davewallace

My Feedback: (29)

Hello,
The Pakistani army captured a RC spy plane that Al Queda used to spy on there movements. Here is a picture from BBC today. It doesn't seem like much.

Dave

carlosponti

My Feedback: (1)

its one of those wingo planes that you can get for under 300 bucks with radio and electric motors and such. its light and can carry a nice sized payload. i have seen Mini-Digital Video cameras on them before.

mkranitz

My Feedback: (60)

Looks like a hoax to me boys!

tsands

My Feedback: (3)

I agree. Sure is funny how they got the tx too! ODD

SON OF PALEFACE

My Feedback: (1)

NAARRHH............Its the flight trainer for the Pakkie's airforce

carlosponti

My Feedback: (1)

its not that picture came over the AP and Rueters. (news agencies) trust me its not a hoax.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050914/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

W4UAV

Funny stuff!!

KiwiKid

I have one of my planes set up to drop tennis balls, parachutes, lollies etc
and I often wonder how long it will be before some terrorist comes with
the idea of using one as a payload delivery device. Yikes!!

KiwiKid

XJet

You're not the only Kiwi wondering that, I'm sure you've seen The $5,000 Kiwi cruise missile project :-)

JettPilot

My Feedback: (6)

The plane was NOT used to spy on anyone, as you can see in the picture is has no camera, or anything that is capable of spying in any way. . This is a cheap chineese plane that can barely lift itself off the ground... The radio on that thing has a range of about 300 feet at best... Sounds like DaveWallace made some bad assumptions in his post. Dont make more out of this than it is, they had a toy that any kid can buy... Big deal...

Now think about it, you are poor, in Afghanistan with no power, no television, no computer and bored to tears... Even terrorists need a hobby They were probably flying this thing out in a field somewhere and chasing after it like little kids ... Their obvious distraction is probably what got them caught

Rj-TailSpin

Come on Jettpi... the BinSloggin boyz are advancing the hobby are they not? I have seen one of those very planes carrier a full size digital camera. They can lift plenty and have a nice large payload fuse. How would you know the terrorist have hobbies?
Rob

NJ Flyer 72

My Feedback: (2)

Looks like a Wing Dragon...

http://www.hobby-lobby.com/wingdragon.htm

carlosponti

My Feedback: (1)

add one of these and you have wireless video for at least What range?

http://www.blackwidowav.com/bwav240200urban.html


so with the plane posted by NJ Flyer 72 and the camera i posted what do you think of thier capability JettPilot. i think its possible.

JettPilot

My Feedback: (6)

RJ TailSpin,

That is the cheap Chinese version (Wing Dragon), and is so underpowered that it is lucky to maintain flight under its own power, and it can barely fly 300 feet away with that radio [:'(]. You constantly have your facts wrong RJ TailSpin... If there is one person on this forum that I can count on its you, I just read your post and I know the opposite is true .

JettPilot

Ejiro

My Feedback: (4)

This is just a photo op, as far as I am concerned. The army guys just want to look clever. How can that little toy be used for surveillance? You see it may mean nothing to most folks, but to me it is very annoying.
Here in Saudi Arabia, the general belief is that RC airplanes are illegal, despite the fact that they have been approved by the governing council, and clubs have been formed. (www.sac.com.sa) Still whenever we need to buy stuff from outside, we have a hard time because they are confiscated by the customs. They rely on this type of false reporting to make their judgement, and set the precedence. If you do not know the right people, you will never get your RC stuff, period.
I found out the hard way when I moved here from Europe late last year.
This sort of rubbish only serves to make it more difficult from me to enjoy doing what I do, that is why it so annoying.

W4UAV

This makes a very good point.
Something to think about.

carlosponti

My Feedback: (1)

i still think it can be done and i think that if they captured it from terrorists as the article claims that its possible they are atleast trying to use it to spy on the armies of pakastan. RC planes being illegal in saudi arabia doesnt stop a few rebel terrorists that have been able to move freely for some time now from getting thier hands on technology from the west. i am sure explosives are illegal to own in those places as well but it doesnt stop them from getting it. i will not ignore the fact that they are atleast attempting to use those 'toys' to spy on people. how long before thier foray into RC aircraft will go farther? i will not ignore thier attempts and say its all in our imagination. atleast realize that they can and will try that stuff. if not ignore it and we will see with time [&o]

Ejiro

My Feedback: (4)

Nobody said that RC airplanes cannot be used to spy, or that RC airplanes are illegal in Saudi Arabia. The point is that this particular model shown in that photo op, complete with two channel transmitter could not have been used to spy. Certainly a more sophisticated model, such as a .40 size trainer type could be used successfully; but not the one shown.

randall1959

My Feedback: (11)

I have a wing dragon, and believe me, in it's stock configuration it had trouble even flying my light Mustek DV 4000. I think they found a toy of one of the group's children, hahaha.

randall1959

My Feedback: (11)

This is what I had to do to my Wing Dragon in order to make it suitable for AP or AV. I had to put on an Aerobird Extreme wing, add lipos, a brushless esc and a 2410-09 outrunner turning a 10X5 apc prop. It flies really well now but in it's stock form it was a DOG.

GAGE308

My Feedback: (4)

LMAO!!!.....YEAH RIGHT.....UM....NOOOO its NOT a UAV SPY DRONE....LOL....They would seriously be lucky to spy on themselves with something of that caliber. BUT In All Honesty The potential is There for them to access some of the Long Distance planes on our market...To Carry a mini wireless cam isnt hard...But What Would concern me is the capability of one of these things to carry an undesirable chemical or powder such as Anthrax or any nerve compound...and With A RTF Kit it wouldnt be hard to loft a plane capable of holding 1 pound or more within its fuselage over the side of a major stadium to do a crash onto the pitchers mound or something. Just be Glad Our Govt Is on The lookout and usually one step ahead of these False god Killing themselves Misinformed FRUITCAKES. We are Taking care of them Over in the Middle east before they get a chance to come spoil our RC Fun. Good Flying everyone and God Bless America.

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

It can be done with a Wingo with very minor alterations. BWAV 200mw system on board. Fly the plane from one point, have somebody else aim a patch antenna in the general direction from another.
I have done this. Flew my Wingo out over the local Renaissance Faire. I flew the plane from one location. The wife was in another location with my truck and the video downlink equipment aiming the patch antenna at the Faire.
The only real problem was camera selection which was too narrow focused for the amount of movement the plane made in the cross breezes.
[link=http://fubar1.net/renfaires/rpfs04/week6/overfly/RPFSFlyover1.wmv]RPFS Flyover[/link]
The radio gear on the Wingo is a full sized dual conversion Futaba FM rx. Tx is a Hitec Flash 5X.
More than enough range.
So, yes, it can be done with a little electric foam plane.
Only other mods to the Wingo was a geared speed 400 can motor with an APC prop and an 1100mAh Nimh battery pack.

kd7ost

I think the point is really how effective this wingo can be. Is it really spying if you use this to fly over your enemy, and he shoots you in the Adam’s apple with a sniper rifle because he can see you standing there? I think the Taliban were bored and were flying this for fun. Or, perhaps it was an introductory RC training tool to teach guys to fly RC. In and of itself it's pretty benign as an intel tool. It does seem to be pretty effective as a news or propaganda tool because it's getting so much mileage here. I think the Pakistani’s pulled it out for a propaganda photo op. We know how long it takes to charge batteries and how short lived they are once you start packing on the grams. I can see some cave dweller hand cranking an old field phone set in order to generate electricity for half a day so he can get another 4 minutes of spy time in.

Dan

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

Oh, I didnt figure they were actually using that plane for aerial whatever other than for playing with possibly.
My response was about everyone saying it cant be done when it can.
I could have flown the Wingo or equivalent out over the Faire while under the hood and completely under cover.
I see plenty of videos here that show it being done on a reg basis.

Dats all...