Hi!I'm planing to build an UAV helicopter. I don't own any rc helicopters and I never flew one. Which one do you recommend? What electronics should I use? I heard a few people talking about Arducopter, but I don't know where to buy it... Please reply!Thanks!
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Fixed pitch main hub is a good start. If you get a full collective then you must deal with the angular difference between retreating and advancing blades when maneuvering from a hover into lateral flight... lets say in a left lateral shift from a hover. One of my soldiers in the barracks crashed an electric full collective helo. He got it down after he kept losing lift when he tried to fly left lateral causing it to hop up and down as he juiced it to recover. But then he set it down and bumped the juice stick and it jumped off the table into some furniture.
Hello,
RC helicopters can be many things but the one thing most will agree on is that they can be very difficult to fly. Even more so; expensive to crash. But they can also be quite rewarding to master. Here are some of my suggestions to you:
#1. Do not learn on one of the small "toy" models that have coaxial rotors. They are not the same as a real copter.
#2. Invest in the most mechanically sound airframe you can afford. Back when I started this hobby I built my copter
from scratch. There were no kits and no gyro's available.
#3. Get the best RC radio you can afford. At least 6 channels for a helicopter and more if you plan to build a UAV.
#4. Make sure you balance and trim the helicopter perfectly. If the blades are out of balance or the tail rotor is not set
correctly it can cause you many headaches. What I did was to screw a lazy susan down to a sheet of plywood and
lash the landing skids of the copter to the lazy susan. That way you can learn how the tail rotor works under full
power before you fly the first time.
#5. Invest in good gyro's and a Co-pilot system until you get the hang of flying the helicopter.
#6. Don't be affraid to take it off and get it two rotor blades distance above the ground. When they are too close to the
ground they are impossible to hover for a beginner.
#7. Don't be affraid to crash it. YOU WILL. We all have. You may go through a few parts here and there but don't give
up.
#8. The one thing I advise people who are learning is to sit down when you fly it until you learn the controls. A
helicopter is like standing on a greased bowling ball. Fast moves and no gyro=crash landing. You must practice.
Regards,
Skip
Its probably best that before going and build a UAV Helicopter you go out and get yourself a small electric helicopter (Thunder Tiger Mini Titan or something along those lines) and learn to fly that first. Then progress to something more substantial like a Raptor 50 or T-Rex 600 because these are most likely to be the helicopters that will be able to carry all the added weight of battery packs and guidance systems without affecting the performance of the helicopter (and will have enough space).
Don't get me wrong it will be an expensive journey, I jumped right into a raptor 50 after flying for a few hours on an electric and the costs keep mounting as you build up a spare parts box and add on new parts and upgrades.
But before you go off and do anything go to a local club and see how they all work and get an idea from some of the guys about prices, suitability, ... etc.
I am also starting a UAV prject only in a plane because It is much cheaper and easier to control than a helicopter and most likely better for someone with no experience to start on.
The Arducopter is not an off -the-shelf retail product.
If you have read through many of the threads on this site, you may have noticed this site is dedicated to those interested in learning, researching, and designing practical systems by contributing to an open source environment. There are many success stories of hard working, truly ingenius people, documented within this very site.
You would do best to learn how to fly an R/C helicopter (more than just these indoor toy ones) and understand the forces and controls which make it fly.
Replies
A company that sells the turn key subsystems you need to be fully autonomous: www.fatheadllc.com
Fixed pitch main hub is a good start. If you get a full collective then you must deal with the angular difference between retreating and advancing blades when maneuvering from a hover into lateral flight... lets say in a left lateral shift from a hover. One of my soldiers in the barracks crashed an electric full collective helo. He got it down after he kept losing lift when he tried to fly left lateral causing it to hop up and down as he juiced it to recover. But then he set it down and bumped the juice stick and it jumped off the table into some furniture.
Dave
RC helicopters can be many things but the one thing most will agree on is that they can be very difficult to fly. Even more so; expensive to crash. But they can also be quite rewarding to master. Here are some of my suggestions to you:
#1. Do not learn on one of the small "toy" models that have coaxial rotors. They are not the same as a real copter.
#2. Invest in the most mechanically sound airframe you can afford. Back when I started this hobby I built my copter
from scratch. There were no kits and no gyro's available.
#3. Get the best RC radio you can afford. At least 6 channels for a helicopter and more if you plan to build a UAV.
#4. Make sure you balance and trim the helicopter perfectly. If the blades are out of balance or the tail rotor is not set
correctly it can cause you many headaches. What I did was to screw a lazy susan down to a sheet of plywood and
lash the landing skids of the copter to the lazy susan. That way you can learn how the tail rotor works under full
power before you fly the first time.
#5. Invest in good gyro's and a Co-pilot system until you get the hang of flying the helicopter.
#6. Don't be affraid to take it off and get it two rotor blades distance above the ground. When they are too close to the
ground they are impossible to hover for a beginner.
#7. Don't be affraid to crash it. YOU WILL. We all have. You may go through a few parts here and there but don't give
up.
#8. The one thing I advise people who are learning is to sit down when you fly it until you learn the controls. A
helicopter is like standing on a greased bowling ball. Fast moves and no gyro=crash landing. You must practice.
Regards,
Skip
Its probably best that before going and build a UAV Helicopter you go out and get yourself a small electric helicopter (Thunder Tiger Mini Titan or something along those lines) and learn to fly that first. Then progress to something more substantial like a Raptor 50 or T-Rex 600 because these are most likely to be the helicopters that will be able to carry all the added weight of battery packs and guidance systems without affecting the performance of the helicopter (and will have enough space).
Don't get me wrong it will be an expensive journey, I jumped right into a raptor 50 after flying for a few hours on an electric and the costs keep mounting as you build up a spare parts box and add on new parts and upgrades.
But before you go off and do anything go to a local club and see how they all work and get an idea from some of the guys about prices, suitability, ... etc.
I am also starting a UAV prject only in a plane because It is much cheaper and easier to control than a helicopter and most likely better for someone with no experience to start on.
James
If you have read through many of the threads on this site, you may have noticed this site is dedicated to those interested in learning, researching, and designing practical systems by contributing to an open source environment. There are many success stories of hard working, truly ingenius people, documented within this very site.
You would do best to learn how to fly an R/C helicopter (more than just these indoor toy ones) and understand the forces and controls which make it fly.