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Nice. We were doing sailing last week and was quite hard to figure the whole activity with a GoPro, because I was focusing only on what I was doing, but my fellows trimming the sails were not that much in the video.

So I was thinking of a drone to film us from the side or above, but our skipper thought that no drone could handle the 15-20 knots with 30knts gusts winds we were sailing in.



There are definitely drones that can fly way faster than 30 knots, but they are not waterproof, and the ones I've seen are rather dumb, they don't follow you.

Here's a drone that can fly at 100 mph (87 knots):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p5uDf9i_Yc


Well, is not about the speed of the _drone_ but being able to fly in a 20knts wind, with 30, maybe more, gusts. Which means in order to keep course it needs to know the wind speed and compensate. It's been done ( for auto-boats ) but I doubt this drone has this.

Last time on Hintertux at 3500m we had also strong winds while snowboarding. I'd give it a test nonetheless!


Right, but all wind is to a drone is a shifting reference frame. In order to stay still in a 20 knit wind, the drone would need to be able to have a top speed of, at least, 20 knots.


It actually is about the drone being able to fly faster than the wind. If it can do it, it can go in any direction it wants (though slower against the wind).


That's oddly scary to watch for some reason. I'm not sure why?

Maybe due to the fact drones are primarily used for war at the moment...


Primarily? I'd highly doubt that. Small multirotors and model aircraft like these are far more ubiquitous than the machines weighing upwards of 2,000 kgs which are used by the military.


Regardless of form-factor the military is the primary player in the drones industry. The vast majority of operations and spending are classified.

I was thinking more about the future applications of high-speed small drones when they become ubiquitous. Even if it is simply reconnaissance.


Drone is way too generic of a term. Do you know of any military application of a multicopter?


I don't think multirotors are used for war, except perhaps for reconnaissance.




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