... in response to Re: Right Jim, posted by markxport on Aug 28, 2002Many years ago it was not feasable. The reason? You would have had to have been close enough to the target to visually guide them in. But now, with mini TV cameras and small GPS units and onboard computers (all of them now readily available in the hobby market), the concept is quite feasable. I orginaly posted the article because I though it was funny....not "ha ha" funny, but ironic. I would not count it as a joke at all. You can maybe get a 20 lb payload in a big Telemaster or something similar, a little extra power on the transmitter and you can have a radio range of 10 miles or so and using GPS to get it within TV camera sight of the objective, fly it right up to a pumping oil well or similar target or drop grenades over troops.
The US Army has developed model airplanes (except they call them "drones" and manage to pay $80,000.00 tax dollars apiece for them, ouch!) for both visual and electronic observation of enemy positions. Using "hobby grade" equipment it could be done for well under $1000.00 per unit.
