One step further toward not amazing people whatever I do walking along

One of my new toys was delivered to work. Unfortunately I hadn't quite counted on it being a rather large box, bigger than my rucksack. I left it there for a day while I was too busy to do anything else.

Today, I consdired:

* I could have asked someone for a lift. If someone had been just leaving I would have done, but it didn't seem difficult enough to bother pestering someone for.
* Asked a friend for a lift. But again, it seemed overkill.
* Gone home for a bigger rucksack. In fact, I've been looking for one for when I have a lot to carry, but I didn't feel like shopping today, I wanted to wait until I had some time.
* Opened the box at work and repacked the smaller boxes in my knapsack. But rather a faff, and what if I couldn't get them back.
* Built it at work and manouvered it home (wait for next post). But that would be Silly! :)

However, it was *extremely* light, and the box was quite stiff yet easily puncturable. And it was a lovely day and I didn't have to be in early tomorrow. So I poked some finger holes and walked half way home with it on my head.

* I'm going my bit to keep cambridge strange. Though other people walk about with armchairs on their heads.

* I was tempted to write "Yes, I am carrying a box on my head. Why do you ask?" on the side first :)

Contrarotatory Wing

The box was of my indoor (model) helicopter. It is quite sweet, ever so flimsy, and hard to fly.

Of course, helicopters are from everything I've heard, more complicated than a place, despite their inherent coolness. This simplifies things a bit by having too contrarotating rotors above each other, and a tail rotor that points *down*. By altering the speed of the two rotors you can make it not turn, or turn left or right. By varying the joint speed you can make it have more or less lift and go accelerate up or down. By turning on the tail rotor you can pitch the copter forward or back, and hence fly forward or backward.

But still, each of those adjustments has an effect on at least one of the others, so you have to constantly adjust to keep the two axes you're not trying to control constant.

After an evening spent playing I can make it go up and down gently, and turn, and fly it from my feet to land in a marked circle on the other side of my room.

It's fun, I get a kick out of doing it in real life, when in a computer game (which the controls are about the same as) it would just be frustrating. I'm glad I did get it.

ETA: I was going to post some pictures, but it's too hard to get one of it flying. Next time ewx or mobbsy visit...

Helicopter++

Also, I forgot to say that I'm sure the three axis continual adjustment helicopter thing is a metaphor for life in some way, but I'm not sure how.

Also, the other things I ordered, I thought I'd ordered on sunday, but actually, I'd left to order on monday and the browser choked before that. The amazon stuff was still in the basket, but the play stuff had gone, though my personal details (which I entered last iirc) were still there. Doh! I had resorted it all (fortunately having kept a list in my "to get from amazon" file of what I *had*), but it won't be here this week.

I had thought to get people to help watch some on saturday, but that probably won't happen.