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Ham-Led Transatlantic Model Airplane Flight
Under Way
 The reported
position of TAM-3 at 0300 UTC, August 21. The plane was last heard from at 0428
UTC.
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NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 21, 2002--A team of model airplane enthusiasts led
by Maynard Hill, W3FQF, is tracking the flight of an 11-pound single-engine
model attempting a record-breaking crossing of the Atlantic. The model
airplane, the Spirit of Butts Farm, was launched August 20 and was last
reported on the way to its destination in Ireland. Hill's team is in
Newfoundland, Canada, to monitor the flight. This week's attempt marks the
third in a series of four Trans Atlantic Model aircraft--hence the
designation TAM-3.
The TAM project is Hill's brainchild as the president of the Society
for Technical Aeromodel Research. Maynard and his design team have spent four
years on the ambitious project. The TAM aircraft are hand-launched and guided
to an altitude of 1500 feet by radio remote control. Upon reaching that
altitude, a sophisticated GPS-based autopilot system takes over. The aircraft
sends periodic position reports to the flight team, and these are posted on the
Tam Web site.
The first two TAMs failed soon after launch. The last position report
indicated that the TAM-3 had completed about one-fourth of its journey, but its
present status is unknown. If TAM-3 is lost, TAM-4 will be the final
attempt--at least for now.
A successful flight would mark the first transatlantic crossing by a
true model airplane--an aircraft weighing 11 pounds or less with an engine with
no more than 10 cc displacement, as specified by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI). It
would also set a new world record for straight-line distance by a
radio-controlled, piston-powered model airplane. You can follow the progress of
this historic effort on the TAM
Web site. Also, see the on-line National
Geographic article.
Page last modified: 11:43 AM, 21 Aug 2002 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2002, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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