Remote Control B-52 UAV (Huge jet powered model aircraft - with Videos)

Balsa Busters ^ | April 2, 2004 | Gordon Nichols

[Eagle9]

VIDEOS: (Windows Media Format)
- First Test taxi - VIDEO1(3.4MB)

- First Video of Takeoff - VIDEO2 (2.1MB)
- Long video of flying - VIDEO3 (29.2MB)
- Video of the Crash - VIDEO4 (4.6MB)

B-52 Specs:
Builder: Gordon Nichols

Contributing Team Members:
Lance Bell (Co-constuctor, plans)
Neil Dare (Undercarriage systems design and build)
Dave Biddington (Engine pod design and moulding)

Bob Everitt (Tail cone and rear armament construction)

Wingspan: 23'
Length: 23'
Speed:
Range:

Dry Weight: 297 lbs
Fueled Weight: 330lbs (inside the CAA 150kg limit)
Fuel Capacity: 22 litres Jet A1
Kit Manufacturer: N/A
Kit Availability: N/A
Servo/Usage List: N/A

Engine Specs:
Make: Wren
Model: MW54
Thrust: 12Lbs

Sponsor List:

Inwood Models (Balsa, wheels, etc)
SM Services (Electronics and avionic controls)
Jersey Modeler Fuel Can Systems

Radio: Futaba PCM

Contact Info: Neil.Dare@uwe.ac.uk

http://mcgirt.net/index_RC.html

[al baby]

The first thing that comes to mind is
The difference between men and boys is the size of their toys

[Walkingfeather]

Link to video of this crash

http://www.itsvideos.com/viewmedia1075.html

[U S Army EOD]

We basically use to do the same thing in the bar with toilet paper. You would insert the toilet paper and light it and then start to dance. Whoever put their fire out first had to by the drinks. The name of the dance was the DOFA which stood for Dance of the Flaming A#$@ole.

[spodefly]

BTTT

[HighWheeler]

Here is the video itself stripped out of the web page, just right click and "save target as":

http://216.69.173.57/wmv1/military/B52Crash.wmv

[HighWheeler]

I saw a show like 60 Minutes talking about that idiot's past record of abuse and stupidity while flying. He should have been clipped long before this happened.

[steve86]

That Fairchild crash was sickeningly stupid

Was quite the dark day for Eastern Washington State and Spokane and Fairchild in particular.

On the slightly lighter subject of model airplanes crashing, I see the B-52 model had foam core wings, but probably not EPP foam. Amazingly, the EPP models can sometimes do a nose-in crash at 50-60 mph, bounce several feet in the air and go back flying again. Occasionally the foam will fail but often it doesn't. Some of the EPP wing modelers kick their plane from the back to get it into the air -- not something you would normally do with a balsa and spruce model.

[Eagle9]

Reminds me of the large scale B-17 flying fortress RC plane I saw several years ago. That thing was amazing with 4 engines and a wingspan of about 12 feet.

There's several photos of that B-17 before and after the crash, with photos on many other RC aircraft that were flying that same day, located at the following link. Click the photos to enlarge.

http://balsabusters2.warp0.com/CMACDAY.html

[Fred Hayek]

At that bank angle the BUFF is not going to get any lift anyhow. The pilot of that BUFF had a reputation of being a bit of a "hot dog". High crew turnover with that pilot as aircraft commander. And the picture shows where it got him. "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots" (Chuck Yeager I believe).

[Grut]

IIRC, the immediate cause of the crash was that at such a high angle of bank, airflow through the engines was disrupted and they (or several of them) flamed out. And you're right about the pilot being a notorious hot dog... and, unfortunately, golden boy, so that nothing was done about him.

[Eagle9]

There is a .wmv file (25 MB) of a Remote Control model of the Airbus 380 at the following link. Has bigger, more powerful engines than this B-52. See the View/Add Comments link below the link to download the video for more info.

http://www.funmansion.com/html/Airbus-Remote-Control-Plane.html

[Keith in Iowa]

The difference between men and boys is the size price of their toys.

Fixed... :)