Hi All,
I am a total newbie...
2 weeks ago I met someone who uses an Autopilot. Since then I have been reading (daily) about what's on the market and what the systems do, but I have not seen one in action.
I want to install a safety net to return my rc plane in case it gets out of sight/range.
What I could not find is information about HOW good these systems are. Will the ArduPilot be able to stabilize (and consequently guide back home) my glider when it is in an upside down attitude speeding/tumbling towards the ground totally out of control or do you have to start out of a rather "normal" situation when you activate the autopilot ?
I lean towards an IMU based system rather than the thermopiles. Which of the 2 will have a greater chance to recover from an unusual flight attitude ?
Another question... I am guessing I need an Arduino MEGA or a duemilanova in addition to the ArduPilot board, but it is not mentioned anywhere (or is the ArduPilot functioning without the mega/duemilanova board) ?
thanks and regards from Belgium,
Wolfgang
Replies
Yes, an ArduPilot can recover from unusual attitudes and return your glider to you, assuming of course that you are not out of gliding range. We are all moving towards IMU based systems. Thermopile systems work well in some situations, but have difficulty with some weather conditions.
No, you do not need a separate Arduino board. Keep reading the manuals, as there are several combinations that will work for you. For example, you could use an ArduPilot board + ArduIMU+ v2 + MediaTek gps, or ArduPilotMega + Oilpan + ublox gps, or many other combinations.