Can I send microwaves from the ground to power a model aircraft ?

Answer 1

Yes, but so few of them would reach the aircraft that you would need an absurdly powerful microwave generator to power the aircraft. So powerful that it would probably cook you if you stood near it.

Alternatively, you could use a reflector dish to focus the microwaves into a narrow beam, but then you'd have to track the aircraft with the dish. The FAA wouldn't be too keen on such a device.

Answer 2

There are several patents on the net that show R/c aircraft powered by microwaves. I believe that the Canadian one mentioned has been on Discovery Channel. It had about a 3 m wingspan and a circular array of rectannas about half a meter in diameter, it was fed by a 2 meter parabolic dish and had a very short range (1-2 hundred m)

Answer 3

In the unlikely event that you get enough microwave energy to the aircraft, you will still have the problem of the weight of the equipment that will be needed to convert it to a useable power source.

Answer 4

Not likely. You'd lose a lot of power so the efficiency would be low. First, the transmitted waves would dispurse so the plane would only be able to catch a small percentage of what you send up. Second, the conversion from microwaves to usable DC would be low so you'd lose again.