(SNIP)
I fly acro quads... poorly. I'm a fan of freestyle; that's how I bring ME up in the air... at least until I win the lottery. ![Confused :-//](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/confused0024.gif.pagespeed.ce.5xOqKkq0Co.gif)
mnem
This is NOT me... but I can dream of being this smooth one day.
https://youtu.be/UvhLrgvfy0w
... and now for the *real* thing:
https://youtu.be/omQtw_VJjl4
(SNIP)
Please don't try this at home. ![Laughing :-DD](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gif.pagespeed.ce._hfWAz_QHO.gif)
With all due respect to Chuck and his amazing ability, unless it's actually YOU at the controls doing that crazy schizz, I'll submit that my own FPV experience is a lot closer to "real" than James' there... except for the few minutes of "Training time" with Chuck, that which of course I am more than a little jelly. ![Wink ;)](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/xwink.gif.pagespeed.ic.cldandycH0.png)
And we both know that there are a lot of things you can do with a "toy" heli that a real heli would just pull itself apart if you tried to do. I've "rode shotgun" a few times in an FPV-equipped 700-size Goblin and I can tell you, it's utter chaos. BLEEEARGH!!!
Hmmm... I wonder how many "tick-tocks" Chuck could manage before even he had to hurl? ![Laughing :-DD](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gif.pagespeed.ce._hfWAz_QHO.gif)
mnem
This is Tareq Alsaadi, holder of more titles than I can count:
https://youtu.be/l5FqYiZb_5s
I know some backstory about the Red Bull BO105 and how it became the first "aerobatic" helicopter (from some pilots that had a test drive next to Chuck):
Red Bull is based in Salzburg, Austra, so not soo far from me, and the pilot community is very small ...
When the idea of doing helicopter acrobatics was born, the first question was what machine to choose.
None of any civil (probably the same for the military) machines were certified for loopings, flying on your back, ...
All this forbidden in the flight manuals, so no clearance there. The BO105 was certainly a very agile chopper (made as an anti-tank attack machine),
but its unique thing was a single-piece, all milled-titanium rotor head with no hinges that would allow the blades to flap under extreme maneuvers.
So, if a machine could be used for acrobatics - it would be this one.
The BO105 is out of production, however, for 20 years, I guess. Some are still flying, there are spare parts, Eurocopter still maintains it - but there is still
the problem with no clearance of the authorities for acrobatic flying. So, Red Bull and the authorities sat together and what came out was a deal like this:
- Red Bull and aviation safety people create teams to define standards for acrobatic flying
- This will result in limits allowable, changes in construction (e.g., fuel supply), a new flight handbook, training procedures, emergency procedures, ...
- New maintenance plans need to be worked out for the increased loading on parts during acrobatic flight. The time between inspections was drastically reduced, and the lifetime of parts decreased significantly.
- Formal testing of all the above needed to be defined.
- Red Bull pays everything.
After quite some years they succeeded making and running a BO105CBS that met engineering and aviation safety requirements.
Its not a TEA, but a fascinating addiction, IMHO.