For several years (10+ at least) I have thought of and spoken to several about a piece of technology that would be very interesting to have. I labeled it humorously as "Bill's Magic Dot".

The idea: a small piece of electronics that you could easily attach to the model at the CG, and which would measure and record the X, Y and Z coordinates as a function of time. The sample rate would be ... something .... perhaps every tenth/hundredth/thousandth .... of a second. The name came from the idea that this would be about the size of a CR2032 battery, hence a "dot". It would gave a Velcro back, and the matching Velcro would be permanently attached to the model.

Once attached to the model, the flight would be made, the X, Y and Z coordinates recorded. At the conclusion of the flight, the dot would be taken to a computer with appropriate adapter, and the data downloaded for later use.

"Later use":

The first I could envision would be to help a pilot analyze his flight, to help in making his performance better. I know many stunt folks use a coach, and that is all well and good, but a coach suffers from the human frailties of limited perception and memory, as well as .... well, you know! :-) The data from the dot could be an "impartial observer".

The second use (I don't even want to go there! Please don't respond! It's another BOM issue!) would be to actually score the flight! (To repeat: Please don't respond! It's another BOM issue!).

I don't know how to build anything electronic if it requires more than a couple of wires, but it seems that with the current state of the art, micro-stuff controlling motors, gyros controlling flight paths, GPS receivers, etc., that perhaps something like this is now do-able.

Comments?

Regards,

Bill

Any of the electronic gurus out there?

the real question is why?

stunt judging is pure and simply subjective - as the eyes of the judges.   yes this would be a cool idea to see how you are flying in regards to the "perfect pattern"  but it has no use in actually judging... unless all models had the same device fitted and were scored against a computer generated pattern path.     

For several years (10+ at least) I have thought of and spoken to several about a piece of technology that would be very interesting to have. I labeled it humorously as "Bill's Magic Dot".

The idea: a small piece of electronics that you could easily attach to the model at the CG, and which would measure and record the X, Y and Z coordinates as a function of time. The sample rate would be ... something .... perhaps every tenth/hundredth/thousandth .... of a second. The name came from the idea that this would be about the size of a CR2032 battery, hence a "dot". It would gave a Velcro back, and the matching Velcro would be permanently attached to the model.

Once attached to the model, the flight would be made, the X, Y and Z coordinates recorded. At the conclusion of the flight, the dot would be taken to a computer with appropriate adapter, and the data downloaded for later use.

Some things are easier than they look; some are harder.  This one is harder.

Some things are easier than they look; some are harder.  This one is harder.

I actually have software sitting on my computer that would do the job, if you had the sensors from a TUT that recorded at the same time as a high update rate GPS -- and if you flew someplace with good GPS reception all around the circle and no reflections.  For examples of "good GPS reception", Delta park would probably be OK, but I'm not sure if Auburn would work: the fence and passing airplanes may provide enough multipath to screw up the GPS.