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Aerial Saw Is Boon to Line Trimming

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Re: Aerial Saw Is Boon to Line Trimming

#11
I didn't see any mention in the article of how the aerial saw can perform precision pruning that I've always thought was the difference between trimming and maiming the trees.[1]. It's just a messy wilderness technique, I guess.

[1] https://www.preservationtree.com/blog/top-five-tree-pruning-...

Re: Aerial Saw Is Boon to Line Trimming

#12
post #3

Is this a factor of decreased costs in prototyping? So specialized tools become cheaper to test? And cheaper to manufacture in small batches? I can’t wait to see this featured in Expendables 4.

The technology has been around for a while: "American Electric Power (AEP) began contracting the use of the aerial saw in 1986."

Re: Aerial Saw Is Boon to Line Trimming

#13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not a pilot (of anything, let alone helicopters), but sometimes movement and inertia make things easier, not harder. In an unstable system, the hardest thing to do is to maintain a constant position. Once you introduce some momentum, that adds some stability. Certainly there are dozens of reasons why this is harder than "regular" flying, but I think physics may actually be in the pilot's side here.

I am a pilot (fixed wing, not helos), and while you can use physics to assist, there are a myriad of other variables in play such as wind currents, turbulence, air density, temperature, delays in throttle response, fatigue, visibility and visual obstructions, effects of constant g-force changes etc. etc. etc which are always changing the conditions and responses around you. Swing loading like that can also cause prob…

> It is a bit like saying that if someone can juggle 3 balls, then they should be able to easily juggle 6 balls because - inertia.

It's not at all like that... Adding more balls doesn't increase the inertia of the existing balls, it purely adds complexity.

I'm not suggesting this is easier. As I said, there are dozens of complexities it adds (like you outlined). It also means the margins get a lot tighter, and the consequences for exceeding those margins are a lot more significant.

My point was just that the added inertia is one of the things that actually reduces a few variables. The system is inherently unstable, and one of the ways to counter that is to constantly "push" it in one direction, so it doesn't more in an unexpected direction.

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