PR-48 INDOPACO, 2024 (Wind Farm + Dot Changing Apparent Direction)

So if it was 2024 then it's down to within 3 days?

And now we know the location we can get the wind direction..
It looks like the repair vessel was there continuously from 9 Dec '23 until at least 3 Jan '24, and we don't see it in the video. So looks like the video was taken before it arrived.
It's possible the vessel did not complete the repairs before leaving. Instead, it might have been involved in the initial inspection and removal of debris before the blades could be replaced at a later date.
 

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It's possible the vessel did not complete the repairs before leaving. Instead, it might have been involved in the initial inspection and removal of debris before the blades could be replaced at a later date.
Looks like it was the Zhongtian 8 Heavy Maintenance and Construction platform that was there for more than a fortnight. Edit: so the video must be from before 9 Dec '23
Screenshot 2026-05-18 at 13.14.38.png

https://globalfishingwatch.org/map/index?longitude=121.17000630387673&latitude=36.49581137058942&zoom=11.232244339586527&dvIn[0][id]=sentinel2&dvIn[0][cfg][vis]=true&dvIn[1][id]=sar&dvIn[1][cfg][vis]=true&dvIn[2][id]=presence&dvIn[2][cfg][vis]=true&dvIn[3][id]=basemap&dvIn[3][cfg][basemap]=satellite&dvIn[4][id]=vessel-a26f4fed1-1e27-8fa5-ed11-4b2289f715e6:v4.0&dvIn[4][dvId]=fishing-map-vessel-track-v-4&dvIn[4][cfg][clr]=#F95E5E&dvIn[4][cfg][info]=public-global-vessel-identity:v4.0&dvIn[4][cfg][track]=~2&dvIn[4][cfg][events][0]=~3&dvIn[4][cfg][events][1]=~4&dvIn[4][cfg][events][2]=~5&dvIn[4][cfg][events][3]=~6&dvIn[4][cfg][events][4]=~7&dvIn[4][dT]=false&dvIn[4][injected]=true&dvIn[5][id]=vessel-e29173bb8-829e-4973-d37f-980e919b28d5:v4.0&dvIn[5][dvId]=fishing-map-vessel-track-v-4&dvIn[5][cfg][clr]=#33B679&dvIn[5][cfg][info]=public-global-vessel-identity:v4.0&dvIn[5][cfg][track]=~2&dvIn[5][cfg][events][0]=~3&dvIn[5][cfg][events][1]=~4&dvIn[5][cfg][events][2]=~5&dvIn[5][cfg][events][3]=~6&dvIn[5][cfg][events][4]=~7&dvIn[5][dT]=false&dvIn[5][injected]=true&start=2023-12-09T00:00:00.000Z&end=2024-01-06T00:00:00.000Z&bDV&vDi=public-global-vessel-identity:v4.0&vIs=selfReportedInfo&vSRi=e29173bb8-829e-4973-d37f-980e919b28d5&vE[0]=loitering&vE[1]=encounter&vE[2]=port_visit&vE[3]=gaps&lTD=&fTD=&trackCorrectionId=&tk[0]=fishing-map-vessel-track-v-4&tk[1]=public-global-vessel-identity:v4.0&tk[2]=public-global-all-tracks:v4.0&tk[3]=public-global-fishing-events:v4.0&tk[4]=public-global-port-visits-events:v4.0&tk[5]=public-global-encounters-events:v4.0&tk[6]=public-global-loitering-events:v4.0&tk[7]=public-global-gaps-events:v4.0
1779106577854.png
Screenshot 2026-05-18 at 13.20.24.png

https://www.tgs4c.com/vessels/vessel-zhongtian-8-vid3631.html
 
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Could it be further away and using an possibly limited undocumented narrower FOV, we ran in to this with the ATFLIR having listed optical FOVs and then also digital crop modes that presented smaller FOVs
 
Could it be further away and using an possibly limited undocumented narrower FOV, we ran in to this with the ATFLIR having listed optical FOVs and then also digital crop modes that presented smaller FOVs
If it's further away it have to go even faster to rotate the perspective right.
 
If it's further away it have to go even faster to rotate the perspective right.

Source: https://youtu.be/mXeOu7f6sYg


First clip is the right focal length, the next is more wide so you can see the rotation better, then the distance of the drone, 4080 meters in 21,2 seconds.
If it's moved much closer, then the perspective between the turbines is twisted too much when rotating.
I can maybe move it a bit, but I can never come down to 2-300 km/h

Could it be anything other than a drone ?

Damn I hate all these unknowns, imagine how easy it could have been if they didn't redact everything :(
 

Source: https://youtu.be/mXeOu7f6sYg


First clip is the right focal length, the next is more wide so you can see the rotation better, then the distance of the drone, 4080 meters in 21,2 seconds.
If it's moved much closer, then the perspective between the turbines is twisted too much when rotating.
I can maybe move it a bit, but I can never come down to 2-300 km/h

Could it be anything other than a drone ?

Damn I hate all these unknowns, imagine how easy it could have been if they didn't redact everything :(

Can you upload your blend file somewhere? I can check if I find anything wrong in your settings.
 
Wait a sec, the camera is rotating as the platform moves forward, are you accounting for that?
That's the whole point :)
The drone/camera is moving south away from the turbines, in what I guess is a pretty straight line, but it's climbing up.
The camera then rotates to follow the thing.
 
Most /all military EO/IR systems we've seen change lenses and crop in to change FOV in distinct steps.
Yeah I thought so. I started over aligning and sometimes I have to move the drone/camera quite a bit back in a very short time, it looks more like the camera zooms a bit.
 
0.63 HFOV
I think Lehto are right about the race track in the end!
I have eat now, it's 18:22 here, I will finish it later ;)
I think it's essentially doing an S-turn. This is what I had a couple of days ago with a dummy layout.
https://www.metabunk.org/sitrec/?custom=1/PR48 With Banking Extracted/20260511_110030.js
1779122070694.png

I need to redo it for the actual layout, but I was doing some work on extracting and back-propagating (triangulating) the N-Angle from the ground track. Might take a while...
 
Most likely it can roll and probably has a derotation mechanism as well.

Camera systems like this have a lot of modes settings to match the requirements of the mission and operator.
 
It's just strange the gyro doesn't keep it straight when the drone banks.
It's to give the pilot visual feedback. The MQ-9 is a fixed wing aircraft, so knowing what the bank angle is is part of flying. This would apply more when looking forward. I wonder if it's selectable.
 
It's possible the vessel did not complete the repairs before leaving. Instead, it might have been involved in the initial inspection and removal of debris before the blades could be replaced at a later date.
The missing blade was in place on 28/Jan/2024, as its shadow is visible, the rotor appears asymmetric and facing the same way as its neighbours:

1779116843790.png


The repair vessel Zhong Tian 8 presumably left the region on 08/Jan/2024:

1779117299415.png

source: https://globalfishingwatch.org/map/index?longitude=121.23285952060995&latitude=36.41662247073443&zoom=18.238793504248488&dvIn[0][id]=sentinel2&dvIn[0][cfg][vis]=true&dvIn[1][id]=sar&dvIn[1][cfg][vis]=true&dvIn[2][id]=presence&dvIn[2][cfg][vis]=true&dvIn[3][id]=basemap&dvIn[3][cfg][basemap]=satellite&dvIn[4][id]=vessel-a26f4fed1-1e27-8fa5-ed11-4b2289f715e6:v4.0&dvIn[4][dvId]=fishing-map-vessel-track-v-4&dvIn[4][cfg][clr]=#F95E5E&dvIn[4][cfg][info]=public-global-vessel-identity:v4.0&dvIn[4][cfg][track]=~2&dvIn[4][cfg][events][0]=~3&dvIn[4][cfg][events][1]=~4&dvIn[4][cfg][events][2]=~5&dvIn[4][cfg][events][3]=~6&dvIn[4][cfg][events][4]=~7&dvIn[4][dT]=false&dvIn[4][injected]=true&dvIn[5][id]=vessel-e29173bb8-829e-4973-d37f-980e919b28d5:v4.0&dvIn[5][dvId]=fishing-map-vessel-track-v-4&dvIn[5][cfg][clr]=#33B679&dvIn[5][cfg][info]=public-global-vessel-identity:v4.0&dvIn[5][cfg][track]=~2&dvIn[5][cfg][events][0]=~3&dvIn[5][cfg][events][1]=~4&dvIn[5][cfg][events][2]=~5&dvIn[5][cfg][events][3]=~6&dvIn[5][cfg][events][4]=~7&dvIn[5][dT]=false&dvIn[5][injected]=true&dvIn[6][id]=vessel-08f07310c-cd9e-00a1-23e6-83c0b6575856:v4.0&dvIn[6][dvId]=fishing-map-vessel-track-v-4&dvIn[6][cfg][clr]=#F09300&dvIn[6][cfg][info]=public-global-vessel-identity:v4.0&dvIn[6][cfg][track]=~2&dvIn[6][cfg][events][0]=~3&dvIn[6][cfg][events][1]=~4&dvIn[6][cfg][events][2]=~5&dvIn[6][cfg][events][3]=~6&dvIn[6][cfg][events][4]=~7&dvIn[6][dT]=false&dvIn[6][injected]=true&start=2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z&end=2024-02-01T00:00:00.000Z&bDV&vDi=public-global-vessel-identity:v4.0&vIs=selfReportedInfo&vSRi=08f07310c-cd9e-00a1-23e6-83c0b6575856&vE[0]=loitering&vE[1]=encounter&vE[2]=port_visit&vE[3]=gaps&lTD=&fTD=&trackCorrectionId=&tk[0]=fishing-map-vessel-track-v-4&tk[1]=public-global-vessel-identity:v4.0&tk[2]=public-global-all-tracks:v4.0&tk[3]=public-global-fishing-events:v4.0&tk[4]=public-global-port-visits-events:v4.0&tk[5]=public-global-encounters-events:v4.0&tk[6]=public-global-loitering-events:v4.0&tk[7]=public-global-gaps-events:v4.0&vS=insights

Which is corroborated by a satellite photo from 08/Jan/2024:

1779117562390.png


Thus, either the footage was not recorded in 2024, or the blade had to be replaced again.

On 02/Feb/2024, the blade was still in place:

1779121909024.png


On 07/Feb/2024, the blade seems to be missing.

1779122379271.png


On 27/Feb/2024, the blade seems to be missing and there is either a vessel or debris in the water next to the tower:

1779119198235.png


Between 15/Mar/2024 and 02/Apr/2024, the vessel was back in the region:

1779119620431.png


This is corroborated by a satellite photo from 18/Mar/2024:

1779119540987.png


On 02/May/2024, the blade seems to be in place again because the rotor appears asymmetric and facing the same direction as its neighbours:

1779120708688.png


On 12/May/2024, the blade was in place, as it is visible in the shadow and the rotor appears asymmetric, matching the orientation of neighbouring turbines:

1779121176517.png


Now, for 2023, it is also possible to check satellite photos to try to understand what happened.

On 30/Oct/2023, the turbine was working:

1779124105701.png


On 09/Nov/2023, the turbine was suspiciously facing away when compared to its neighbours, holding the same orientation as on 30/Oct/2023:

1779124343543.png


On 19/Nov/2023 the turbine seems to be missing a blade and retains the same orientation as in 30/Oct/2023 photo:

1779124848076.png


On 09/Dec/2023, there was ongoing maintenance, which lasted all the way to 07/Jan/2024:

1779124461925.png


The repair vessel Zhong Tian 8 was in the region between 05/Dec/23 and 07/Jan/24:

1779126804344.png


What seems to have happened in 2023:
  • Between 30/Oct/2023 and 09/Nov/2023 the turbine suffered a fault;
  • On 19/Nov/2023 there was a blade missing;
  • Between 05/Dec/2023 and 07/Jan/2024 the turbine was repaired.
What seems to have happened in 2024:
  • There was maintenance between 01/Jan/24 and 07/Jan/2024;
  • The blade was in place after 08/Jan/24 until at least around midday 02/Feb/2024;
  • Between 02/Feb/2024 and 07/Feb/2024 the blade broke;
  • On 07/Feb/2024 the blade is missing;
  • On 27/Feb/2024 the blade is missing and there is debris or a vessel next to the tower;
  • There was maintenance between 15/Mar/2024 and 02/Apr/2024;
  • Between 03/Apr/2024 and 01/May/2024 the blade was likely in place;
  • On 02/May/2024 the blade is confirmed back in place and remained so for the rest of the year.
Thus, if the footage was recorded in the last quarter of 2023, then it was between 30/Oct/2023 and 04/Dec/2023. If it was recorded in 2024, then it was between 02/Feb/24 and 14/Mar/2024.
 
It's to give the pilot visual feedback. The MQ-9 is a fixed wing aircraft, so knowing what the bank angle is is part of flying. This would apply more when looking forward. I wonder if it's selectable.
I meant the roll of the camera, but it can't be the drone banking because it's filming out the side, so banking wouldn't make that effect.
I guess it's just the operator of the camera rolling it.

I can't replicate it, only on the straight line, as soon as the drone moves to the side I can't figure out how to :(
 
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