# Missle Man with Bruce Simson

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2021-04-12
- Length: 1h 02m
- Episode: 538
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-04-12-missle-man-with-bruce-simson
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/538-missle-man-with-bruce-simson/

## Summary

Bruce Simpson, creator of the XJet and RC Model Reviews YouTube channels, discusses his background in electronics and his controversial 2000s project to build a DIY cruise missile using pulse jet engines. He details the technical evolution of RC flight controllers from thermopile-based systems to modern MEMS sensors, the rise of open-source firmware like BetaFlight, and the regulatory battles with New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority. Simpson also covers the impact of DJI's geofencing, debunks various pseudoscientific scams, and shares his personal experience managing Parkinson's disease.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-04-12-missle-man-with-bruce-simson#t=0) Introduction and Background
- [2:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-04-12-missle-man-with-bruce-simson#t=143) The DIY Cruise Missile Project
- [8:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-04-12-missle-man-with-bruce-simson#t=518) Pulse Jet Engine Technology
- [13:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-04-12-missle-man-with-bruce-simson#t=784) Flight Control Systems Evolution
- [21:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-04-12-missle-man-with-bruce-simson#t=1295) RC Regulation and CAA Conflicts
- [27:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-04-12-missle-man-with-bruce-simson#t=1647) DJI Geofencing and Market Dynamics
- [39:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-04-12-missle-man-with-bruce-simson#t=2351) Debunking Pseudoscience and Scams
- [57:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-04-12-missle-man-with-bruce-simson#t=3432) Parkinson's Disease and Management

## Topics

- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Open-source hardware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/open-source-hardware)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- XJet (product)
- V1 flying bomb (product)
- V2 (product)
- MEMS (chip)
- Arducopter (tool)
- BetaFlight (tool)
- CleanFlight (tool)
- iNav (tool)
- DJI (company)
- Skydio (company)
- Autel (company)
- Parrot (company)
- NVIDIA (chip)
- Lily drone (product)
- Raspberry Pi (chip)
- SDR (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [89: I Have New Batteries](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-02-18-89-i-have-new-batteries) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep083: Soooo Many Custom Peripherals, Leaving Bluetooth Footprints, and a Twirlybird on Mars](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2020-09-03-ep083-soooo-many-custom-peripherals-leaving-bluetooth-footprints-and-a-twirlybir) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep 270: A Cluster of Microcontrollers, a rocket engine from scratch, and a look inside Voyager](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-10-ep-270-a-cluster-of-microcontrollers-a-rocket-engine-from-scratch-and-a-look-ins) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep032: Meteorite Snow Globes, Radioactive Ramjet Rockets, Autonomous Water Boxes, and Ball Reversers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-08-23-ep032-meteorite-snow-globes-radioactive-ramjet-rockets-autonomous-water-boxes-an) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep 202: CNC Monks, Acrobot, Bootleg Merch, and the Rise and Fall of Megahex](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-01-20-ep-202-cnc-monks-acrobot-bootleg-merch-and-the-rise-and-fall-of-megahex) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

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