# RC plane flies over US Space center.....with video! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250 "2007-09-15T00:44:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/1 "2007-09-15T00:44:50Z")
“A remote controlled plane with a camera flies over the US Space Center in Huntsville. You can see a bunch of current and past space craft including the Saturn V.” I don’t know what’s cooler, the space center or the plane. I reeeeally want one of those. [http://www.break.com/index/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center.html](http://www.break.com/index/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center.html) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/2 "2007-09-15T01:05:29Z")
I’ll tell you what’s cooler: the [world’s largest RC model aircraft](http://www.break.com/index/worlds-largest-model-air-plane.html), from that same site. Wow! A 460-pound RC plane! Four 160cc engines. I’ve ridden motorcycles with less than 160cc. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2007, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/3 "2007-09-15T13:25:38Z")
But not the largest RC plane (at least by wingspan) Helios is much bigger [http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/Helios/index.html](http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/Helios/index.html) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2007, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/4 "2007-09-15T15:17:22Z")
Technically, Helious isn’t a ‘model airplane’ though. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/5 "2007-09-15T20:45:38Z")
that is why I said “Largest RC plane” and did NOT put “model” anywher in my post. Brian ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/6 "2007-09-15T21:11:36Z")
Could they fly one of those over top secret stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/7 "2007-09-17T03:29:26Z")
[QUOTE=commasense] I’ll tell you what’s cooler: the [world’s largest RC model aircraft](http://www.break.com/index/worlds-largest-model-air-plane.html), from that same site. Wow! A 460-pound RC plane! Four 160cc engines. I’ve ridden motorcycles with less than 160cc. [/QUOTE] That is so cool. If I had a bajillion and a half dollars, I’d get one. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/8 "2007-09-17T04:54:53Z")
Wait, there’s a Space Center in Huntsville? I thought the only thing in Huntsville was the bigass statue of President Sam Houston along the highway. Do they mean the space center in Houston? The two cities are more or less in the same region, but they’re quite a drive away from each other. EDIT: Whoops, wrong Huntsville. ---
**Author:** ![Smith8762](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Smith8762](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smith8762)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/9 "2007-09-17T13:08:18Z")
This is just Space Camp…I know because I went there when I was in Junior High. There’s nothing “Top Secret” here, it’s just the camp for kids. Google Map Link - [Proof](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Space+Camp+Huntsville,+AL&ie=UTF8&filter=0&ll=34.71097,-86.653456&spn=0.002227,0.005375&t=k&z=18&om=1) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/10 "2007-09-17T15:47:51Z")
Right, it’s the [U.S. Space and Rocket Center](http://www.spacecamp.com), a tourist attraction like Space Center Houston or the Visitors Center at Kennedy Space Center. Except that those other places actually send up or control rockets, and Huntsville is not directly involved in space operations, AFAIK. But nothing top secret. ---
**Author:** ![Skipper\_Too](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Skipper\_Too](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skipper_Too)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/11 "2007-09-17T18:47:45Z")
[QUOTE=commasense] Huntsville is not directly involved in space operations, AFAIK. [/QUOTE] there is [Marshall Space Flight Center](http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/home/index.html) This where the Main Engines are tested, I was there in the late eighties as a kid and did a tour on the grounds at Marshall/Redstone Arsenal where they had mockups of Space Station Freedom. I think all the suport for space station experiments happens out of Marshall, alot of the design work happens there as well. Oh and I also attended Space camp while in Jr. High, it was cool! ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/12 "2007-09-17T18:51:13Z")
[QUOTE=commasense] Right, it’s the [U.S. Space and Rocket Center](http://www.spacecamp.com), a tourist attraction like Space Center Houston or the Visitors Center at Kennedy Space Center. Except that those other places actually send up or control rockets, and Huntsville is not directly involved in space operations, AFAIK. But nothing top secret. [/QUOTE] Not directly involved in space operations? I beg to differ. The Space Center is a museum, but NASA’s [Marshall Space Flight Center](http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/home/index.html) is in Huntsville. Von Braun and his team developed the Saturn rockets here. There is still a ton of work being done here for the space program. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/13 "2007-09-17T18:51:49Z")
Aren’t they working on plasma drives at Marshall? The video sounds cool; have to look when I get home. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/14 "2007-09-17T19:01:05Z")
You beat me to it, **Skipper**. That video looks to be several weeks old. They’ve finished moving the real Saturn V into the the building now, which is all glass on one side, so there’s a nice view of it when you drive by on I-565, with the full-scale upright model standing right beside it. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/15 "2007-09-19T01:21:28Z")
[QUOTE=commasense] I’ll tell you what’s cooler: the [world’s largest RC model aircraft](http://www.break.com/index/worlds-largest-model-air-plane.html), from that same site. Wow! A 460-pound RC plane! Four 160cc engines. I’ve ridden motorcycles with less than 160cc. [/QUOTE] Here’s a vid of a 70% scale plane with a single 1000cc engine. ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/W1Pn4GXrPCQ/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/W1Pn4GXrPCQ?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/16 "2007-09-19T01:39:54Z")
That must be the largest ‘commercial’ RC craft. [Here’s the biggest of them all.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RQ-4_Global_Hawk) ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/17 "2007-09-19T02:10:33Z")
[QUOTE=Waverly] That must be the largest ‘commercial’ RC craft. [Here’s the biggest of them all.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RQ-4_Global_Hawk) [/QUOTE] Nope.. ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dNIG1gbky1I/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/dNIG1gbky1I?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-plane-flies-over-us-space-center-with-video/419250/18 "2007-09-19T04:33:35Z")
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine] Not directly involved in space operations? I beg to differ. The Space Center is a museum, but NASA’s [Marshall Space Flight Center](http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/home/index.html) is in Huntsville. Von Braun and his team developed the Saturn rockets here. There is still a ton of work being done here for the space program. [/QUOTE] Well, I meant no disrespect to your fine community, but even though I was using “Huntsville” in my post as a synonym for the Rocket Center, in the broader sense, IIRC, the space facilities and industries in the Huntsville area do not directly participate, as KSC and Houston do, in launching or controlling space missions. That’s how I was using the term “space operations.” Yeah, you make them and test them, but you don’t fly them.