The Future of Tuft Testing

[freebeard]

I've been wanting to do some tuft testing on my car (a VW Beetle); specifically, the back half of the front fender and the door. To see what's going on. I've been pondering strapping a tripod off the bicycle rack with bungee cords, and using my camcorder in 720p 60 frames/second mode.

But now I've seen the first flight video of my son's new UAV, a Parrot

He lives [4 to 6] hours away, but definitely the next time either of us visit, it needs to happen. It does 720p at 30 frames, straight to the iPad controller.

Edit: It turn out it has a top speed of 11mph. I guess I could do 25mph drive-bys while he pans his viewpoint.

[ryannoe]

GoPro Cameras have some great mounting accessories. The video quality is great too. Check them out.

-Ryan

[Xist]

When I was a kid I swore that I saw a four-foot plane fly over our car. I think that you would cause some attention to yourself with weird strings taped to your car and a small plane buzzing your vehicle.

Honestly, though, how could you improve over tuft-testing with a UAV besides an actual wind tunnel?

[freebeard]

You can also use it to inspect your rain gutters! I was really paranoid about drones in the 70s-80s, but I had time to get over it before they really showed up.

I got to buzz myself with the Parrot with its iPad controller last week.

This doesn't give you a top speed; but I'd estimate 40-60mph based on the Doppler shift and imagining having to chase it with a car:

[arcosine]

Obviously still in the future. The toy coaxial helicopters come with a camera too.

[HydroJim]

The flight characteristics of that thing are amazing. Far step forward from RC planes I used to play with. I know they use those in TV shows and movies a lot too. Scenes that look like they're shot with a helicopter are most of the time shot from one of those drones. Pretty cool pieces of technology.

[myrefugeisintheLord]

Wow! That is SO COOL!!