ORIGINAL: AndyKunz
Actually, Zor, it is possible.
Fly upwind in large circles. When you reach the limit and the model goes into failsafe, it will eventually come back (throttle off) in a descending circle toward you, bringing it back into range.
Determining distance is relatively easy as well using simple triangulation.
Andy
Hi Andy,
I am trying to make a mental picture of your described situation.
I imagine a modelquite large like a 96" wingspan or even a 120" wingspan.
I am asking myself how far cana fellowsee its attitude and control it.
Thinking of a fellow with normal average vision.
Now the model is upwind and at a faily high altitute. Perhaps something like 500 to 1,000 feet.
Now it looses signal and go into fail safe. The engine goes to idle.
What I see (mentally) that happens next depends on its stability characteristic.
With positive stability it may just keep flying in the geneal direction it was at the moment of signal range failure. I do not know what that direction is but the chances of coming back into range is not assured.
It would be flying faster than the wind I would think. (airspeed)
With neutral stability like many aerobatic models are I would figure a 95% change of a resulting spiral dive withing 10 seconds and regaining control only possible if its attitude is well visible at whatever distance it is.
With negative stability I would forget the model and try to find where it crashed.
Concerning triangulation the distance of the model would be the hypotenuse of the triangle.
To know that distance we would need the base and the heigth (altitude) of the model.
I do not think it is a handy (esily available figures) solution.
End of my figuration
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Zor