The Spirit of Butts Farm
The Spirit of Butts Farm (also known as TAM 5) became the first model aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean on August 11, 2003. The aircraft was launched from Cape Spear near St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and landed at Mannin Beach near Clifden, Ireland 38.5 hours later. It was recognized by the FAI as a double world record[1] flight for its duration and straight line distance of 3,030 km using an autopilot. The aircraft was controlled by autopilot for >99% of the flight in a manner similar to that used by the Insitu Aerosonde UAV "Laima" that crossed the Atlantic in 1998.
The aircraft was named after Beecher Butts, an aviation enthusiast who allowed use of his farm for testing of the aircraft. The name echoes that of the Spirit of St. Louis, the aircraft used by Charles Lindbergh in his trans-Atlantic flight.
| Name: | TAM-5 | |
| Weight: | 11 lbs | 5 kg |
| Time: | 38 hours 53 minutes | |
| Distance: | 1883 miles | 3038.441 km |
| Start time: | 2003-08-09 20:00 (chosen for light winds at launch site) | |
| Height: | ~1000 feet | ~300 meters |
| Fueltank: | ~32 oz | 0.9 liters |
| Fuel: | Coleman lantern fuel (normal: alcohol) | |
| Tweak: | Smaller valves in engine | |
| Cruising speed: | 42 MPH | 67.59 km/h |
| Size: | 6 ft, 3" long, span = ~6 feet | 1.9m long, 1.8m wingspan |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Model Aircraft World Records, Fédération Aéronautique Internationale [1] Category F8
- ^ "Science News for Kids: Feature: Model Plane Flies the Atlantic". http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20031217/Feature1.asp. 080205 sciencenewsforkids.org
- ^ "STAR". http://www.dc-rc.org/star.htm. 080205 dc-rc.org
[edit] External links
- Official page with FAQ[dead link]
- Article in Popular Science[dead link]
- Brown, Emma (9 June 2011). "Model airplane history-maker Maynard Hill dies at the age of 85". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/model-airplane-history-maker-maynard-hill-dies-at-the-age-of-85/2011/06/08/AGcnyQNH_story.html. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
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