calculating speed/velocity using GPS

[nOcLuE98]

Lets just say I need to measure the speed of an aircraft, a homemade one. I am thinking about using a cell phone, and somehow getting the GPS info to a computer, that will graph the data, and use that to determine the speed of the aircraft. What are your thoughts? How else could I measure air speed? (needs to be very inexpensive) What program could I use to receive the data? help?

 

[hercules_upw]

i would suggest a radio transmitter, say a cheap remote control @ some different transmitting frequency than your plane.

You would need a receiver for the same remote control device. ( you could buy a cheap remote control vehicle with both devices.)

The trick would be how to collect the data. far more difficult than my first idea.....

Or, for $60 you could buy a kit @

Ramsey Electronics

 

[nOcLuE98]

I am not sure that will work. I might not be able to see it. so, I need something onboard that will measure and either collect data, or transmit it back to a computer.

thank you for replying though. I need as many ideas as I can get.

 

[hercules_upw]

you could use one of these: $300 though

Shock/Acceleration Data Loggers

These things are awesome! I haven't used this exact one, but the one I used worked great. The included software allows you to trend, map, graph etc, all your data.

 

[hercules_upw]

It will do up to 2 million data points that you can download after the fact.

It won't actuall give you real-time...

 

[nOcLuE98]

yeah, i dont need real time. I would like it, but dont need it. and i dotn have a budget. But, even modding is ok. I have a friend who can mod this all. so any ideas ?

 

[MetalOwns]

You know you could just figure it out mathematically. I mean how far does this thing fly?

 

[mssssee2]

avgV = x/t
You just need to measure the time and the distance, which apparently you can do without a gps.

 

[nOcLuE98]

I want up to second speed. It should be going about 600mph or faster. but once the fuel is up, it will be gliding. So I want to know its peak speed. That calculation would only do average speed.

oh and that speed is ballpark, I am not sure how much fuel we will be using.

 

[lancec2c30]

lol, you are building a homemade model plane and you expect it to go 600mph? lmao.