The Barnard Team
Barnard Microsystems Limited
Team Leader is Dr Joseph Barnard
Managing Director, Barnard Microsystems Limited
Optosignal Limited
with assistance from students in the Electrical Engineering Department at Imperial College London
Web site for more information at http://www.barnardmicrosystems.com/L3_mod_gc08.htm
The Barnard Team are using two types of mid-sized helicopters.
Align T-REX 600 electric helicopter
In this side view, you can see the large 5,350 mAh LiPo battery pack in the front. The helicopter is on a test flight in the above photograph, where no payload was carried.
For another view of this electric helicopter, please see the Guardian article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/may/02/sciencenews.military
The stabilisation system to be found on modern digital cameras enables good images to be taken from the helicopter, even though there can be some quite considerable vibration present on the platform.
Here the Align T-REX 600 helicopter is carrying a Canon G9 mid-size digital camera. The good thing about the mid-sized helicopter is that they have a payload capability of at least 1 kg.
Thunder Tiger Raptor 50 powered by an internal combustion engine
All our helicopters have been professionally built by Marcel, shown above, from the Sussex Model Centre. Marcel has over 20 years of model plane and model helicopter building experience.
The Raptor 50 on a test flight. This two stroke engine powered helicopter is very popular, and with good reason. It flies well and is very reliable.
We are in ongoing development of our platform, the control electronics and the software. One clear requirement is to pipe the exhaust from the methanol powered glow engine to the skid level. In the above photograph, the Canon G9 camera is facing forward.
Above you can see the quality of the still images we can get, in this case, from the camera in a side looking mode. We are currently developing the next variant of the payload assembly, with the skids relocated to ensure they are not seen when the camera is in a side looking mode.
Comparative features
The Align T-REX electric helicopter is quick to get into the air, but has a more limited lifting capability and flight endurance compared with the internal combustion engine powered Raptor 50.
The Thunder Tiger Raptor 50 is more noisy, exhibits a larger vibration level and generates smoke that can obscure the scenery to be visualised. The Raptor 50 also takes longer to prepare, and requires more equipment to start.
One might view the Align T-REX electric helicopter as a tactical helicopter to be used for a quick look over the hill, or round the corner. On the other hand, the internal combustion engine powered Raptor 50 is more of a strategic helicopter to be used for a planned survey of a village, where some time can be taken in the preparation of the helicopter.