RC Zeppelin Jail Break Foiled!

Which blog should I post this bit of odd news? Easy - I'll post it on both of my blogs.

It seems that ever since the Charles Bronson movie "Breakout" came out in 1975, every now and then you will see someone attempt to use a helicopter to break out of prison. But a radio control Zeppelin? I saw that oddly Enough news article on Reuters.com and had to add my own thoughts to the subject. However, the photograph that went the article was of a regular, full 1:1 scale blimp. I was wanting to see this RC Zeppelin!

Why?

Because a few years ago on RCScalebuilder.com, there was this man who actually started talking with a blimp company about fashioning either a 1:6th or 1:5th scale Hindenburg that could be set up for radio control operations, or manned flight; just to attend a scale model airplane meet to be held in Texas several years ago! Those plans however never came about and I cannot find that thread anymore on that forum.

But, getting back to THIS specific story. Spanish police told news reporters that they had foiled the plot of a Italian drug trafficker's plan to use a RC Zeppelin to ferry in some climbing equipment for him to use to escape from jail on the Canary Islands. His name was given as Giulio B (age 52). He was jailed after being caught piloting a seaplane loaded down with 440 pounds (200 kg) of cocaine from Mauritania to the Canary Islands.

The police arrested three people outside the jail who were in the process of setting up the escape. They (the police) had intercepted the package sent from italy that had the balloon, night-vision goggles and climbing gear. Further searches on Grand Canary island found a tent and telephoto lens that the gang had used to check out the jail's security froma hill that was listed as being 600 meters away from the jail.

As envisioned, Giulio B. would have climbed out of the prison and meet a driver who would smuggle him off the island with forged papers. The police said that they have been investigating the plot since February of this year.

Just for the hell of it, I did a search for RC Zeppelins and RC Blimps and came up with many links. A lot of them are of the made-in-china- product display pages. These RC Blimps are used many as Inflatable Advertising. Check out some of the links below or better yet, do a google search using the words "RC Zeppelin."

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Ref. Reuters.com "Police foil radio control zeppelin jailbreak" posted July 3, 2009 (Madrid) by Martin Roberts (http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5623GN20090703).

(http://qyqimo.en.made-in-china.com/product/lbSmuQRjunpG/China-Airship.html)

(http://www.gotrade.com/manufacturers/Service.html)

(http://www.myairship.com/rcblimp/rc_parts.html)