I just got an idea...?

Question

Ok, i dont know exactly how thoseall remote planes are controlled and am sure they have some sort of protected fequencies to operate on.

But what about using a cell phone or two in a plane to send it signals to control it? will this increase their range and capabilites? Can I also make it take video and photos?

is this how military planes operate?

Answer 1

Theoretically it should work. But then you would need a mini IVRS style system responding to DTMF inputs and thats rather too complex. The same could be done much easier and cheaper using FM or a VHF.

Range of transmission isnt exactly the trouble here. The limiting factor is situation awareness, i.e. the knowledge of what the plane is doing, where it is and what is the environment around. Thats why you see most RC planes being flown in visual ranges.

If military UAVs operate, they wouldnt be using a cellphone kind of network. There are more efficient and secure ways to do that.

Answer 2

RC aircraft use specific frequencies where the transmitter and receivers are matched so they don't interfere with other RC aircraft.

Military UAV's can operate with local radio transmissions that are line of sight, but they can be controlled from the ground (maybe 15 or 20 miles range) or aircraft (like AWACS which could control a UAV 100+ miles away) which gives them a very long radio control range. They can also work from satellite transmissions which gives them unlimited radio control range. A UAV flying in Iraq could be controlled via satellite by an operator in the USA.

There are also autonomous UAV's that don't need to be controlled by anyone.

If you want longer range on your RC aircraft you need to get more powerful transmitters, more sensitive receivers, and get your transmitter higher off the ground. With cell phones, even if you could manage to encode and decode the proper control signals through the link, you still run the risk of having your call dropped and losing control of your craft. Also, military aircraft may use multiple frequencies, one or more for control, one for flight telemetry, one or more for mission data (photos, normal video, IR video, electronic eavesdropping, etc.), since they are very complex machines.