Hi all,
I'm looking at getting into the DIY drone scene and am just about to purchase some parts. I'm after any comments on forseeable problems on my setup and choice of parts that might not stand out to a beginner like me.
I have a Cessna 182 http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Cessna-182-RC-Skyartec-5-Ch-LiPo-RTF-Plane-R-C-Control-/140448683883?pt=AU_Toys_Hobbies_Radio_Controlled_Vehicles&hash=item20b364d76b
Its more powerful, and has a smaller wingspan, so it flies quicker than the recommended planes. Hope it will do the job. Comments?
I dont have any DIY Drone gear at all yet. I would like to get parts so that I can use the fly-by-wire feature to help me control the plane better than leaving it up to just me, as I am an inexperienced flyer. Do I need a GPS for this setup considering I only want it to stabilise the plane? The recommendation on the website is the MediaTek or the Ublox GPS. The Ublox is double the price but has a lower refresh rate. Is the MediaTek OK or is the Ublox better for some reason?
Some more questions:
Which is better for my purposes, X,Y,Z sensors or ArduIMU? I dont really see the difference functionality wise. I would prefer to support DIY Drones with the ArduIMU rather than a third party product. They are both $99 anyway but which is better?
How important is an airspeed sensor? It sounds like this is optional?
Thanks all for your time! And G'day from Australia. Any other Aussies on the news group? I'm in St Kilda, Melbourne, and would love to meet with anyone close by that is using this gear. I'm thinking of writing up an article for one of our local electronics or RC magazines once done.
Replies
Hi Phil,
I would say that your best option would be to get the kit listed here (but don't get the xbee items or the FTDI cable) use this GPS, when you have these items you will have all the options open to you. The air speed sensor is a nice addition, however not essential in the first instance.
The stabilisation mode would be your best option to add a little safety to your flights, I have a great deal of fun flying in this mode, which is so good it has recovered my airframe from all sorts of positions, as of yet I have not been able to trick it in any way.
The speed of the plane is not a real issue, some planes flown here will go much faster than the one you have listed. The only thing I would point out is that the plane is better powered by electric motor; there is less vibration to upset any of the sensors.
Any other questions please feel free to ask
Regards
Martin.