• After witnessing the continued decrease of involvement in the SpotterNetwork staff in serving SN members with troubleshooting issues recently, I have unilaterally decided to terminate the relationship between SpotterNetwork's support and Stormtrack. I have witnessed multiple users unable to receive support weeks after initiating help threads on the forum. I find this lack of response from SpotterNetwork officials disappointing and a failure to hold up their end of the agreement that was made years ago, before I took over management of this site. In my opinion, having Stormtrack users sit and wait for so long to receive help on SpotterNetwork issues on the Stormtrack forums reflects poorly not only on SpotterNetwork, but on Stormtrack and (by association) me as well. Since the issue has not been satisfactorily addressed, I no longer wish for the Stormtrack forum to be associated with SpotterNetwork.

    I apologize to those who continue to have issues with the service and continue to see their issues left unaddressed. Please understand that the connection between ST and SN was put in place long before I had any say over it. But now that I am the "captain of this ship," it is within my right (nay, duty) to make adjustments as I see necessary. Ending this relationship is such an adjustment.

    For those who continue to need help, I recommend navigating a web browswer to SpotterNetwork's About page, and seeking the individuals listed on that page for all further inquiries about SpotterNetwork.

    From this moment forward, the SpotterNetwork sub-forum has been hidden/deleted and there will be no assurance that any SpotterNetwork issues brought up in any of Stormtrack's other sub-forums will be addressed. Do not rely on Stormtrack for help with SpotterNetwork issues.

    Sincerely, Jeff D.

A New Method for Collecting Tornado-Related Data

Joined
Apr 23, 2015
Messages
61
Location
Athens, AL
I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place to post this, but I'll give it a try. I'm into avionics and aerodynamics especially when it comes to model aircraft. I'm going to purchase a kit for a radio-controlled jet that I will use in an attempt to obtain tornado data. The jet has a top speed of up to 220 mph. It has enough thrust that it can fly straight up. I'm not sure how well the jet will perform in rough conditions. I don't even know if it's possible with the rapidly changing tailwinds, headwinds, downdrafts, and vertical ascent in and around the periphery of a tornado. If I can find a tornado, I will orbit it (not too close!) and collect data, dropping probes at key locations, particularly in the inflow. It will have an on-board barometer, GPS, ELT, a pan-tilt camera with a full 360 degree view, controls for retractable landing gear, flaps, throttle, ailerons, rudder, and elevator. I will use a 14-channel radio with a built-in video screen. The camera will be used for flying as if you were in the plane (also known as FPV - First Person View). A high-gain directional antenna will substanially increase the range by up to five miles. I'm fully aware that this is a monumental undertaking, and it will be very expensive.

So, what do you think? I need input from members. Please share your ideas.

This F-16 is the one I want. It's highly maneuverable with plenty of space inside for electronics. It is 10 feet long with a 6.5 foot wingspan.
DSC_6693-1.jpg
 
From purely a photographic chaser's point of view...I hate having planes in my photos...so considert that while you're buzzing the tower and how many other people are trying to shoot pure video of the same tornado. If everybody did this and every storm was surrounded by remotes and drones, I'd quit chasing.
 
From purely a photographic chaser's point of view...I hate having planes in my photos...so considert that while you're buzzing the tower and how many other people are trying to shoot pure video of the same tornado. If everybody did this and every storm was surrounded by remotes and drones, I'd quit chasing.

It's not like I'll be out there every time a chase is underway. I'll probably do it maybe a dozen times a year. And what are the chances of my plane appearing in one of your photos? I understand your desire to shoot great photos, but there are other people with different interests. I say we work together.
 
One thing to think about. I would assume you would need a fairly large stretch of open road to take off. That might be a little hard to come by with a twister on the ground. Maybe a top end drone instead?
 
Depends how much lift and speed is needed to get the plane and keep it airborne.
I personally like the idea. The only issue I foresee is the faa like mentioned with the news choppers
 
One thing to think about. I would assume you would need a fairly large stretch of open road to take off. That might be a little hard to come by with a twister on the ground. Maybe a top end drone instead?

Good point. It takes 150 feet of runway to take off (under ideal circumstances). The radio/video communications system has a range of up to five miles, so that expanded radius should increase the chances of finding a suitable landing strip. Thanks for the feedback. I need all I can get!
 
Well, I certainly admire your ambitions and wish you all the best but, what storm attributes do you feel you will gain with your plan that others haven't already succeeded in acquiring? As others have stated, you're certainly not the first to fly a sensored model aircraft near and/or into the core of a meso or tornado.

I'm not suggesting your plan doesn't have merit, but you may want to do a "gut check" on the cost/benefit of it.

Good Luck!
 
Depends how much lift and speed is needed to get the plane and keep it airborne.
I personally like the idea. The only issue I foresee is the faa like mentioned with the news choppers

I don't know what the stall speed is. I definitely need to know that. About the FAA, a few years ago an administrative judge for the NTSB ruled that radio-controlled aircraft are not under the jurisdiction of the FAA. However, soon thereafter, some NTSB committee brought the matter up again and reversed the decision on the grounds that commercial use of R/C aircraft is prohibited. Therefore, the private, non-commercial use of R/C aircraft is NOT regulated by the FAA or the NTSB. But, I'm sure we haven't heard the end of it.
 
Well, I certainly admire your ambitions and wish you all the best but, what storm attributes do you feel you will gain with your plan that others haven't already succeeded in acquiring? As others have stated, you're certainly not the first to fly a sensored model aircraft near and/or into the core of a meso or tornado.

I'm not suggesting your plan doesn't have merit, but you may want to do a "gut check" on the cost/benefit of it.

Good Luck!

I see your point. It certainly will get expensive. I estimate it will cost me around $40,000. On the other hand, I have a few ideas I haven't mentioned yet that could give scientists much higher resolution data, as well as other, innovative uses of existing data and systems.
 
It would be interesting to see how it performs in the type of weather it is likely to encounter (I doubt hail of any size would be survivable). It will certainly challenge your flying skills landing with a 30kt surface inflow crosswind. I can see some chasers getting irritated if you attempt to stop traffic so you can land - even if it's just for a minute or two - so there's always *that* aspect. I like the idea of using it to drop probes into inflow - it would probably be much more effective than using a pneumatic cannon or home-made rocket strategy.
 
It's not like I'll be out there every time a chase is underway. I'll probably do it maybe a dozen times a year. And what are the chances of my plane appearing in one of your photos? I understand your desire to shoot great photos, but there are other people with different interests. I say we work together.

Oh don't get me wrong, I have no problem with your concept. And if I knew you were there, I'd actually want to shoot (photograph) your not-so-small model Jet because that's just cool.

A few times a year, no problemo...but if you were at all the big events, I think people might get tired of it. Realistically...doubt there would be a problem.

Hope you're a good pilot...and good luck with this venture.

But as I said...once everyone starts flying drones and crap all around storms, it'll get old to those who just want to watch and take photos/video.
 
It would be interesting to see how it performs in the type of weather it is likely to encounter (I doubt hail of any size would be survivable). It will certainly challenge your flying skills landing with a 30kt surface inflow crosswind. I can see some chasers getting irritated if you attempt to stop traffic so you can land - even if it's just for a minute or two - so there's always *that* aspect. I like the idea of using it to drop probes into inflow - it would probably be much more effective than using a pneumatic cannon or home-made rocket strategy.

The extreme weather is my biggest concern. The wings are made from carbon-fiber and have several layers of laminate for strength. Still, hail is a big concern, so my strategy is to try to avoid it altogether. It could probably survive a few minutes of dime-size hail, but anything bigger would be a problem. I can easily land in a grass field, so that's not a problem. I never liked the idea of inserting probes by rocket. I'm into model rockets also and I'm well aware of the difficulty of getting them to go where you want them to go. They have a strong tendency to "weathercock", that is, turn into the wind. That is caused by a misplaced center of pressure and/or excessively large fins. A jet can drop the probes exactly where you want them. And with a huge payload section, a large number of probes can be carried.
 
How level is the grass field though? Chances are it may look pretty level, but filled with a lot of dips and bumps that can damage the landing gears
 
How level is the grass field though? Chances are it may look pretty level, but filled with a lot of dips and bumps that can damage the landing gears

That's something that will require some reconnoitering. I could send out a team member or two to check out the LZ to see if it's suitable. If push comes to shove I can take my chances, since the landing gear is extremely well-built and comes equipped with shock absorbers. They are scale models of the original F-16 landing gear. The landing gear alone costs $2,500.00.
 
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