Don’t let the recent debacle about the boy from Colorado who was feared to have flown off in his family’s weather balloon discourage you and your children from experimenting with flight. I’m not suggesting you launch Junior, by any means, but I would like to invite you and your kids to explore the world of unmanned flight.
Drones aren’t just for the military. While Air Force drones have gotten all the media attention during the past ten years or so, people forget that it was hobbyists who started the whole unmanned airplane tradition, many years ago. Back when kids used to play outside and knew their way around more than just a joystick or a computer keyboard, it used to be common to see them in parks, radio transmitter in hand. It’s a great hobby that teaches children important skills like how to identify a switch mode transformer, how to solder and weld, principals of aerodynamics and how radio frequency control works. While full airplane kits are available from many hobby stores, there’s a lot to be said for building from scratch. My daughter and I built our last project together and, aside from a slight delay while waiting for some custom transformers to arrive, we spent about sixty days all told from the point where our design was completed to the time the aircraft was ready for its first test flight.
Many of today’s most successful engineers got their start monkeying around with electronics and motors as children. There something about having a bin of mechanical and electronic parts: electric motors,transistors, wheels, dials, transmitters, tubes, cables, LEDs, antennas, amplifiers, maybe even a switch mode transformer or two to inspire creative genius in anyone. Sitting down with a child and telling them that they can work with the components too and watching the look in their eyes as they realize that they’ve just been given the license to create is an experience I encourage all parents to undertake.
And if it turns out that starting from scratch just isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Kits have actually become even more accessible than ever and you can easily order a basic starter version online. For under a hundred dollars you can put together a simple radio controlled airplane with your son or daughter and be outdoors flying it in hours- or once the glue dries. And no-one will hold the commercial aspect against you -it may have been a kit, but you still put the effort into assembling it yourself.
Clint Harrison is an engineer and contributor to popular hobbyist and ?geek? publications. Last Halloween, his photos of his custom transformers robot display took top honors. His current project is a scale model remote controlled airplane modeled after an F18; he and his daughter installed some automated functions that employ a switch mode transformer as part of the control mechanism. Clint is always available for RF competitions and demonstrations.