SushiHunter

That's true, but in almost all cases, the artist has been long dead when their work sells for anything close to that.

Talk about expensive, there is a guy where I fly my planes who created a very unique heli/video recording a/c. According to him, he spent way more than $60K on the R&D of this project. Pix below that I took a month or so back:




Look up the definition of r/c bells & whistles and this would probably come up

rick hamel

My Feedback: (1)

So the plan would be to build a pile of these suckers-wait till I bite the big one and then maybe my kids could get the big buck for them--sounds like a plan--off to the shop!--with my luck, by then, model turbines will be outlawed by the NSA or FAA--what's scrap fiberglass going for? You could always set one on a post in the middle of a corn field and scare off the crows--install a motion sensor to activate the fire--but then--there goes the crop up in smoke--maybe use it as an exotic paper weight. Probably couldn't give it away?! Life goes on.

GerKonig

But you would need a Dragon endorsement, and those are not easy to get:-)

Gerry

SushiHunter

I watched a few vids of this dragon on youtube today and the high speed taxi clip didn't really do it's image any good. Looks like the head was going to come off when it went over the rough. If it does that during taxi, imagine what it would do during stress of flying. I like the bat wing more but not even sure it is capable of flying. Bottom line (IMO) is $60K+ for something that you can basically only control it's flight path within roughly a quarter mile radius...cost analysis leads me to question.... is it really worth that amount?

rick hamel

My Feedback: (1)

There is a hard foam gasket between the head and neck so there is no glass to glass contact--between the flex of the gasket and the glass-it does move-on the rough it does bounce a little but there have been a dozen flights between the different models that I have-- and even at high speed --no problem at all !! As far as control --same as a Piper cub--I'm good with that---works for me. If your looking for something to zip around with-get something different than this at a lower price---sounds like you're better off with an aerobatic style plane. As far as the Batwing goes.--- If you search this form -there is a shot of the wing in the air with speed brakes deployed.---I'm not interested in selling them--or any of my other models in my gallery.

mitchilito

My Feedback: (7)

Rick, is there any particular reason you don't have any video of either the dragon or batplane in flight? Sure would like to see either of them flying.

sensei

How about this one.

Bob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=SzP5X9Y58JE

SushiHunter

I think that is a prototype of the larger one that moves the head and does the fire thing. The one in this video is a different one, much smaller, EDF powered, not the same as the one being showcased with the turbine power plant, moving head and fire.

rick hamel

My Feedback: (1)

I actually tried twice last summer on two separate occasions to get the dragon on film -had a friend bring his camera so he would know how to work it-for whatever reason the camera would not stay in focus so the vid is basically a big blur--second time had another club member show up with his own camera--all went well till the dragon was coming in for a landing and he dropped the camera--it's shame -- was one of the coolest low speed landings ever--I do have that I could post --it is amazing to watch it lift off at a low speed --but I hesitate to post it with all the sharks out there just waiting for something on it that isn't perfect!! after second try went home and put a roof on my house -roof on my shop -central air and electrical distribution box--by then flying season was gone hope to get something good this year--went to fire up the Batwing to test the new exhaust---brand new P-180 seized up on start--sent it back --they had to wait for parts--when I came back I was roofing and left it sit for 3 weeks--good thing cause then I received a notice from Jetcat that there was yet another problem--I think they said the diffuser had problems--anyway -they were taking them in order so That didn't come back till after xmas--haven't installed it as yet----I'm hoping for a better year in 14--the Batwing is a really old project from --12 years ago. I used to have a flight that was on VHS tape-in fact the pic of it in the air is on this form last year--it is one of the frames from that old tape--at this point it is so degraded it doesn't play in the machine--even the build pix are 35 mm that I scanned into my computer--like I said--it was a long time ago--I built a second model and installed all the lights and bling on it for last years show--I remember showing the flight vid to Voytec when he was interested in one. Anyway with time and a little luck I'll get them on youtube

rick hamel

My Feedback: (1)

Here are pix from two different flights-they are hi def so you can zoom in on them--they are pictures of a second turbine powered dragon identical to the one at the show except for paint and eyes-I use it for testing

SushiHunter

The dragon would probably look a whole lot better in flight if it had retracts instead of the fixed landing gear which reminds me of a shopping cart. Two back to back video issues. Lot of bad luck with that.

AndyAndrews

humm.. never seen a dragon with retracts. If you think you can make one better lets see it.

SushiHunter

I never seen a dragon fly before, I'm guessing they'd do it like all the other birds, bring their feet and legs in closer to their body. But the only need for retracts if it 's flying. Honestly I think most of this are static displays but with working robotics and real turbine engines. Basically it can be turned on, taxi itself around by it's own turbine power plant, but that's about it. Sure I'd love it if the bat wing was flyable. That would be too cool! But I think these things are just static displays but do have working components in them like the servo's, control surface movements and real turbine, but I think that is all they are. With exception to the prototype dragon with the EDF power plant. But hey....maybe I'm wrong, maybe they all fly. In which case I'd love to see videos of them flying cause I love that bat wing and that would be one cool a/c to be flying.

A10FLYR

My Feedback: (1)

I see his point. It would look neat if the wheels would retract somehow leaving only the claws showing. (I don't think he was slamming the work done or at least I hope not)

SushiHunter

That's right, I'm not slamming this work at all, looks really great. Unbelievable amount of money, time and effort goes into these. No way would I be able to make something like this stuff. With that said, come on, are these finished products really able to fly or are they more like very expensive and exotic static displays with limited mobility? I guess it doesn't really matter.

rick hamel

My Feedback: (1)

Found an old pic of the very first wing--it was nothing more that a flat sheet of foam with a rounded leading edge-but the point was to find the CG-find a set of control surfaces that would provide adequate control-and then to see if it would actually fly--think it have a 40 glow on it--at the end of the day a 12 year old was flying it around inverted- a club in WV borrowed it-they would fight over whos turn it was to fly -took 6 months to get it back--building one similar to this for my grand son except it will use a 5 inch electric ducted fan (old dragon set up) and it will be all Nomex glass--The prototype didn't even have rudders--these proof of concept projects are the most fun of all--not much to lose if things go wrong!

SushiHunter

I'd love to see the nice bat wing fly, he one that was on display with the batman action figure. That one is bad to the bone. I'd have to set that one up for FPV though.

rick hamel

My Feedback: (1)

Know anyone that wants to by a slightly used for display only Batman figure!---Small girl at Toledo picked it up and started walking away-must of really liked him!

rick hamel

My Feedback: (1)

Is this uncle Dean!!??--think I bought a Harel forward swept prototype -orange in color many moons ago!!

A10FLYR

My Feedback: (1)

Shore tis! I wondered where that Arrow went. I just had too many irons in the fire at the time, (still do). Into gliders now, slope, thermal, DS, aerotow.
Did you have any luck with it?

rick hamel

My Feedback: (1)

Not really--airfoils were incorrect for a canard design-and structurally it wasn't adequate--ended up sectioning it and saving that information on paper--nice fuse though!

rick hamel

My Feedback: (1)

Still have a couple 7 inch fans-then turbines came along--still NIB--oh well