1 hour 20 minutes - APM 2.5 takes the world record for Multi-Copter Duration of Flight powered by a rechargeable battery. [note: records also exist for hover that can occur indoors and take advantage of ground affect]
Flight Requirements:
- Distance > 1 kilometer
- Minimum elevation from ground the greater of 2 meters or two prop diameters (no ground affect)
- Lands within 50 meters of Launch
- Minimum of two way points > 0.25 km apart
- Altitude Climbs: Two climbs > 100 meters each
- Ends before voltage drops below recommended minimum level for recharging
- Flight over ground that does not vary more than + 20 meters in elevation
Actual Flight
- Distance: 1 - 2 km
- Min elevation 2 meters
- Ended at start
- Three way points with two 0.3 km apart
- Two climbs: 126 meters and 112 meters
- 13.06 volts left with 10 volt recommended minimum
- Ground + 10 meters
Time: > 1hr and 20 minutes (81.43 minutes)
Multi-copter:
- Octa 2XQuad 6Up+2Dn (wanted to fly something novel that would show off the flexibility of APM 2.5)
- 3.18 kg AUW
- Li-Ion battery
Attached are the flight logs. Later I'll provide:
o Video
o Earthview of flight
o Altitude gains
o Details of the copter (design and weights)
Replies
Nice!. Did you use "standard" octa config?
I use crossed sticks underneath style quads, and different prop levels don't matter at all ;-)
Next solar power addition (summer)
Very impressive! I am looking forward to see the record video.
The ship is a Octa 2XQuad w/ 6Up+2Dn. While the octa shares common weight (the controller, receiver, etc.), the added structure required for an octa usually out weighs the advantage. Hence, the most efficient ship for duration flight is probably a quad. But for photography the ship needs an open front and redundancy.
I also wanted to demonstrate the completely flexible manner in which 3DR APM was designed and implemented. Hence a complex ship that would support a camera (open front and rear ends for field of view); props at three different levels, along with some props up and some down (why not).
Not the best photo, but it is the photo taken from my 2.5 story man-cave (camera was on auto) during the record flight on a return leg to the man-cave window.
A more detailed look (both halves are the same).
Each half of the ship is basically a quad with one inverted inboard motor.
ESCs are stripped of all insulation, painted with silicone, and put in the prop intake to cool.
The battery, 40 combined into a 4S10P, had to be wrapped in PVDF foam (made prop clearance a bit fun; PVDF is a nontoxic fire certified foam) since it was -2C out (significant weight gain). You can see the little green batteries looking under the main motor spar. Even with the foam, the battery only produced about 80% of what it would in the summer.
The construction process followed my blog on carbon tube construction using braided carbon composite tubes, aerospace adhesive, and zip ties.
I'll work on the video and flight record next.
This is the complete materials list for the ship:
I'll supply the ship config next.
You didnt mention the actual battery capacities.
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