Hopefully No RC Hobby Impact

[jlday1256]

Give him a soapbox!

I'm hoping that this doesn't result in some bureaucratic **** wit respect to RC hobbies.

A 26-year-old man named Rezwan Ferdaus has been arrested for plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon. His weapon of choice? Remote-controlled aircraft. Ferdaus’s plan involved “small drone airplanes” packed with explosives and guided by GPS. He had ordered a remote-controlled F-86 Sabre for use in the plot.

You have to ask yourself, how much C-4 can a ducted fan F-86 hold? This is as realistic as the underwear bomber.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

You'll be pleased to know that HomeLand Security has paid me a visit too. Nice to know they're thinking outside-of-the-box.

David,

[Kazzer]

You'll be pleased to know that HomeLand Security has paid me a visit too. Nice to know they're thinking outside-of-the-box.

David,

Ha! Ha! In view of the current situation, I'd say you were the perfect choice. (At least that's what I told them!)

[roedj]

I'm guessing it was the pink shorts that got their attention.

Dan

[Kazzer]

Oh! These? No, it was the funny way he's holding his arm out that bothered them. I told them the socks looked a bit suspicious too!

[herrmill]

Call me crazy, but...

The idiot should have been committed as criminally insane as soon he brought up his idea of using a cheap EDF foamie to carry enough explosives to blow up any building, least of all the Capitol or Pentagon. What I find incredible is that so far none of the media stories even challenge such an outlandish plot. He would have been better served caught lurking over on RCG's blimp section asking for suggestions on how to build a scale Hindenburg.

And to think I thought the Chinese were paranoid whenever I sail my IOM on the local lakes fearful that I may ram & sink one of the tour boats. You should see their faces whenever I pull out the sub! :wink:

[tsenecal]

it wasn't a cheap EDF foamy. he purchased a $6500 1/10 model of the f86 (according to the AP newswire feed i read)

[herrmill]

Me bad. Wow, $6500 for a 1/10 F-86? It appears that he was even dumber than I thought.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1513690&page=10

[Slats]

You'll be pleased to know that HomeLand Security has paid me a visit too. Nice to know they're thinking outside-of-the-box.

David,

Wow, care to share more David? There is a good story no doubt re this.

[Slats]

Here is a good video explaining how unrealistic this all was.

http://media.smh.com.au/news/world-news/model-airplanes-a-new-tool-for-terror-2662275.html?from=newsbox

That said I am glad the authorities locked this guy up. If that was his motivation, regardless of it being unrealistic, he belongs in jail where he can harm no one.

J

[redboat219]

You'll be pleased to know that HomeLand Security has paid me a visit too. Nice to know they're thinking outside-of-the-box.

David,

I remember reading a question posted in another RC submarine forum. The person was asking how to build sub that could carry several pounds of weight. People were asking what he was trying to carry, drugs or explosives. Wonder if Homeland Security ever paid him a visit?

[jlday1256]

When I saw this article, I thought of this: The German World War II general Erich von Manstein is said to have categorized his officers into four types. The first type, he said, is lazy and stupid. His advice was to leave them alone because they don’t do any harm. The second type is hard-working and clever. He said that they make great officers because they ensure everything runs smoothly. The third group is composed of hardworking idiots. Von Manstein claims that you must immediately get rid of these, as they force everyone around them to perform pointless tasks. The fourth category are officers who are lazy and clever. These, he says, should be your generals.

My conclusion is that he was a hardworking idiot.

[jlday1256]

That was the idea of my original post. It was obvious that this idiot was taking the easy way out; buying off-the-shelf model aircraft and figured all he would need to do was purchase the various pieces parts to make it all work.

I may be totally wrong on this but the useful load of one of those things, even using something like Semtex, would be insufficient to do damage to anything except direct contact with the human body.

His idea of piecing together technology, from a practical application standpoint, was naive at best. Sure, a GPS would get you within 35 feet or so, but the interface between the GPS and the flight control system (http://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-...challenge.html ) would be well beyond the technical expertise of anyone but the "electronically" savvy modeler .

I agree with getting this guy out of circulation but, the media's amateurish handling of the story (and their ignorance of the technical difficulties involved) could result in some limitation on RC technology, in one way or another.