Testing & Tuning the AttoPilot 1.9 RTL with my Funjet

I haven't quite got enough cash to outfit my Skywalker airframe yet, so I've installed the new AttoPilot v1.9 RTL into my Multiplex Funjet to play around with the tuning / have some fun ;)

This is the new RTL which features a rectangular return to home path, when you engage RTL the aircraft will cover a 500m x 200m path centered around the area where you switched on RTL.
Once this path has been flown the aircraft returns to home and loiters above.

My grand idea is to have the Skywalker fitted with a nice 10megapixel camera looking straight down, along with a nice FPV setup to remotely fly and trigger the RTL at an area. The system would then just map the area automatically, once its done I can choose to fly it to another area and repeat the process straight away.

Anyway, the Atto-Funjet is just to get some experience tuning the autopilot & see how nicely we can get it flying the RTL path.

I'll post up all the onboard video, KML's and SET file changes as I go along.

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  • Hey guys, sorry my minidv recorder decided to play up, just got it fixed today, hoping to get the flight data and video up this week :)
  • Moderator
    Ah yes but it was the first of the gang to have speech, thats what I meant. I think the choice of voice could be better, Homer Simpson or some such!
  • Thanks, I've looked at the millswood one, good but not overly impressed. I think we can do a better job but I have been known to be wrong :) Speech is very easy without the need for roborealm. Infact speech is a big thing for disabled people so is built into windows as standard.

    Thanks for the note about the ITAR, much appreciated
  • Moderator
    Yeah there's a form we will send you and that gets submitted that side and then you wait for the US State Dept! In fact let me attach it. I will need to change it to 1.9! I know GCS are your thing you should look at the Millswood one http://www.millswoodeng.com.au/downloads.html you need Roborealm, which is free to try for 30 days, its a cool thing and bought speech to this small arena ;-)
    YellowPlane Atto 1.8 checklist.pdf
  • Gary, can you give any insight into wow do we apply for ITAR clearence? Thanks
  • Moderator
    Don't forget you can apply for your ITAR clearance at the same time time as purchasing a 1.9RTL and then set your airframe up, once the clearance is through you can return the unit to the USA to have it unlocked.
  • Hi Alex, Its the same price as the entry level AttoPilot @ $800, no export restrictions tho!
    It uses the same hardware as 1.8/1.9 but has the waypoint navigation locked out, it has some other features like the grid RTL paths tho.
    Was about 20-30 knots today so ill play it safe and go tomorrow :)
    Should have lots more info in the next few days.
  • Moderator
    Cool, never realized attopilot rtl had that grid feature!.. How much does one sell for? And does the RTL version require any paperwork like the others if you are outside USA?
  • Too windy today lol... tomorrow looks much better... grr
  • On my test flights Atto says 118.9 km/h airspeed @ 20amps... it can go faster ;)
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