X-UFO Passerby FAQ

From UfoWiki

Below are the most typical questions asked by passerbys spotting an X-UFO for the first time, and some suggested answers.

Contents 1 How high does it fly? 2 How much does it cost? 3 Is it hard to fly? 4 How much fuel does it consume?

[edit] How high does it fly?

The most frequently asked question EVER. It might be a good question to ask about a rocket or a kite, but not about this kind of aircraft. There is an answer, but surely more complicated and less exciting than the passerby expected: Maximum flight altitude is "limited" by several factors...

• sufficient atmospheric pressure allowing the propellers to create enough thrust (I'd guess maybe 4000 meters with brushed motors to 10 kilometers with brushless motors)
• ascent rate at full throttle multiplied by flight time per battery (probably still more than 3000 meters, but you wouldn't want to see the "landing")
• radio control range (up to 1 kilometer with X-Base and ACT receiver, less than 100 meters with Silverlit components)
• visibility (an X-UFO sized object cannot be seen from farther away than maybe 500 meters)

The lowest limit is set by the pilot's ability to see the X-UFO well enough, and to recognize quickly enough which direction it is going and what its orientation is. This depends on the pilot's eyesight and flying skills - an altitude of 30 meters should give any pilot goosebumps, and going to 100 meters is probably a sign of insanity (but it has been done!). Using an autonomously flying quadrocopter like the Microdrone, several hundred meters to about a kilometer may be achieved (although that's probably not a good idea because you'd enter controlled airspace and risk messing with manned aircraft).

[edit] How much does it cost?

Anywhere from 50 Euros to 30,000 Euros, depending on which specific craft you are talking about, where you buy it and how much you add afterwards. To fly it well, expect to pay around 400 to 800 Euros.

[edit] Is it hard to fly?

Learning to control 4 proportional functions simultaneously is difficult at first, yes. Expect that it will take about a week, at several flights a day, to get used to the flight characteristics with a mechanical gyro (self leveling), then 2 to 3 flights to switch to a heading-hold gyro (e.g. X-3D or Plottermod), then a few more weeks to feel comfortable with speedy flight. It will become just another subconscious skill, like riding a bicycle or roller-skating. Flying a RC helicopter is similar, and you'll be able to hover fly a heli if you can hover a heading-hold UFO. Going beyond hovering is a bit harder with a helicopter.

[edit] How much fuel does it consume?

None. (Yes, some people actually ask this after seeing the electric motors close-up.)