Electric model crosses Long Island sound

Model Airplane News, Dec 2001 by Hunt, Tom, Prew, Henry

FINAL APPROACH In the early hours of July 7, 2001, X-Sounder, an electric-powered sea-- plane model, successfully completed a one-- way trip from the Connecticut shore to Port Jefferson on Long Island, NY. The nearly 16-mile trip took almost 40 minutes, during which the model was "chased" by a small boat with Mario DiDiego, videographer; Tom Hunt, piloting the plane; and, of course, the boat's skipper, Bob Erbe. Not so high above, pilot Clyde Giest and photographer Henry Prew chased the model in a full - scale Cessna 172.

Although Frank Dellamura and Tom Hunt had designed the X-Sounder, its design evolution, fabrication and flight were the joint effort of 10 members of the Silent Electric Fliers of Long Island (SEFLI) model aircraft club. Our effort began in earnest early in 2001. A design team of mostly retired aerospace engineers, including Henry Prew, Nick Dannehoffer, Mario DiDiego, Frank Bock, Frank Dellamura and Tom Hunt, studied many schemes, with single- and multi-engine designs, single hulls with sponsons or wing floats, twin hulls and many others flying off the drawing board. The final design was agreed upon in March, but provisions in the design allowed easy modifications, if necessary.

By June 2001, builders Bob Bohrer, Jim Reid and Tom Hunt had the model ready to test-fly. Many flights over land with downlinked power data (current and voltage) and a hand-held global positioning satellite temporarily installed in the model confirmed its ability to make the 14-mile, nonstop flight across the Sound. During the test-flight phase, the limited (but essential) data available showed that major changes to the airframe were required to increase the model's range. These changes were instituted and tested, and when the overland range consistently reached 16 miles, the model was ready for the "crossing."

The flight/boat crew did not have to wait long for good crossing weather. Saturday, July 7-only three days after the last overland flight trials-- was nearly perfect. Shortly after 5 a.m., the model took off from just inside the jetty that separates Port Jefferson harbor from Long Island Sound. Due to a 4mph headwind present even at that early hour, X-- Sounder fell short of its goal of completely crossing the Sound; it had to be landed a mere 1/2 mile from shore because the motor battery was depleted. Undaunted, the crew replaced the motor pack with a fresh one and moved the boat as close to shore as possible. The model took off and headed toward the Connecticut coastline, where it turned 180 degrees and headed back to Long Island.

Approximately 30 minutes later, the model reached the Long Island shore, and the crew decided to continue the journey into Port Jefferson harbor and back to the boat ramp (nearly 2 additional miles). Passing a small Navy destroyer tender and a Bridgeport/Port Jefferson car ferry, X-Sounder easily found its way to the head of the harbor. After making a few victory laps around the docks, the model landed a few short yards away from the boat ramp from which it had departed--a distance of 15.7 miles! Efforts are under way to modify X-Sounder to make a complete roundtrip without landing and recharging. 4.

[Editor's note: look for a feature article on this design in an upcoming issue of Model Airplane News.]