why so much fuss about multi's

[deano]

as title rc planes and heli';s have been around for years but they dontseem to get the same negative attention multi';s do. im just wondering why?

[guest2350]

black magic and all that!

[guest325]

Simples, because they are relatively new and most of rc flying is a dinosaur!

[Hands0n]

My view is that multi-rotors are equated with the word "Drone" and that word itself has been tarnished by sensationalist media attention.   The thing is, when talking with the uninitiated if I use the words "Quadcopter" or "Multi-Rotor" people don';t understand what I';m talking about.  But as soon as I say the word "Drone" they think they understand and then ask me if I video people in their homes and gardens!       

[highlightshadow]

+1

Too much attention gained in this particular element of the hobby by silly negative press / association

Plus they';ve been on the rise at the same time as affordable FPV solutions, fully autonomous flight capability and micro cameras....

Just added up to create an unfair bad rep

[guest2350]

Darrel and handson sum it up pretty much, the old skool heads don';t like change and then you have that new thing in the sky thats like a wasp with a camera on it.. Wooooo, scary! 

[Hands0n]

When I was learning to fly multi-rotor last year I was out in the back garden and got it above 10 - 15 feet one warm Summer';s day.  It had not been up there for more than 10 seconds when a neighbour 4 doors down shouted across "Have you got a camera on that, Danny?".   No one had seen me fly it before that!! <sigh!>

[guest325]

Simples, because they are relatively new and most of rc flying is a dinosaur!

There are still quite a few fliers out there who';ve got problems with electric powered models never mind rotary wing!

[Friskle]

Because they are an rc product someone can finally get money from.

[Cloudbuster]

When I was learning to fly multi-rotor last year I was out in the back garden and got it above 10 - 15 feet one warm Summer';s day.  It had not been up there for more than 10 seconds when a neighbour 4 doors down shouted across "Have you got a camera on that, Danny?".   No one had seen me fly it before that!! <sigh!>

I find it incredible how paranoid british people have become towards cameras, with thirty years as a photographer under my belt i am thouroughly saddened by peoples attitude toward the recording of our day to day  lives !!! We have lost an entire generation of historical images due to peoples paranoia...i have retired from professional photography now as i just cant be bothered with the grief and beaurocracy that now plagues the profession... Rant over !!!

Regards rob 

[Hands0n]

The Brits really do seem to have gone OTT against photography. I think that photography, and Photographers in particular, have been demonised by successive governments and their agencies. The thinking is that anyone taking photographs has an agenda of some kind - be it terrorist, nonce or worse.  Officialdom detests a photographer also - witness the endless YouTube videos of clueless "officials" putting the squeeze on photographers (ie. those with SLR "professional" equipment) yet ignoring the tens of millions of people who now hold a cameraphone!  Not too far from me, Chatham, a couple of years back a Photographer was arrested for being a terrorist because he photographed a local chip shop in the town centre! (see: http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/photo-news/536087/fish-and-chip-photographer-arrest-unlawful-say-police-chiefs-update-with-police-statement ). 

It can';t be too long before we read about multi-rotor pilot with camera for LOS or FPV flight gets arrested for videoing officials on the ground!

[guest2350]

cctv is fine though eh?

[richardg6paj]

And yet Google seem to be able to film anything they want, put it on the internet for all to see providing an excellent source for the would be terrorist.
If Google can do it, then so can I.

Richard

[Hands0n]

If Google can do it, then so can I.

Not according to this PCSO and his colleague 

http://youtu.be/6Vj4imfGXYo

[Biffa]

Multi copters are easy to fly - simple as!

Every Tom, Dick and Harry has a quad or knows someone that does. Helicopters and planks are a lot harder to fly and generally come from a club environment. You can buy a multi rotor off Ebay and be flying once it hits your doormat.

That';s technology for you! No skill or learning involved just as long as you can ( and are prepared) to pay

[DarkButterfly]

Camera technologies have evolved so much, they can be put on and in almost everything and with HD too.

At the same time multirotors emerged and parts became cheaper, RTF quads then came out, then FPV RTF quads came to the masses.

As said above, they are easy to fly, easy to build and set up, can be built to carry a DSLR if desired and as a result they have been labeled drones.

[guest2350]

In my opinion, a "drone" is designed to provide military operations and carry weapons. A "multi rotor" wether fpv or not is for fun, educational and hobbie use!

[richardg6paj]

Not according to this PCSO and his colleague 

http://youtu.be/6Vj4imfGXYo

Ironic that an Englishman was being told to stop taking photographs because he wasn';t a tourist by an immigrant dressed as a policeman.
As I said earlier I will continue to take photographs and video by whatever means available.
Notice the words Tourist and Terrorist could be lost in translation 

With regards to UAV';s or so called Drones. All radio controlled aircraft are UAV';s. So any new law/restrictions should apply to all radio
controlled aircraft, not just Multi Rotors. However, I do think that when a UAV is able to complete a mission on it';s own, that is a different
ballgame. Just my opinion. 

Richard

[HowDoIfly]

The "fuss" is almost certainly because of military drone use. It is a very controversial topic and by association (relatively) new multi-rotor hobby craft are feared. imho.

[Hands0n]

However, I do think that when a UAV is able to complete a mission on it';s own, that is a different
ballgame. Just my opinion. 

Although ... I would take a different position, for the reason that a UAV on a pre-programmed mission is likely to be far less intrusive than one being controlled in real time by a human pilot.   My reasoning being that, while on an autonomous mission, a UAV has no sense other than position and route via waypoint markers. At the current state of play, an autonomous UAV is unable to actually see and reason and thus make changing decisions on what to focus its attention on.

So, from a "privacy" point of view I think we';re all at much less risk from autonomous UAV than from piloted.

There may be other aspects of autonomous flight that have a higher risk than piloted, of course.   

My tuppence and three farthings worth 

[richardg6paj]

Although ... I would take a different position, for the reason that a UAV on a pre-programmed mission is likely to be far less intrusive than one being controlled in real time by a human pilot. 

High Danny,
That all depends what the UAV has been programmed to do. As soon as it is programmed it is on a mission to achieve some purpose, it could be a suicidal mission, a one way trip, if you get my meaning.
Which is why the word Drone strikes fear into the general public or the uninformed.

Richard

[Hands0n]

Hi Richard - Ah, yes, in that scenario, absolutely. The "killbot" scenario is completely sinister - and interesting to observe that all the leading nations of the world are building their own versions (BAE in collaboration with the French had a particularly advanced one for the UK military in the news of late).  And one would question the need to develop such technology other than to completely automate genocide!

I am also staggered that our numerous demonised "terrorists" have not adopted 3DR Ardupilot/Arducopter technology to develop and deliver tactical explosives to well defined targets in the UK and elsewhere.  I mean, for all of the squillions in funds they must have, surely they could afford a pallet load of Bixler RTFs and APM 2.6+GPS units. What are we talking about, £300 a pop?  Plus the cost of the explosive material.  They could launch a dozen or more from anywhere, targeted at places likely to cause the greatest public panic and hysteria.  Waypoint missions could even be emailed to the various cells all over the country, that we';re told exist!   But of course, none of that actually happens ...

And in that I can';t see the hobbyist being the biggest bad boy on the block ::)   Yet the media would have everyone believe that multi-rotors are falling out of the sky, killing thousands a year and maiming many more!   All the while using exactly the same technology to photograph and video this years flood victims misery ..

Funny old world ... innit?   

NB: If anyone wants me, I';ll be hiding behind the settee waiting for the stormtroopers to kick my front door down 

[Dek]

  But of course, none of that actually happens ...

But we all know it is simply a matter of time before something does happen. Likely it will have multiple rotors and payload of low level radioactive waste (medical or whatever). Drop bits along a pre programmed route over a large city and phone Sky News. Once they blow it out of all proportion, the politicians will come down on us in typical knee-jerk fashion.

Remember the Polonium panic? They were finding it in everything from airlines to sanitary towels (Damn those fiendish Russkies!!!), Likewise the Bird Flu epidemic that would wipe out half of humanity causing Those In Charge to spend billions on useless vaccines to a virus that had already mutated and the worst of it was they knew all along.

As in everything, the media calls the tune and it is they who are our biggest enemy. I fear they are just waiting for the day they can kick out the pedestal from under us too.

On a lighter note, mr postie just delivered my new motors for the hex so I';m away to solder the bullets onto the leads so I can complete my six clawed flying death-scythe spy-cam.

Dek

[Hands0n]

Its not all doom and gloom  though.  Despite my hatred of career politicians, we still have much sanity remaining in the few ministries and government departments that have not yet been sacrificed to quangos and committees.  These have preserved, thus far, the typical British sense of pragmatism that has prevailed some truly atrocious period of ours and world history.  I can just hear the mass eye-rolling that must occur each time the "meejia" spout their sensationalist nonsense.   In the CAA I have a strong confidence they will not permit too much in the way of knee jerk reactionism.  Otherwise we can expect white vans and the like to become outlawed (a much more reliable means of dispersing nasty toxins through a major conurbation). 

So how long before we get to see your "... six clawed flying death-scythe spy-cam ..." up in the air?  I need to make preparations to dig a very deep hole in the ground to hide away from it 

I';m just off to Aldi to get another couple of rolls of kitchen hat foil.