Let the Pant Sh**ting Hysterics Commence!

Looks like someone else armed a drone. Per FAA regulations, this isn’t legal, but not like that’s going to stop anyone intent on causing harm, or anyone just looking to have some fun.

Nonetheless, I’m sure there are politicians out there who are, as we speak, trying to figure out how to make this more illegal. Because if weapons control doesn’t work, you just need to double down on it, only this time with vigor!

17 thoughts on “Let the Pant Sh**ting Hysterics Commence!”

  1. The exciting prospect is future development…

    Just think if the flight model had a concept of recoil and could begin compensating before the sensors indicated the multi-copter was deviating from its position and altitude hold.

    Then also it needs some sort of trackingpoint style aiming assist. That would help a lot with safety if the target can be refined to more than just the side of the hill

    1. In theory, it’s “necessary and proper” for the purposes of regulating air traffic for the purposes of regulation of interstate and international commerce.

  2. As I have been discussing over at endo this is dumb. Anyone who is smart and wanting to use a drone for harm would just use explosives.

    1. Why bother, and open yourself up to charges of using a weapon of mass destruction?

      If you’re intent on doing harm with something like a drone, make sharpened, fin-stabilized steel rods, and drop them from a great height. Anyone with a grinder, tin snips, and a band saw could mass produce them from materials available at the local Lowe’s or Home Depot. If my calculations using this:
      http://www.calctool.org/CALC/eng/aerospace/terminal
      are correct, a 4 ounce, 1/4″ diameter steel rod with a sharpened nose and small fins would have a terminal velocity of around 2,000 fps, for an energy of around 16,000 ft/lbs, way more than a .50 BMG. Even if you can’t get anywhere near that because you can’t get enough height, you’ll still be looking at impact energies in the “high powered rifle” range, and the nature of the projectile means much deeper penetration than even AP ammo.

  3. Evidently the creator is 18 in CT who did this as a college project with his professor. Did not violate the law or FAA since it was on private property and only 7 feet off the ground. The police and AFT are looking to find a law to charge the kid because of PSH

    1. I don’t think he violated any gun laws. They might be able to get creative and argue his triggering device was a machine gun, because it could be “readily converted.” That sounds like a novel legal theory ATF might like to take for a test drive.

      FAA will probably still claim jurisdiction, but that is far from a settled legal matter.

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