I came across OpenPPG and have been trying to learn as much as I can about it through the community posts and videos. Thanks for all the effort you’ve put into it, I wish you the best of success.
I have a particular requirement that I am researching for. We are working on aerial reforestation, basically, carpet bombing large areas with seed balls (seeds in a clay ball with some nutrients).
I’m exploring different options, and one of them is an R/C controlled PPG (I have an scale https://www.opale-paramodels.com/ kit to learn and experiment a proof-of-concept on and pitch to funding agencies). Eventually I would want to replace the R/C with an http://ardupilot.org/ based flight controller, maybe even swarm a large number of them but thats for much later. Baby steps first.
Being in Pakistan, sourcing parts and supplies is a challenge, so whatever we can build or get from Aliexpress is a boon.
My first question is has anyone here attempted a R/C controlled OpenPPG? (or is everyone having too much fun flying to bother)
Hello, welcome.
About 20 years ago the president of our R/C model airplane club had a radio controlled full size real PPG with trike. The ‘pilot’ was a mannequin with a real flying helmet and suit. He went to several R/C events with it and gained a lot of attention.
Before the PPG he had an own built 1/2 scale 5.6m wingspan Cessna with 240cc 4-cylinder boxer engine. It carried 8 R/C parachute jumpers and at the end of each show demonstration it did a low pass to pick up with it 's anchor a flying banner with the name of our club on it. It was always tricky to find right away my own parachute jumper between the others, they all had the same colored suit and chute
In my opinion an R/C PPG with FPV equipment is a good platform for your use. Movement of the brakes can be done by ‘upscaled’ rope winches used in R/C sail ships.
What a cool idea. We’d all get about 3 hours of extra flight time if we removed our own weight! They have those type of toggle pulling systems for military rc cargo chutes. They flare and everything.
I know you posted this a while ago but see full size RC PPG here. By the looks of things given a steady breeze you could deploy 30 kg of seed balls without power or at least with minimum use of power!
I don’t want to be a party pooper. But without the wing loading provided by a human pilot, the wing would be very susceptible to collapse. Plus you couldn’t fly it most times of the day due to turbulence and wind.
I think it would be harder short term but in the long run a fixed wing platform would save a lot of pain, money, and hassle. Also it would have a much better range than the large paramotor system.
to bother)