Actually, in the competitions of drones, there is also no news – they are carried out now quite a lot among different categories of devices and according to different rules. The question is, will they remain fun for amateurs or go to the broad masses, fostering fans and budgets? Or, in another way, will there ever be a “Formula 1” drones? Of course, we are not able to answer this question accurately, but there is some interesting movement that we would like to tell about.
On February 4, the first class D drones were held in California. This class includes devices with a frame length between 1 meter motors (plus or minus 15 cm). All other characteristics are not regulated. Why was such a large size chosen? The answer here is obvious: for greater entertainment. A large drone is seen from afar, and it falls beautifully (where without it). There are other reasons.
The bigger the drone, the more powerful the engines can be put on it, the more it is to hang Sensors and control electronics. Continuing the comparison with the “Formula 1” in the race X-class the main thing is speed. Structurally, drones, like helicopters, are not inclined to run at furious speed. The harder it is to have their electronic stuffing to reach record levels. In the immediate plans of the creators of super-drones, the conquest of the bar at 150 km / h.
From a technical point of view The specialized racing drone is an almost endless field for innovation and improvement. It’s no accident that Intel, who loves everything new and little-researched, is actively working in the field of unmanned flying devices. So, at the end of last year the company introduced the first commercial drone of Intel Falcon 8+. Well, to the broad masses, the combination of “drones and Intel” is associated, probably, first of all with the light-music show performed by Drone 100 devices – the video has become, it may be said, viral.
Obviously (even “Formula 1” is not required to remember here), that this kind of sport will not be budgetary. Able to show at least something racing drone is now estimated at $ 1000; The upper limit, of course, does not exist (as there is no mass-produced super-drone model now, all the chasing instances are built by own forces). So much in the promotion of the project will depend on the commercial component. And from the organization, of course. Now the main driving force of the X-class is the team of Team Vondrone enthusiasts from San Francisco who have already built four X-class aircraft.
Meanwhile, on April 29, in the same place in California, the second race of the season will be held in class X. Participants plan to continue setting high-speed records.
