Discussion forum for a community-designed UAV airframe
This is a forum to discuss the creation of a community-designed UAV airframe that can be put into production. Once the basic scope and core participants of the projects have been decided on, we can move the project to a Huddle workspace for the actual design, planning and collaboration.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Scott Plunkett on -
OK...so we have a few of the design type / config ideas out there...before the debate begins, what can we all agree on??
Pusher, to facilitate photography, etc.
Modular, to facilitate transport.
Electric, ESCs, electric motors and LiPo battery pack(s) - no fuels or nitro engines to deal with (I know, I love them too...but for this purpose electric seems the way to go)
High Wing (scores points on the easy to fly and photography scales, and hand launch)
So what about things we might NOT agree on...like single or twin tail boom?? - (I like twin)
Materials?? - I love CF, and if this is something we are considering designing and selling parts / kits to the community...I want mine to last.
Just some more thoughts - Regardless, I'm in if we do move on to the huddle / workspaces stage.
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ModeratorPermalink Reply by Brian on -
I too like twin boom but I think that single may be easier.
CF over foam.
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3D RoboticsPermalink Reply by Chris Anderson on -
I think at this point it's best to establish a core team of people with the skills and commitment to take this through the design stage. We can then set up a private workspace for them to reach consensus and allocate roles and responsibilities.
Scott, Brian and Chris McNair have put up their hands. Who else would like to join?
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ModeratorPermalink Reply by Gary Mortimer on -
foam
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Permalink Reply by Joel Ryan on -
Definitely foam and I think the 30-45 min+ endurance is a great idea, but maybe we should try to make it easy to secure extra batteries for extreme endurance.
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Permalink Reply by Chris McNair on -
Flyingwing, High wing, Low wing, Glider or twin Boom? All of these can be designed to fit the purposed specs. Sounds like Flyingwing is out....
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ModeratorPermalink Reply by Brian on -
I think that Gary's foamie has potential, but I also like the idea of a removable tailboom, as Mori suggested.
Basically the more it can break-down the easier it is to take it places or to have it shipped. I think the size of the Raven clone's wing would be a good start. Personally I don't want to go much smaller simply because it is easier to see when it's bigger.
Anyone have an opinion regarding light-weight foam core covered with unidirectional carbon fiber fabric? (Weight of the resin will be reduced and strength increased if a vacume form process is used during curing). Using a modular approach carbon fiber could be used as long as stress points are considered during planning. For instance. If you dig around for Raven RQ11b video's you'll find tons of examples where the wing and other major parts are ejected during a solid landing. They are designed for this, which in part is why the frame is kevlar (light & strong). We could use stiff carbon covered wings and main fuse but if they are designed to break-away on hard impact the overall integrity is maintained. Same reason wings are still rubber banded to the fuse on loads of rc planes.
Hard Landing Example 1:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&vi...
Hard Landing Example 2:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&vi...
Raven Close-Up: (note the single wing attachment point, nylon bolt)
Raven Break-down: (lots of parts)
Just 2bits worth of my random thoughts...
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ModeratorPermalink Reply by Morli on -
Brian , that's is pictures :), thanks
any idea or photos of the wing & other parts attachment mechanism which enables it t come of/break out on impact? I guess Wing could be simple slide with pressure lock/clips but others?!
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Permalink Reply by Chris McNair on
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You got a point with the slide clips. The bird’s wings only need to be latched and structurally sound in flight. If they simply slid forward during impact to relieve stress on landing it would be good feature. I could see the wings sliding off on a deep stall landing from high speed....... That may be a problem.
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ModeratorPermalink Reply by Morli on -
Chris , you mean , you can't see how wing can slide off in deep stall? I think your release mechanism can be married to the slide where the spring can push the wing forward but held back with retain clip/lock held by servo( for safety reason) which can be actuated in parallel to full up elevator/tailwing spring.
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Permalink Reply by Joel Ryan on
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Maybe one of those nifty sparkfun pressure sensors could be put on the front of the plane and used to control the lock mechanism, unlocking on impact/landing. The time it would take to unlock might be a bit too long though... I saw those pressure sensors a little while ago and I've been dying to find a way to use them, they're just so cool :P
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