Homemade Model Makes it, With 'Shot Glass' of Gas to Spare

Fifth time was the charm for 77-year-old Dave Brown, who tried and tried again, to cross the Atlantic with a unique-design UAV, er, R/C, airplane. (It's a UAV for most of the flight, but it's landed like an R/C model.)

On Saturday night, Brown (right) and a cadre of friends (he's president of the American Academy of Model Aeronautics) set the airplane off on what turned out to be a 38 hour, 23 minute journey that covered 1888.3 miles, an average of just under 50 mph.

Brown and designer/builder Maynard Hill flew ahead to land the plane in Ireland, where it showed up OK, and working fine. They had been worried: a strange behavior was recorded -- the plane rose and dove in 100-foot increments for part of the flight, for no apparent reason. They were also worried about endurance.

Last year, as ANN reported, three unsuccessful, similar attempts were made, all with identical aircraft, all named Spirit of Butts Farm. The first two didn't get far, and sank into the sea; the third would have made it, Brown said, but it ran into a storm and drowned some 480 miles out.

This year, everything went well.

Brown was concerned about the machine's endurance, particularly in the wake of the "PIO" problem. Though the engine should run 40 hours with the fuel on board, there was no test data that said how long it would run, in protracted climb/dive cycles. Brown though that about 37 hours would be all the Spirit could muster. "Long enough," was the answer. As Brown told reporters by telephone from Ireland, "There was even about a shot glass of gasoline left in the tank."

Brown, who is having enough trouble seeing that he reportedly dyes his model airplane glue, was ecstatic at the landing. This, when confirmed, will be the 25th record he and his planes have set.

Spirit of Butts Farm was named after aviation buff Beecher Butts; it weighed about 11 pounds at takeoff, and about 5 lbs, 11 oz when it landed at Mannin Beach. The 51ml of remaining fuel was enough for about 40 more minutes' flight -- nearly 33 miles, according to one report.

News Flash: We Need to Correct This Story!

We received an enlightening bit of mail on Friday, that sets the story straight, from a direct source, Dave Brown:

Thanks for your kind words...........but that article is missing a lot of reality.

Yes, we crossed the Atlantic, but it was Maynard Hill who engineered, and built, the model, and it is he who is 77, nearly blind, and nearly deaf.
 
My "contribution" to the effort was, simply, as the pilot who turned off the autopilot, in Ireland, shut off the engine, and landed the model.   I also have spent the better part of the last week, talking to the press, both in Ireland, and in the USA.........and they don't seem to be able to get the story straight.......I told my employees in Ohio, that if they are going to make me 77, I'm going to RETIRE!!!!
 
As to the distance, it appears that it was, actually, 1912.4 miles, and the time was 38hrs 53minutes.
 
A great accomplishment, which I am proud to have been a part of, but for which I SURELY, couldn't take significant credit......That belongs to Maynard Hill, and the whole TAM team. (watch how you pronounce that!)
 
Best Regards --Dave Brown

[We hope we have it completely right, now -- and our apologies to Mr. Hill --ed.]

FMI: http://tam.plannet21.com, www.fai.org; www.modelaircraft.org; www.maci.ie