CloudNineAviation

mithrandir,

How about a breakdown of some of the key acronyms that are floating arround in the either...not wanting to appear too ignorant but i work in an enviroment where a whole conversation can be populated purely by acronyms

Brg

P & D

mithrandir

My Feedback: (2)

Schucks... I don't know most of that stuff myself...

UAV = Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
RPV = Remotely Piloted Vehicle (Not used too much anymore)
RCH =...ummm... really really small size..context of measurement!!! lol

CloudNineAviation

.. we should compile a little handbook...

Whats a PMM ISR...think i have the PMM nailed but what does ISR stand for..?

CloudNineAviation

MTS-B EO/IR...?

SAR/GMTI ?

SIGINIT/ESM ?

KJMDES

Regarding R&D jobs. I am a designer/fabricator with 27 years of sport aircraft, RC and high-tech project experience. R&D and product development have been my life. When the surf's not up anyway.

At the risk of pushing a self-serving agenda, I recently wrote a book which serves as a primer for design and engineering students. One of the topics I cover is the current job market, and how it reacts to new applicants seeking technical positions.

Regarding General Atomics and similar R&D venues, one of the paradoxes one faces in getting a foot in the door is that of experience. Sound too obvious to mention? The truth is; a degree is the first step. What can often make or brake your chances, is quite simply your practical experience. I advise students to work a production venue for a year, and then try to serve an apprenticeship in a machine or model shop. Your chances of landing that job, coping with the stress, and generally succeeding in a meaningful way, both for yourself and your employer, are increased dramatically.

That said, it is still tough. I would bet good money, that if I handed an application to G.A., I would be lucky to get a personalized rejection. A younger, (less than my fifty-four-years) graduate with a two-year practical application background would fair better, but this has more to do with salary economics and fresh ideas, than a desire to aquire the most experienced candidate. Balance is everything.

I apologize for going way off-topic here, I expect to get some flak. Just wanted to add my 2-cents to the UAV job subject. It is in no way meant to contradict any prior posts, more to add a word of caution should someone get rejected, and take it as a critique of their future prospects. Keep trying, add experience. These jobs rarely drop in your lap. And who wants to dive into a high-tech job without some solid grounding anyway? RC is rich in the skills required for these jobs. One more feather in the cap of self-qualification.

Now onto UAV's

My current project is a sport-action video platform. Pix below. I'm a bit new to the hobby UAV world. As in, past projects dealt with non-commercial solutions for NAV and telemetrics. I read the posts and checked many links for telemetry with little luck finding what I'd like. Which is this; airspeed/altitude/heading electronics which would be displayed in real-time on your visor. Say piggybacking on the video downlink. Or even a separate downlink. Additionally, even more ambitious, would be some sort of data-logging system that would tie into a laptop, allow the track to be massaged, and then fed into the transmitter to duplicate the flight-plan. Semi-Autonomous control.

I'd like to hear of any links out there, and if I can, offer any advice I might have on what I've learned so far.

Cheers,
Kevin J. McDonald

'There are forty-seven ways to skin a cat'

mithrandir

My Feedback: (2)

Ummmm... I prefer the "Job Ethics" typically possessed by older employees...
I would suggest that those currently involved in education pursuits to see about
internships during the summer....

B Shipp

My Feedback: (13)

The acronym for UAV is slowly changing to UAS, Unmanned Aerial Systems. This covers all elements of the system, not just the air vehicle.

Brian-

KJMDES

I agree with you on the ethical aspects. The double-edged sword we all play in R&D is balancing the liability of having inexperienced talent verses seasoned, and the fresh perspective (read contemporary innovation) of the former, verses the practical art of the latter.

I touch on internships as well as working in the school labs, but I add a disclaimer. I believe that both environments setup a psychological parallel to the academic experience. And once you actually land a job in R&D, or in my case ID, the methodology, stress, and peer interaction can be a bit of a shock. So I push for the lowest common denominator. Work a production floor to see how things are assembled, and get a shop apprenticeship where a broom might be put in your hand before you touch a machine, giving you the time to observe the process. This can goe a long way toward helping to develop that work ethic we love, putting a practical face on the theory, and it seems to take the edge off a post-grad ego. We work in teams with a diverse quality of talent and experience with which we interact. Thats the core of the creative process.

That said, it takes all kinds to envision a widget. Some adapt well, and an internship may be the best choice. Others need a smack. Its the nature of the breed. Diverse talent requires a diverse approach, with diverse options.

Cheers
Kevin

JMSTECH

Intelligent Flight might be of interest to you. http://www.intelligentflight.com/sto...8beba48713c8b9

I heard that Dragon OSD version 2 will be in production by next week and it will also support artificial horizon in case you wish to fly at night or into the clouds, automatic landing gear retract and switching lights on and off. (viewed by video goggles or LCD monitor)

Here is a video of Dragon version 1 http://www.tsebi.com/reviews/RC/FPVFlight8.wmv

KJMDES

Hi JMSTECH.
I had been to IF's website awhile back. Somehow I missed the Dragon. Very cool. Pretty much what I was looking for. And a bit more. Thanks

I ordered the Focus goggles for no better reason than the relative simplicity of interfacing to my gear. Everything goes to the beach. It's a mess. Sand blowing at 15-20 knots. Salt spray. Bearings that last 2 hours. Later, when a higher quality unit comes along with a more compact design, I'll consider it.

Thanks for the help

Cheers
Kevin

Mr.Pibb

LOL, Jett, I think the small SAM may be the AMA's new "Anti-FPV/UAV" system that will be installed at all AMA fields.

skydeuce

My Feedback: (30)

Pat Roy,

Is that a Scan Eagle on your back or are you just happy to see me? Just kidding. We used the hell out of Scan Eagles in Ramadi when I was there last year. Good little UAV when used properly. Also, when they went down in our area, I was the only guy around with enough know-how to safely disassemble and get them back into the shipping containers.

Eric

JMSTECH

Hi Kevin!

I'm glad to help out on your seek for a OSD!!! So I heard that Dragon is going to have more accessories add ons like RF link so if you feel like flying 120km out it will be possible. The Dragon RF Link (433Mhz & 900Mhz) is still under development at the moment but will be out soon. Also the source code is free for all to modify within the OSD. From what Daniel (the maker) tells me, Dragon is just beginning and when all the goodies are completed, it should be untouchable for a while compare to the rest of the products out there. And still he is thinking of cheap cost so it is affordable for what you get. I.F. is also working on a audio/video signal tracker that uses RSSI (radio signal strength indicator) to track the video signal. With a patch antenna mounted on this, you should fly with Dragon OSD and goggles and not worry about tracking the plane for video signal, IF video tracker should take care of the work for you. So yeah, lots of stuff in their labs at the moment!!!

KJMDES

How cool is that? I'm experiencing the "Moores Law" of RC. You've seen the AP helo I'm doing. The last time I did a project like this, there was nothing available outside of DOD type technology. This is great.

Still don't have the goggles, but am itching to try my setup. I'll keep you posted.

Cheers,
Kevin

JMSTECH

Well I look forward to seeing your progress Kevin!!! So please do keep us posted!!!!!!

UAVTCNJ

Hi,

I'm from The College of New Jersey School of Engineering and I need to design and constuct a UAV for my senior project. I was planning on using a ARF kit for our plan and adding some electronics, hardware, and a camera to it. Does anyone have any idea of how well these planes can lift weight on top of its selfweight? I need to fly rather slowly and it should be as stable as possible since it's going to have to take clear images. Do you have any suggestions for us?

Stephanie
TCNJ UAV Team Manager

JMSTECH

Well it depends on what type of electronics you are going to load a plane with. What's the weight? You know the more weight you load up a plane the faster she will fly to stay up in the air unless you build a bigger plane. Crash9 loaded a Styro foam Mulitiplex Twinstar with OSD, GPS, CCD camera, 900Mhz TX, then all the plane stuff like 6 servos (two for camera pan/tilt) and a Samsung SD video camera. The plane flew fine and stable but rather fast. Then again a Mulitplex Cularis has been another choice, large bird with a large frontal cavity for lots of gear. Actually I know one is using it for long range UAV flights.
http://www.fpvvideo.com/

UAVTCNJ

the electronics and camera are rather small. No more than 2 pounds. The bulk of the weight will be in the batteries. The camera needs only 3 AA's i think, but theres a larger battery to power everything else. We were planning on creating a lifting/pan/tint mechanism for the camera so that will add to the weight alittle bit too. We're talking like 10 lbs i guess?

JMSTECH

Whoa.. ten pounds is a lot of weight Stephanie, but why 3 AA's? Wouldn't lipo do better for power to weight? Just a thought. BTW I like the idea of the lifting pan tint, must be for improving video through bright light situation. Well I deal with small planes but I hope you find the platform you need for your application but I will ask a few friends who are into UAV for you.

John

UAVTCNJ

Thanks for your ideas. I think we're going with the 8 foot Senior Telemaster. At least that's the airframe on the table currently. The battery situation is between the power guy and the image guy. I know my power teammate would rather just power the camera with everything else, but the image acquisition part of the team doesn't agree. regardless, you've been very helpful. thanks.

JMSTECH

Well I still wish I could of done more for you. BTW I have to agree with your image guy on powering the video separately. I had bad luck in the past with powering everything on one power source. Strange back feed flowing from the esc/servos then into the video. Not a good thing.

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

Yes, it is a S.E. on my back. I work in the area you did for the last few years. I'm quite pleased to hear that someone knew how to handle the flex other than us.

Back to the age and ethics thing, being over 50 places an applicant at a severe disadvantage. Even with lots of operational and practical experience. Age discrimination is a fact with many companies though it is hidden under different guises. Most companies still prefer the cheaper candidate, even if less qualified Some like to consult the federally developed area cost of living statistics and offer a salary based on where you currently reside and add a small bump for experience and education. Some don't add the bump... If you live in B.F.E. and there's a high unemployment rate a salary offer may be quite low. OTH, there's a few that recognize talent and skill and offer accordingly, but they are somewhat scarce. I

f you're over 50, don't "over qualify" yourself on the resume, and don't mention your age until after a written offer has been made. In many instances you willl be the most qualified, most dependable, most productive candidate, but your wage requirements may bump you out of the competition. You'll also have to deal with a lot of related issues from younger co-workers that believe age is a handicap.