Hangar Rush

Come across upon my travels something I instantly recognise with the aid of Google as the Type-C hangar of my youth; here at RAF Sealand as was, then at Finningley. 

Developed during the 1930s, it's got Art Deco written all over it, although later they dropped the brick cladding with the monstrous carbuncle that became the Type-C1.

Some among them enjoy the protection of a Grade II heritage listing, although not the one seen here sadly.

Once playing a role in aircraft repairs, now it is home to a paper-recycling plant but leaving I still call out 'Chocks away, last one back's a sissy... whoooof!'.

Ed. You can follow the author's career as a cadet pilot on LinkedIn, simply searching for 'Air Vice Marshall Sir Colin Hilton DFC'.

Steam Punk

Drop a container-load at a site where the side-hustle is restoring our steam heritage and during a tour of the workshop ~ as a high-priest of maritime dronery ~ get to enter the Holy of Holies.

Here amidst the incense of smouldering anthracite and oils is no less than that steam-roller restored to its former glory by the inestimable man himself, Bolton's finest, and hands together if you would now ladies and gentlemen for Fred Dibnah?

Fred's fame abroad extends to fans like the esteemed Rahmi Koc, himself founder of a business empire and the owner and patron of a transport museum in old Istanbul.

So with the atmosphere hushed, only the rhythmic knocking of a milling-machine breaking the quietude, I doff my own flat-cap in silent homage to the master.

BVLOSses

Worthy but admittedly dull vid ~ look closely and you'll see he's asleep ~ about how Amazon has withdrawn from the Commercial Drone Alliance due a disagreement over how these things ought to navigate to your front door. And he should know, as he was responsible for the security of such systems.

BVLOS means Beyond Visual Line of Sight, which is akin to letting the puppy off the lead. Once beyond the purview of any operator, such things can in theory navigate purely by GPS. Except that, as Amazon points out, GPS can be spoofed. Argument is that drones need a sub for the adult in the room in the form of autonomous sensors and they compare it to the difference between car and horse ~ a car can be driven into a brick wall, knowing no better, whilst a horse cannot.

Upshot being drones based purely on a system called ADS-B commercial aeroplanes use ~ which transmits position, direction and speed ~ cannot be relied upon for the avoidance of collisions (and that's a big drone to hit your flight deck at 300 knots). And worse, it leaves open the possibility that such drones might be hijacked to be driven into power-plants, football stadia or any place else you might imagine.

Whether flying taxis or delivery drones, with each being a wholly new industry and involving so many people without prior knowledge of aviation, the thought was that these toys could be scaled up without anyone ever getting hurt.

One channel I do dip into from time to time is by an ex-F15 jock called Hoover, who reviews crashes occurring principally among light aircraft. The standout takeaway from which is that ~ despite flying being well over a century old ~ there is ample material for Hoover to draw upon every passing month.

So it won't be a question of how personal air vehicles, flying taxis or delivery drones crash, so much as how.

One thing that can be said about Amazon is you don't get that big by being dumb. 

C of G Check

Important moreso from the aerodynamic point of view and about where we'd want it centred, some 13" or 330mm aft of the forward bulkhead, depending on preferred metric. Although the craft could be foreshortened, rearward extension of booms and skis not only provides space for rear lift-motors, but also acts as a counterweight to the extension of booms and skis some four feet (1200mm) forward.

On the hydrodynamic side length of craft translates directly into sea-keeping ability. What therefore has to be done next ~ once logos are lacquered up with acrylic ~ is to pop it on the local waterway to see how it floats at rest. Prior experiments many moons ago showed it sitting nose-low: not an issue underway, but nonetheless offending my sensibilities before the off.

But come on Gromit, let's go for a curry!

All Logo'd Up

Both of you have been asking where that wonderful GPO-phone-box-style logo you can see down the sides of the drone come from, and the answer is right here!

Simply size those images above and below to print on A4, and then rather than cut out and keep it's more a question of cut out and tape together before gluing in situ.

We've also bumper-stickers reading 'Maritime Droners Like To Watch' you may like?

Pack Drill

In common with the other prototype I mount the battery-packs on the aft bulkhead, where edge-protectors will include screws for fitting rubber-bands around the pack.

Forego plastic trays featuring on the other prototype, and instead I'll add a length of Velcro tape to the bulkhead to engage the underside of the battery.

Must break off now to fix a toilet, flushed as I am with the success here.

Please Stand Up, Please Stand Up

The rubber caps fitted to the spindles, I set the craft vertical again and add a domed screw to help secure the power bar at the rear where the wood has more holes than a Swiss cheese... though every hole that doesn't kill it makes it stronger. Do please use a shallow fastener here as it coincides with the 40mm screw driven in from the top-side.