Rocketry + RC Airplanes

[Greg Furtman]

I ran across this video on YouTube this morning. The fellow has designed and built a combo electric RC airplane that also has a rocket boost phase. And he launches it up high dropping it from underneath a larger RC airplane he designed for this purpose. Think Virgin Galactic or Stratolaunch. Very ingenious & cool. Has anyone else run across something like this?

 

[Voyhager3]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Hobie1dog]

Cool stuff thanks for sharing this with us.

 

[Titan II]

Not uncommon. I have done it several times. This one (not mine) has been doing it at air shows for years. The X-1 is at 1:25.

 

[Rob Campbell]

...

 

[Tom Flint]

in the 1990s I built a glow engine powered rc combat flying wing. It was meant to be hand launched but I added a 29mm motor mount to the tail and launch lugs on a strut keeping them clear of the propeller arc, and would use an Aerotech G80 to launch it straight up like a rocket. I would then level it out and advance the throttle and fly till it ran out of fuel. It was necessary to leave the throttle at idle during the launch phase, or else the engine would not make sufficient vacuum to pull fuel into the carburetor against the launch acceleration, and the engine would quit. I still have the aircraft and have flown it within the last year or so.
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