Hi!
I am in the process of building an UAV that is supposed to aid in search and rescue missions out at sea. I am in early stages of the project and think I am going to use the Pixhawk/PX4 flight stack as the autopilot together with a flying wing airframe. I want to be able to perform missions at wind speeds around 6-10 m/s, is this something that the autopilot can handle (assuming that it is appropriately tuned)? Also, is a flying wing airframe a good choice compared to other fixed wings if you need to handle wind disturbances?
Any inputs are appreciated!
Replies
Wind is not a problem, but you may see more roll than other airframes due to lack of rudder.
Also, the big ground effect of flying wing is a drawback, especially if you need to land in sidewind, again, whithout rudder.
@Anton,
I have a friend using the SkyWalker X8 Link flying wing for long range reconnaissance over the ocean.
It is a large flying wing, but can be easily launched into a good breeze otherwise I would recommend a catapult. It can easily stay in the air over an hour.
As for myself, I am building a RMRC Anaconda Link fixed wing pusher that can stay in the air for over an hour at speeds approaching 30mph. It is equipped with leading and trailing edge flaps so it can land in short spaces, however it has tricycle landing gear and requires more takeoff space than the flying wing.
Regards,
TCIII AVD
Thanks for your input! Think I might try a large flying wing for this application, possible the Mother Ship:
https://www.flyingfoam.com/content/mother-ship-0
or maybe even the SkyWalker x8!
@Anton,
There is a very lengthy X8 thread on RC Groups Link
Regards,
TCIII AVD