4 ms·

This is very cool. I had to look around a bit, but I found a link to DRACO taking off at at a competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp3402SOk8A https://

by Hasz 8y ago

This is very cool. I had to look around a bit, but I found a link to DRACO taking off at at a competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp3402SOk8A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp3402SOk8A Apparently this distance is about 100ft. Stats are all over the place, but "DRACO will climb at 4,000 feet-per-minute (FPM) and cruise at 180 mph (290 km/h) at 16,000 feet." which apparently blows everyone else out of the water (and it should for a 1M+ plane) Also, 5 months is a crazy timeline to build something that flies. I can't imagine the amount of skill (and confidence needed in your skill) to hop in a plane you tore apart and redid in less than 1/2 a year.

puranjay 8y ago
That short take off took me totally by surprise. That's not even 100m
- dredmorbius 8y ago
  110ft is cited by Ars.
  - donatzsky 8y ago
    Which is 33.5 meters.
- rpeden 8y ago
  One of the 2017 competitors took off in a little over a tenth of the distance DRACO took[1]. Of course, a stripped down Cub is probably much less useful overall, but taking seeing it take off in ~14 feet is fun. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo7-BuNiP6Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo7-BuNiP6Y
  - ajuc 8y ago
    The wind is also a significant factor. But yeah, that's almost a helicopter :)
- Merad 8y ago
  If you want to see truly insane performance (not that DRACO isn't impressive), look videos of fighters like the F-22 doing max performance take offs. Lightly loaded they can be off the ground in about 250m and supersonic before the end of the runway - and these are aircraft that weigh upwards of 20 tons.
halbritt 8y ago
Go watch the build videos and you'll understand how he got it done in 5 months. The guy is definitely "special" in the sense that he's incredibly driven, very positive, and a bit scary. Apparently, he only sleeps a few hours a day.
- DuskStar 8y ago
  The playlist is here [0], and it's definitely worth watching! The completed plane is just insane, and I was amazed at how much of it he made from carbon fiber. 0: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9OFkVHYEhoEfWmN0lQRZTemiuJCm2EZo https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9OFkVHYEhoEfWmN0lQRZ...
  - bdamm 8y ago
    That's astounding.
  - jcims 8y ago
    This guy is super inspiring to watch. I'm probably the same age as he is and haven't accomplished a tenth of what he appears to have gotten done. But just watching him it's clear why, he just goes...
  - burger_moon 8y ago
    Not only is this really impressive, but it also sounds like that whole hanger is his. Of course you have to have money if your hobby is planes but look at what else is inside the hanger, that's incredible. And the view outside the hanger door windows is unobstructed mountains. Doesn't get much better.
- komali2 8y ago
  >Apparently, he only sleeps a few hours a day. I look forward to the day that that particular trick of genetics is discovered. It took me about eight years to accept that a small percentage of the population is just born with that gift, and that trying to emulate it by restricting my sleep hours was only hurting me.

by Hasz 8y ago

puranjay 8y ago

That short take off took me totally by surprise. That's not even 100m

dredmorbius 8y ago
110ft is cited by Ars.
- donatzsky 8y ago
  Which is 33.5 meters.
rpeden 8y ago
One of the 2017 competitors took off in a little over a tenth of the distance DRACO took[1]. Of course, a stripped down Cub is probably much less useful overall, but taking seeing it take off in ~14 feet is fun. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo7-BuNiP6Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo7-BuNiP6Y
- ajuc 8y ago
  The wind is also a significant factor. But yeah, that's almost a helicopter :)
Merad 8y ago
If you want to see truly insane performance (not that DRACO isn't impressive), look videos of fighters like the F-22 doing max performance take offs. Lightly loaded they can be off the ground in about 250m and supersonic before the end of the runway - and these are aircraft that weigh upwards of 20 tons.

halbritt 8y ago

Go watch the build videos and you'll understand how he got it done in 5 months. The guy is definitely "special" in the sense that he's incredibly driven, very positive, and a bit scary. Apparently, he only sleeps a few hours a day.

DuskStar 8y ago
The playlist is here [0], and it's definitely worth watching! The completed plane is just insane, and I was amazed at how much of it he made from carbon fiber. 0: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9OFkVHYEhoEfWmN0lQRZTemiuJCm2EZo https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9OFkVHYEhoEfWmN0lQRZ...
- bdamm 8y ago
  That's astounding.
- jcims 8y ago
  This guy is super inspiring to watch. I'm probably the same age as he is and haven't accomplished a tenth of what he appears to have gotten done. But just watching him it's clear why, he just goes...
- burger_moon 8y ago
  Not only is this really impressive, but it also sounds like that whole hanger is his. Of course you have to have money if your hobby is planes but look at what else is inside the hanger, that's incredible. And the view outside the hanger door windows is unobstructed mountains. Doesn't get much better.
komali2 8y ago
>Apparently, he only sleeps a few hours a day. I look forward to the day that that particular trick of genetics is discovered. It took me about eight years to accept that a small percentage of the population is just born with that gift, and that trying to emulate it by restricting my sleep hours was only hurting me.