I currently have a pedestal setup that's proven to be more of a headache than I previously thought.
The problem I have with it is that the pivot point is always going to be below the center of mass, unless I stick on a couple of counter masses.
Some of you may be asking "So? What's the problem?"
The problem is, if the center of mass is above the pivot point, then you have an inverted pendulum on your hands. Definantly NOT what a quadrotor is in freeflight. And since I have added counter masses that won't be on the quad once its airborne, any testing I do on the pedestal is nearly meaningless.
I'll skip the rant about the differences between inverted pendulums, pendulums, and rotorcraft in freeflight, and get to asking the real question:
Q: What's a good setup for testing a quadrotor?
I could try going the "goal-post" route, and have it suspended by two posts to constrain it to one axis, but that wouldn't let me go onto the 2 nor 3 axis testing.
I could try making a supersized gimbal setup, but that would have similar issues with the countermasses by adding a bunch of weight to the model.
Replies
I've used String tied to the arms so it can flip freely, and I've also used a rod through the main body. I think the idea is that you only need to tune 1 axis.
Jason