Tree pruning laser?

I think the hassles getting aerospace clearance would make it uneconomic.

Indeed, easier to simply put a chain saw on a drone (really ducking!).

John :-#)#

Done:

-- Jeff Liebermann snipped-for-privacy@cruzio.com

I would use a drone to loop a fishing line nylon, up around the tree at required height, and down . Use that to run a rope around the same path . Bang a good ground anchor in the ground and winch the top of the tree over. Then make some sort of running guide to fix a chain saw to a rope and pull that up the rope while it is running, while I'm standing well away of course. Require some extra ropery to get the angles and cutting progress though

It would be way cheaper to have the drone string some det cord. An old ordnance guy my dad knew used to do that--works great at smallish diameters.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Pull the top of the tree over , as detailed earlier, then it would be easier to use such cutting wire close to vertical action, much safer than chain saw whirlygigs

OKAY, that is scary (new horror film coming?)...however the drone killers should be able to take it down. Interesting that even balloons were sufficient - so one could launch small weather balloons that have a maximum height (pin pop by altitude) around a drone? Safe at airports...

John :-#)#

You can take a chain saw chain and push out one pin. Then fashion ends to the chain. Pull it up to the branch with your rope and then pull back and forth to cut the branch. They actually sell these commercially, they have a very light line with a weighted bag on the end of the heavier rope.

Jon

Those have also been invented and are known to work well. They're called "barrage balloons". Unlike the drone propellers getting tangled with the rubber balloons, the WWII version had the German bombers smashing into the tethering cable, suspended nets, or sometimes cables strung between balloons.

I remember a barrage balloon site just across the fence from the farm where I grew up on the North Downs in the UK, but I don't recall hearing whether that particular installation brought down a German plane. My mother and I went to stay with family far away from London for part of WWII.

Perce

That was before my time. As I understand it, the barrage balloon were modestly effective against low flying threats, such as V1 flying bombs and JU87 dive bombers. They did little against high flying threats, specifically high altitude bombers, and nothing against the V2 rocket. Some details and numbers:

For defense against low flying chainsaws, I would recommend simply suspending any style of entanglement wires from an aerostat (stationary balloon). It's quite difficult to see small obstructions from a FPV (first person view) drone. Running into a dangling cable would destabilize the drone, even if the turbines (propellers) were shrouded. If sucked into the chainsaw, the wires would become entangled in the cutting mechanism. The dangling wires could also be configured as "aerial mines" which would explode on contact.

However, all this requires an unobstructed air space to deploy the aerostats. Using this system to defend a stand of timber might be problematic.

Mpfffff. Either a 12-gauge for when the drone is moving at treetop level, or a brush gun (35 Remington or 45-70) for when it is hovering. Positive, a nd low-tech. However, this may be an uniquely American response. Brits, on the other hand do have their Purdys.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

As in "The Avengers"?

Mike.

As in the Avengers, certainly. Hand made shotguns in the 5 and 6 figure range.