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3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on February 14, 2008 at 10:50pm

That was a lot of very smart and interesting speculation. But I think there's only one way to find out: somebody freakin' fly one!

I'm not going to do the GPS-only test because I can't fit my Basic Stamp board in an EasyStar (I also think it won't work). But the rate gyro test is pretty easy to do. Maybe this weekend--I've got a heading hold gyro that I think I can switch into rate gyro mode. I still don't know how to combine that with an autopilot, but it might have some application for an plane with ailerons, like the EasyGlider.

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Permalink Reply by Simon Pan on February 14, 2008 at 11:08pm

I am going to try GPS-only flight with an Easy Star, I think (with manual pilot that will, hopefully, be able to prevent any accidents). Is space really that big of a concern? I haven't bought an airframe yet but I am concerned about the complexities of coding aileron flight with an Easy Glider.

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3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on February 14, 2008 at 11:23pm

If you're using your BOE board, it won't fit. But if you use a Stamp on its own,with a custom PCB for the other necessary electronics, I think you probably can do it with the EasyStar.

-c

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Permalink Reply by Jack Crossfire on February 15, 2008 at 3:27pm

Suspect the EasyGlider is meant to replace the EasyStar. The glider probably flies like an EasyStar if the aelerons are fixed, the rudder is extended, and it has a yaw gyro.

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Permalink Reply by Simon Pan on February 16, 2008 at 1:09pm

Does anyone have some insight as to whether the Easy Glider will fly essentially like a rudder/elevator only model if the ailerons aren't touched during autopilot mode?

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Permalink Reply by Project Nadar on October 29, 2009 at 8:36am

My guess is that eaystar can handle flying with rudder only due to the winglets. If you manage to create some sort of similar winglets on the easyglider you should be able to fly it with just the rudder and elevator.

Hope it helps.

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Permalink Reply by Reto on October 29, 2009 at 1:04pm

The Easyglider has quite small elevator and especially rudder control surfaces. They are proportional to the presence of ailerons and to the longer wingspan. Essentially, Easyglider is a glider with a surprisingly good thermal capacity. It will eventually be steerable to a certain extent without ailerons, but it won't come out of a highly banked or reversed attitude without ailerons as fast as the Easystar. It's turning radius without ailerons will also be quite larger than ES due to the smaller control surfaces and bigger span. So reactivity will be limited. Another factor is that the Easyglider is not as autostabilizing as the ES, the latter being almost like a high wing trainer with more dihedral (larger and higher winglets in proportion to wingspan).

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