Dear community,

I have a very heavy single-rotor heli (MTOW ~ 25 kg / 55 lb) with a PixHawk currently loaded with ArduCopter 3.2.1, but that I tentatively plan on updating to the latest stable 3.3.x release.

It currently flies well in Stabilize, but disastrously in Loiter. It's a long story, but in a nutshell, over the course of some time, several people that weren't properly communicating with each other or following proper procedures messed around with the flight parameters, to the point where I have little to no idea where to even begin making adjustments. The other extremely important thing to note is that when this huge helicopter crashes, it crashes *hard* and requires costly repairs, so it is very nerve-racking to test-fly, switching it into Loiter basically amounts to a leap of faith, and engaging in "casual" trial and error is not an option.

I’ve attached the current parameter file to this post and invite anyone who's knowledgeable and interested to take a look at it and kindly let me know if anything jumps out that seems wildly unusual and potentially the source of the problem.

Again, it flies very satisfactorily in Stabilize, so I'm not interested in changing those parameters. I figure most likely something is off with the Alt Hold and/or Loiter-specific parameters, or possibly GPS or compass parameters.

What I can tell you is that the model immediately crashed the last 2 times it was switched into Loiter. The first time, some major oscillation was evident for the first second or two in Loiter mode, which most likely put too much stress on the mechanical components of the rotorhead (e.g. servos, ball links, etc.) of this very heavy machine and caused it to mechanically fail. I'm unfortunately not sure whether or not any parameters were changed in between this crash and the next attempt to switch it into Loiter. The second time though, it immediately seemed to just flip on its side, consequently lose all of its lift, and go down sideways.

Sorry this case is a bit convoluted and probably lacking as much information as would ideally be required, but I would be most appreciative of any feedback that could help get this model flying properly in Loiter, and ultimately in Auto/WPNav mode.

Cheers,

heavy heli.param

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  • Thanks for the info. I am also seeking tips to Loiter-tune a *really heavy* single-rotor model and I am glad I have found my question answer here. Now, I can make my project. I also need help with my assignment task and I have found the https://www.ninjaessays.com/ website link through which I can take help for my assignment but I can't find help for my project but now I know where I can get help for my project.
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  • Hi Chris,

    I sent you a message in a "friend request" here, but haven't heard back.

    If you would like help with this, please send me an email at rob@autosystems.io

    Regards,

    Rob

  • How is ALT HOLD?  You do seem to have some parameters that are far different than mine or what I have seen in the past with others.

    Regards,

    David R .Boulanger

  • What is the system built from, i.e. Original heli, before mods?

  • Sorry to add this.
    Do we know one an other?

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