Dear reader,
We are now live at www.skycat.pro. The development project continues, and updates are added to this blog in random intervals.
We have parachutes launchers available in many weight ranges; optimal 1 - 6 kg and these could be extended with higher impact level up to 11 kg. For larger up to 23 kg multicopters we have XL - series with pilot chute principle.
For those who wants to digest all information available of products, we have left this blog as it is. This blog follows closely main steps we have gone through while developing parachute launcher. Blog might feel like Do It Yourself kind and to be honest, in the beginning it was.
After hundreds of hours thinking, designing, prototyping and testing our patent pending launcher turned to be the most reliable parachute launcher for professional use. We have searched all possible boundaries of technology and from this blog you'll find results of these successful tests but also not so successful tests.
You never know where The final limit of technology is without experiencing it. That's the reason why we have done tests for scenarios which might not be even realistic on flight.
For production versions of Skycat we could proudly to say that we have experienced zero mishaps, never failed a single eject and parachute has deployed every time. This includes rescue scenarios with every imaginable scenario copter could face in air. Check this out as one sample of our test sessions!
Skycat parachute launcher has been tested beyond all imaginable abuses copter possibly could experience in flight. We have sink it to water, it has been heated hours to 90°C and exposed to extensive moisture, we have frosted, defrosted and frosted it again, it has been in mud and snow and still it has worked. Same overshooting tests we have done also for electronics. This is not promise you can use our products outside of submarine but we have tested it so :)
This blog will still be updated as well our Facebook pages www.facebook.com/skycat.pro and Twitter at https://twitter.com/skycatpro
Fly safe - Let's keep our copters flying!
Henri
Skycat.pro
DJI Inspire 1 / Skycat X55-CF parachute integration by www.remotevision.ch:
Other documentary videos:
OPENTX for parachute eject and 6POS switch
DUAL spring loaded switches - single RC channel for parachute eject, OPENTX
Ground eject demonstration in slow motion
Aerial test No 2 for Opale Paramodels 2.5m^2 parachute
Aerial test No 1 Opale Paramodels 1.8m^2 parachute
Manufacturers contributed to this project:
- http://www.opale-paramodels.com/
Replies
Hi guys, awesome video! The Fruity Chute looks great. Can you get a closeup how it's mounted? That would be good for customers to note. In fact a video on the mounting setup would be nice to have and answer a lot of questions folks have.
Gene, Let's see if I could have any not that embarrasing photo from test copter. It is made only quick detach in mind for allowing several eject tests in hour and aesthetic side isn't that high priority. Principle of installation, one of all options, it perhaps demonstrates. We have also few customer photos available. I check if those could be published.
Cool Henri, Eventually a photo set of some typical installations will be good. You will find that people will ask for this all the time.
Gene, you are right. One of the first things in mind is how to install. We are working hard for this as well for all other instructions we possibly could do.
Now after few months from opening a shop when we have a bunch of customer questions collected and we added FAQ page to our web site and gathered real customer questions there. We saw clearly on our mailbox that this page helps. It is updated weekly if needed as all other pages as well.
We eventually will have various mount sets available for most common frames. We are willing to give discount for users who does integration and mount to their common frames in co-operation with us. Even reasonable amount of CAD design is available for free. It can be work worth of several days if needed for the most interesting frames.
Henri
www.skycat.pro
great video!
Thanks Randy!
I'm planning to build bigger test copter in coming spring. It will be based on Pixhawk (current copter has APM) and allows automatic eject testing.
We have all parts except Pixhawk for 5-7 kg copter now in house.
BTW, we just received first IFC-60-S parachutes used on this footage from U.S. and these are listed to shop. Also 48" parachutes for smaller X55-CF launcher are available. These are unbelievable strong yet lightweight parachutes.
looking cool. i am also planning to have.
Here is sequence images of eject using new Skycat 53 CF parachute launcher and Fruity Chutes IFC-48-S parachute. Hover and eject altitude was 6 m based on telemetry. Deployed altitude could be estimated from image, it is perhaps 4 - 5 meters.
This launcher and parachute is ideal for 3 - 4 kg copter providing 69J impact energy at 4 kg. Opale Paramodels 2.5m2 is also compatible with this launcher providing almost equal performance.
Henri,
The parachute library in AC only allows ejection if the vehicle is above 10m. I guess I can reduce that to maybe 5m or 6m?
Randy,
If automatic parachute eject is the best and only option to recover on that circumstance, it could be that low. If any change to steer your aircraft and decelerate with motors, it is better option as then pilot could influence the landing site.
For larger parachutes it is really on the limit and depending on packing, horizontal speed and shot angle parachute might not have enough time deploy. Steady hover with minimum air flow takes most time to deploy. On sideways eject theoretical minimum deploy altitude is at least shroud line length and for upside down eject theoretical minimum altitude is at least twice of the shroud line length. It is the distance before copter has fell under the parachute and is hanging. From hover for Opale 2.5m2 / IFC-48-S we have seen constantly very small altitude decrease before deploy. For Opale 4m2 / IFC-60-S deploy altitude losses has been from few meters to 10 meters.
So, I would keep it at 10 meters if value is general for all setups. If value is selectable, it may be even 4 m.
Here is new better image made by Olli-Pekka which represents better how fast chute could deploy, and this was from steady hover with minimal air flow aiding the deploy. Parachute is deployed just under the level where copter was at time of eject. Motors are cut off using same switch, exactly same time, than eject is requested.
For this setup I would use 4 m.
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