I have some concerns about multirotors and wind conditions.
My main objective is to provide drone technology to rural fire departments that are unable to afford a solution by a larger for profit drone manufacturer. Currently we are LLC working towards 501(c)(3) status so the open source platform is the best bet.
I am currently working on a traditional heli, as the 700 size helicopters are extremely stable and easy to control manually in wind, However I still have not ruled out the multirotor helicopter as a viable application for use however with my previous experience with a 525mm quad that was unable to handle the turbulence of a small grass fire ( 2-3 foot flames similar to a lawn on fire) in which it caught an updraft flipped and crashed breaking the wooden frame, and 2 of the 4 inexpensive motors I had a used for testing (The electronics were still good and I have them listed in the for sale section.)
As I don't have much of a background in quads, I have shelved this project till the Traditional Heli was further along but I am still gathering information. First off what kinds of winds can a quad with a APM 2 handle? Turbulence? I know that some of the multi's can lift stupid amounts of weight if properly built but what makes the multi more stable.
Thanks for listening to my Noobish questions.
Carl
Replies
Carl,
We were flying in 25-30mph winds at the Multi-copter rodeo in Boulder. It's not pretty, but it can be done. If the wind is constant it's much easier that gusts, since the wind compensation takes some time to ramp up.
I have lost (and found) a copter that hit 69mph in a strong wind in CO. At a certain point the copter will be swept away and telemetry is the only thing that will save your copter.
Jason