Idiot attempts world record at 3.4 Km/11.000 feet

Sinisalo · Mar 6, 2016

vgt said:
This has what to do with this example of a drone operator violating the law? Last I checked, birds don't need to follow the law. Also, there has been *one* recorded incident of a duck flying that high.

My point is that a phantom poses no more danger to an airplane flying at 11,000 feet than a goose does, but as I pointed out I still think the law should be followed and this person should be arrested.

vgt · Mar 7, 2016

GoodnNuff said:
High Altitude - Ducks usually migrate at an altitude of 200 to 4,000 feet but are capable of reaching much greater heights. A jet plane over Nevada struck a mallard at an altitude of 21,000 feet—the highest documented flight by North American waterfowl. And a 1954 climbing expedition to Mount Everest found a pintail skeleton at an elevation of 16,400 feet.
Waterfowl on the Move

The bar-headed goose can reach 8,800 metres (29,000 feet)
The common crane has been recorded flying across the Himalayas at heights up to 10,000 metres (33,000 feet)
Rüppell's vulture has been found at heights up to 11,300 metres (37,000 feet)
A flock of whooper swans was recorded by radar flying at 8,200 metres (27,000 feet)
The list goes on....
List of birds by flight heights - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So, more laws for birds. Okay.

Meta4 · Mar 7, 2016

No-one is curious about this??
With a P2 it would take 9.4 minutes to ascend to 3.4 km.
And 28.3 minutes for the descent
That adds up to 37.7 minutes.which is a lot more than the normal endurance of a P2
Did he really go to 3.4 Km and if he did, how did he do it.

By my calculations, a stock P2 would only be able to make a return trip to about 1300 metres ... a long way short of 3.4 km.

**EDIT ... figures corrected for correct ascent speed of the P2**

rockydog · Mar 7, 2016

Meta4 said:
No-one is curious about this??
With a P2 it would take 11.3 minutes to ascend to 3.4 km.
And 28.3 minutes for the descent
That adds up to 39.6 minutes.which is a lot more than the normal endurance of a P2
Did he really go to 3.4 Km and if he did, how did he do it.

By my calculations, a stock P2 would only be able to make a return trip to about 1300 metres ... a long way short of 3.4 km.

I'm no way condoning what he did, but I think quite a few guys have modified their craft to carry extra battery packs....maybe he's one of them?

Joe Gray · Mar 7, 2016

I wonder if he could have executed a CSC command at 3.4k, then re-started the motors around 1k, and had a safe landing? He might have been able to go even higher as a result

Maybe he could have attached a remote controlled parachute & GPS tracker as well.

yankee65 · Mar 7, 2016

It's still on original link,, I just watched it

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TheTanger · Mar 7, 2016

Looks legit to me...video proof.

kandelin16 · Mar 7, 2016

Meta4 said:
No-one is curious about this??
With a P2 it would take 11.3 minutes to ascend to 3.4 km.
And 28.3 minutes for the descent
That adds up to 39.6 minutes.which is a lot more than the normal endurance of a P2
Did he really go to 3.4 Km and if he did, how did he do it.

By my calculations, a stock P2 would only be able to make a return trip to about 1300 metres ... a long way short of 3.4 km.

I got 9.4 minutes for the ascent, which puts it within the realm of plausibility with a enormously modded battery. Still crazy, but plausible IMO. And I wonder how he did it too because its still an stretch. By a lot.

Meta4 · Mar 7, 2016

TheTanger said:
Looks legit to me...video proof.

While the video was available, it only showed that he had flown high ... but there was nothing to show how high.
The video doesn't prove much at all. There's no evidence of altitude.

rockydog said:
I think quite a few guys have modified their craft to carry extra battery packs....maybe he's one of them?

Obviously he's not flying a stock P2 to get a 40 minute flight time but he gave no details to explain how he achieved a 38 minute flight time and that would be more interesting and useful to more people than to announce he flew to 3.4km.
The interesting question is:
How many batteries would he have to strap on to fly for 40 minutes and would he be able to climb to 3.4 km with that weight?

Joe Gray said:
I wonder if he could have executed a CSC command at 3.4k, then re-started the motors around 1k, and had a safe landing? He might have been able to go even higher as a result

I know it has been done at least once (except for the safe landing part).
If he had used CSC that would have been an interesting detail but it's another that he's given no clue about.

Regardless, given the amount of air traffic over the Netherlands there's no question ... he is an idiot.

Meta4 · Mar 7, 2016

kandelin16 said:
I got 9.4 minutes for the ascent, which puts it within the realm of plausibility with a enormously modded battery. Still crazy, but plausible IMO. And I wonder how he did it too because its still an stretch. By a lot.

You're right, I'd forgotten that the P2 ascent speed was 6m/s rather than 5m/s of the P3.
I'll adjust my figures .. thanks

Dave from Ok · Mar 7, 2016

Who said it survived? I have always wanted to try to shut it down to idle. ( not stop ) that way it shouldn't tumble. Then throttle up at about 1000 ft and see if it survives! Maybe CSC then start it up instantly- no throttle. I do it with my Different syma's all the time. Yes, I ALWAYS wonder how high it can go,,,Anyone who claims they don't,,well I won't call any names...but I am an adult and will obey the laws of the land

.

P.S. I wonder how fast my mustang will go,,,how much my tractor can pull, how fast my boat can go....lol

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Meta4 · Mar 7, 2016

Dave from Ok said:
Who said it survived?

On the video he said it landed with 4% battery left.
The suggestion being that it did land.

Dave from Ok said:
Who said it survived?
I ALWAYS wonder how high it can go
P.S. I wonder how fast my mustang will go,,,how much my tractor can pull, how fast my boat can go

But we know that a P3 will go further than the battery can bring it back.
And we know that it's limited to 500 metres altitude.
So there no case for wondering how high it will go.
Without the firmware limitation, it will go as far or high as the battery lasts.

TheTanger · Mar 7, 2016

kandelin16 said:
I got 9.4 minutes for the ascent, which puts it within the realm of plausibility with a enormously modded battery. Still crazy, but plausible IMO. And I wonder how he did it too because its still an stretch. By a lot.

9.4 minutes ascent is accurate as P2 max ascent speed is 6/ms. Had to have a modded battery though. Even if it wasn't 3.4km, it was higher than anyone has probably seen with a Phantom...FAR beyond a KM for sure. At that point, doesn't really matter much how high he went...wrong, but still ballsy for sure. Lucky he didn't kill anybody...could've been very bad.

Dave from Ok · Mar 7, 2016

Meta4 said:
On the video he said it landed with 4% battery left.
The suggestion being that it did land.

Yeah, I forgot that in my daydream of dropping and restarting,

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Dave from Ok · Mar 7, 2016

Meta4 said:
Without the firmware limitation, it will go as far or high as the battery lasts.

I'll have to disagree with you here champ....the air gets thinner the higher you go, you reach a point where you are limited by the air you can push and the lift the blades can produce, and anybody looking to set an altitude record won't be doing it by adding extra batteries,,,,,the ceiling with the added weight would be a lot lower than the ceiling without. Everything else being equal.

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Deputy Dog · Mar 8, 2016

rene van der meer said:
The location was Hellevoetsluis which is very close to Rotterdam Airport.
Dutch regulations require an unaided line of sight (naked eye) and a maximum height of 120 m. If you stay away from no fly zones and villages there a enough places for safe flying.

How can you get your Phantom to fly above 500m?

souldronedlyer · Mar 8, 2016

Dave from Ok said:
I'll have to disagree with you here champ....the air gets thinner the higher you go, you reach a point where you are limited by the air you can push and the lift the blades can produce, and anybody looking to set an altitude record won't be doing it by adding extra batteries,,,,,the ceiling with the added weight would be a lot lower than the ceiling without. Everything else being equal.

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1. Yes. Exactly

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souldronedlyer · Mar 8, 2016

TheTanger said:
9.4 minutes ascent is accurate as P2 max ascent speed is 6/ms. Had to have a modded battery though. Even if it wasn't 3.4km, it was higher than anyone has probably seen with a Phantom...FAR beyond a KM for sure. At that point, doesn't really matter much how high he went...wrong, but still ballsy for sure. Lucky he didn't kill anybody...could've been very bad.

The damage a drone will achieve hitting something from 400ft vs 10000ft won't be so different. A object will hit close to terminal velocity at either height

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TheTanger · Mar 8, 2016

souldronedlyer said:
The damage a drone will achieve hitting something from 400ft vs 10000ft won't be so different. A object will hit close to terminal velocity at either height

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Yes, but if it dropped from 400ft, you most likely would've heard it (maybe even looked for it) before the engine cut out. Not so at 10,000...it would just be on you with no warning.

Choad McDaniel · Mar 8, 2016

TheTanger said:
9.4 minutes ascent is accurate as P2 max ascent speed is 6/ms. Had to have a modded battery though. Even if it wasn't 3.4km, it was higher than anyone has probably seen with a Phantom...FAR beyond a KM for sure. At that point, doesn't really matter much how high he went...wrong, but still ballsy for sure. Lucky he didn't kill anybody...could've been very bad.

What do you figure the odds were of somebody getting killed?