A proposal has been put forth to build a small floatable UAV Unmanned Aerical Vehicle concept to save drowning victims. The FFD - Flying Flotation Device as we call it, would be flown out to those in need and they would use it as a way to keep from drowning until rescue personnel could come and help them.

So far we have put a model together puffy design with model airplane engine to see how steer able it is, the aerodynamic issues appear to be the easiest part and not a problem. All the other components are available, GPS, servos, chip, canister inflation used on Navy Seal rafts once it gets there.

We have even gone so far as to design a pusher version, which can work in the water and the victim can use it to get back to shore, by holding a big red button. We will need larger propeller but that is about it really. The victims could simply use it to go about 1/2 mile in the water before battery was caput. Would like to base it on the design of the Skylark UAV survelliance plane, but with folding wings and scalable, for multiple uses.

A big version could be built for Navy Ship Rescue or downed pilot, or multiple victims in floods. A very small will be built for the beach rescue, which would be low-cost as to not over burden city lifeguard budgets.

It would not be a bad idea for Navy Seal Extraction not a bad idea either, these things fly to the beach, the Navy Seal folds the wings back and now it is a water propulsion device? Many thoughts and endless applications really, some might say even another component in the net-centric battlespace. But the commercial applications as well are completely endless. We have been getting some flack from the flotation industry, they do not like it, as they feel threatened? Not our problem, it is potentially a much better mousetrap.

In the future we will no doubtedly see these FFDs saving the lives of drowning victims, as it is a killer application for small scale lightweight, cheap to build and easy to fly Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technologies. Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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