attempt in about six months from now. But, now it looks like it might be another year or two.
I also need to start looking for funding, especially since I have been laid-off since April and have had great difficulty finding a new job in the Silicon Valley area. It is very expensive to live here, so my projects have been suffering greatly. I may wind up moving, which will cut into valuable development time as well.
Anyway, I will report my progress and items of interest regarding the project, in this blog. If you have any interest and necessary skills to contribute to the development of a small autonomous airplane, I would like to assemble a small team for this project. It seems a bit too much for me to do on my own, and having a motivated teammate always helps keep things moving.
For more information about one of the components of this project, look at RC4. This is a critical component that will allow me to switch between auto-pilot and manual (R/C) control at the launch point and the landing point.
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