The RC Airship
1 hr Endurance, 3-5 amp battery, 400g payload, camera gimbal, FPV, Low vibration, crash survivable,
Helium recovery and storage after each day of use.
Welcome to the LED - Long Endurance Dronehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMPtHGWouNQ
Brushless gimbal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sqCBWNohug
Servo gimbal and MFD controller - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3glE5syuCI
Over snow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joLNCG17uPU
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Hi All
To answer a number of comments on the RC Airship.
Due to the high cost of operating with the type of RC airships that have been available for a number of years. I developed my own RC airship withe the primary goal of reducing the cost and complexity of operation, to allow a typical drone enthusiast and or professional drone operator to benefit from the long endurance that it can provide.
Key points-
1) Keep it as small as possible - 1m3 Volume of helium is optimal, at current prices UK that is £10-15, even if you have to deflate at the end of a flying day. Envelope volume can be increased with same payload bay to provide longer endurance. Note the airship always operates heavy up to 400g, though 100g is optimal.
2) Recover and store the Helium with minimal loss - I have a simple storage solution that allows ease of transport (typical family car etc) and it takes 5 minutes to inflate /deflate.
3) Very survivable on hard landings for your payload /camera etc, the envelope acts like a giant car air bag and any holes can be quickly and easily repaired, with min Helium loss. The envelope material is light and can be replaced (low cost), and as per point 2) it is not the primary store for the helium, so any small leaks are not an issue.
4) It can operate in up to 10 -15 mph winds, though like multicopters the calmer the better. (most video footage of drones on You tube all seem to be in calm conditions?). I will test higher speeds soon, check out my videos for the airspeed and amps consumed for the current configuration.
5) Vibration free platform, engines located well away from payload so sensitive monitors can be carried.
6) Relatively simple components all off the shelf from commercially available drone suppliers.
7) Can utilise a number of different flight controllers I currently use a MyFlyDream for autopilot/way points and a separate off the shelf camera Gimbal controller.
8) Great potential for solar power with Photovoltaic cells on envelope surface. I will be looking at this with a local Univ, endurance will then be all day.
9) Ability to hover like a multicopter with vectoring motors and operate like a rc Aeroplane for long distance flights.
10) I would look to keep costs of the platform at around £1000.
thanks
Martin