Drones struggle to fly over flames because the heat creates turbulent air and reduces lift. Let’s discuss why this happens in detail.
It’s the same reason some helicopters can’t fly too high in the mountains. Low air density makes it hard for blades to generate lift.
Blaine said:
It’s the same reason some helicopters can’t fly too high in the mountains. Low air density makes it hard for blades to generate lift.
Exactly, and that’s why helicopters usually avoid hovering over fires. They can fight fires, but it’s very dangerous.
@Wynn
Helicopters drop water while moving. They don’t hover over flames since that’s unsafe and impractical.
Morgan said:
@Wynn
Helicopters drop water while moving. They don’t hover over flames since that’s unsafe and impractical.
Also, they stay high enough to avoid the worst of the heat.
@Wynn
Watching those pilots do it is always impressive. Their skills are incredible.
@Wynn
It’s amazing what pilots can do. But why do you think they still use helicopters instead of drones for this?
Blaine said:
It’s the same reason some helicopters can’t fly too high in the mountains. Low air density makes it hard for blades to generate lift.
@Emory
Isn’t this from that old movie accident? The one with the helicopter crash?
Ashwin said:
@Emory
Isn’t this from that old movie accident? The one with the helicopter crash?
Yeah, it was the Twilight Zone movie. Explosives went off too close to the helicopter, causing the crash.
Blaine said:
It’s the same reason some helicopters can’t fly too high in the mountains. Low air density makes it hard for blades to generate lift.
The phrase ‘reason why’ is redundant. It’s just ‘reason’. Just a pet peeve of mine.
@Bliss
True, but language evolves. Both are acceptable now.
These folks tried using a drone to fight a fire. It feels like a bad idea that kept getting worse.
Ripley said:
These folks tried using a drone to fight a fire. It feels like a bad idea that kept getting worse.
They ended up making the fire worse with the drone. Like when you use a fan to stoke a barbecue.
Ripley said:
These folks tried using a drone to fight a fire. It feels like a bad idea that kept getting worse.
What happens if you put liquid paper on a bee?
Ripley said:
These folks tried using a drone to fight a fire. It feels like a bad idea that kept getting worse.
What happens if you put liquid paper on a bee?
It dies. Every time.
Ripley said:
These folks tried using a drone to fight a fire. It feels like a bad idea that kept getting worse.
Helicopters extinguish fires from high above. Maybe they thought drones could do the same, but it’s not that simple.
Ripley said:
These folks tried using a drone to fight a fire. It feels like a bad idea that kept getting worse.
I think they were just trying to fan the flames faster, like how you use a fan to light a grill. The drone also seemed too small to extinguish such a big fire.