I have just bought the ArduPilot Mega 2560 Full Kit... plus the Triple Axis Magnetometer HMC5883L. I should have it built over the weekend.. then i'm off to a my mates machine shop, and i'll make the splitter plate for the lower frame onto which i am going to fit the Ardupilot. the magnetometer i'll put on the tail as suggested. I am going to use my X-cell Razor 600E. For those that dont know its around the 50 size nitro heli.
Do i need to buy any other sensors i.e. the Sonar... i can fly a helicopter all day long but this is my first time flying one with stabilisation so any tips would be gratefully appreciated.
If this works well then i am going to try and use it on my x-cell gasser. i can get up to 20 minute flights with this. But i think for the time being a battery 600 is the way to go.
i'll post some pictures when i have it all together.
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Tonight I flew three packs on my little 450 helicopter without too many problems. I find it's overly sensitive with the new servos I put on (fast strong digitals, old were slow, weak analogs). I actually think I liked the way it flew before. I gotta work on this. That is all in Stab mode. I actually had to add a little D term to calm it down (0.004). I'm going to try moving the balls in on the control horns, because I think part of the problem is they barely have to move at all to actuate the swashplate. My negative and positive limits for swash travel are 1550 to 1700. So it's barely using 20% of the range from full up to full down.
It flies!
All the swash servos have been replaced with fast digitals, from slow crappy analogs before. So it feels really crisp, but also a bit darty and nervous. I think I'll need to retune the PID's. Also a bit windy (33km/h), which has a big effect on the 450. I know it would make the quad hard to fly, but in a different way.
Man, changing from the quad to a 450 is like going from a school bus to a superbike!
I didn't have good luck wit the 450 at all last night. I finished building the belt tail and installed it. I tested it on the bench with the tail blades on and head off, and it felt good. So I put the head on and went outside. On spool up, it hit an incredibly high vibration, litterally shaking itself apart (the ESC fell off!). Back downstairs, I see the tail rotor shaft is bent, and it wasn't bent before, and I certainly didn't hit anything. No more shafts left.
So I start rebuilding the TT tail. One of the tips I got was to use two support bearings, to reduce the potential for shaft whip. So I do that. I struggle with the gears, getting them smooth, only to realize that actually the bearings for the rear shaft are shot. So I replaced them. Now the gears are running nice and smooth. But, long story short, every time I spool it up, it passes through a zone of WICKID vibration. It smooths out at high speed, but it's not great. I give up.
I started talking to some guys on Heli Freak, and one of them asks if I have a carbon fiber boom. Why yes, I built both tails with a CF boom. The heli originally had aluminum, but I went with CF on these. I liked that it won't bend at easily.
Well, apparently guys are saying the CF booms are crap and resulting in really bad vibrations. I guess guys were buying them for the bling, but abandoning them because of vibration problems. Interesting!
I have one aluminum tail I'm going to try tonight.
Do the rate PID's have anything to do with stab flight or is it just the Stab PID's that i should adjust.
Oh, I should mention, my 600 may be undergoing another major rebuild. I've bought Tarot 550 frames, nice thick carbon fiber. And I intend to use a few Heli Option parts. The most important one is this thing:
http://www.rotorquest.com/product_info.php?cPath=30_1160_1347&p...
I think this is THE way to go. This will ensure the main shaft is rigid and properly aligned, and has thrust bearings.
One of the other main goals is to get rid of the complicated swash servo linkage on the 600E, which I think is completely unnecessary, heavy, and complicated. I just want to simplify the frame layout.
This part here looks really nice too:
http://www.rotorquest.com/product_info.php?cPath=30_1160_1347&p...
I thought i had all this sorted, but maybe not, if i hold the left stick over when flying then it will hold a slight left lean, if i want to level it i just hold a bit of right stick in, that's not in auto-trim mode, just in stab mode, that's kinda why i'm saying its a slight leans problem.
So i think its back to basics, start again and maybe rethink the damping system.
Do you have a link to turnbuckles?
I need to check them out for UAV upgrades, they can be expensive.
I built my own turnbuckles for push pull on a 3 meter glider, rudder. I used bits of fishing tackle
Hey guys, I just got in from a short test flight with the 450. I have a working Acro mode!!! I flew it, it's not bad!
New 3DR Ublox GPS fitted, new head axle, everything balanced, Sun forecast, flying tomorrow :)
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