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Autonomous RMRC Anaconda R/C Plane Project

Posted by Thomas J Coyle III on February 3, 2015 at 11:38am

Hi All,

To be able to help test ArduPlane firmware I have been putting together a RMRC Anaconda twin boom pusher R/C Plane Link. The Anaconda is not an acrobatic air frame and is designed more for endurance flying with the capability to stay in the air for around an hour. I plan to use the Anaconda in a mini OBC to be held here in Southern Florida sometime in the future. 

I have the fuse, the wings, and the tail boom pretty well completed so I thought that I would share my installation of a Pixhawk flight controller and associated components into the Anaconda fuse.

3691176948?profile=original

Pixhawk Flight Controller Platform Front View

3691177106?profile=originalPixhawk Flight Controller Platform Side View

3691177063?profile=originalPixhawk Flight Controller Platform Installed in Fuse

3691177170?profile=originalAir Speed Pressure Sensor and Battery Mounting Plate

3691177128?profile=originalGPS/Compass/Status Led Forward of Wing Mount

3691177089?profile=originalAirspeed Sensor Pitot Tube

3691177191?profile=originalPitot Tube Assembly Side View

3691177262?profile=originalCC Phoenix Edge 100 A ESC and 3DR 915MHz Telemetry Radio

My next step in the Project is to calibrate the sensors and the compass and then load in and customize an Anaconda Parameter File that is available on the RCGroups RMRC Anaconda thread Link . The Anaconda thread is full of good information about what and what not to do when either building the kit or flying the RTF version. I will then attach the ESC and servos to the Pixhawk servo output bus along with a 5.6vdc zener diode to clamp the servo output bus power rail and then begin flight control ground testing.

Regards,

TCIII AVD

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Tags: 3dr, anaconda, pixhawk, rmrc, autonomous, controller, flight
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Replies

    • Bruce Robb > Thomas J Coyle III April 6, 2015 at 12:10pm

      Sorry Thomas, it's the (UK) woodshop in me. I mean the dimensions of the wooden parts you use in your mounting tray.

      Thanks

    • Admin
      Thomas J Coyle III > Bruce Robb April 6, 2015 at 12:46pm

      @Bruce,

      I should have suspected that was what you meant:-)

      I kind of winged it when it came to building the mount for the Pixhawk.

      There are two small flat spots (indentations) on each side of the inside walls of the fuse heading towards the tail. I made a measurement of the width between the inside walls where the flat spots are and used that for the width of the mounting plate. The length of the plate was determined by the distance from the end of the flat spots to just under the start of the fuse canopy opening.

      The vertical pieces of plywood are just scraps from past projects that were cut to fit the Power Module, the arming switch and the Spektrum AR8000 receiver/satellite and the PPM encoder. The wooden rails on either side that attach the navigation plate to the battery plate were cut to a length from about half way down the navigation plate to a point on the battery plate that would not interfere with the inside of the fuse.

      Hope this helps.

      Regards,

      TCIII AVD

    • Bruce Robb > Thomas J Coyle III April 6, 2015 at 12:55pm

      Thanks, I guess my measurements from your photographs are good enough for jazz. Guess I will build it and see what drops out. I do like it. Keep doing good things. ;-)

  • Hans Miller March 23, 2015 at 10:50pm

    Hi Thomas, I wonder if I could bother you for a measurement of the internal width of the fuselage at a) the widest point b) the point where the designers intended a downward facing camera to be mounted. Thanks in advance. Hans

    • Admin
      Thomas J Coyle III > Hans Miller March 24, 2015 at 7:34am

      Hi Hans,

      The widest point in the fuse is up where the batteries are located and is about 6 inches in width. The downward facing camera bay is located 17 inches from the nose of the fuse and is about 4 inches in length.

      Regards,

      Tom C AVD

    • Hans Miller > Thomas J Coyle III March 24, 2015 at 9:50pm

      Thanks, much appreciated.

  • Admin
    Thomas J Coyle III February 3, 2015 at 1:22pm

    @Adam,

    I have attached Scott Fuller's (Typicalaimster) Pixhawk Anaconda Parameter File.

    Regards,

    Tom C AVD

    Anaconda 111514 Typicalaimster.param

    • Adam Kroll > Thomas J Coyle III February 4, 2015 at 3:35am

      Great, thanks Tom and Scott.

  • Adam Kroll February 3, 2015 at 1:10pm

    Thanks very much for posting Thomas.  I've bought an Anaconda too and its very well made, while building everything was made to a nice tight tolerance.

    When you get a working parameter file it would be much appreciated if you can upload it, this is my first plane I've owned with a landing gear.

    I'll  be running a separate power supply for the servo's, I'll have two 3S batteries in parallel, each battery will have its own CC BEC 10A, both will then connect to this diode

    https://au.rs-online.com/web/p/rectifier-schottky-diodes/6882003/ ,

    which will then connect to two different positions on the pixhawk servo rail.  The ESC/motor will have its own battery (in parallel of course), which will pass through the power module powering the pixhawk.

    This will then make the servo power redundant and the pixhawk power redundant too.

    I learnt from the best, Jack at Canberra UAV.

  • Scott Fuller February 3, 2015 at 12:02pm

    Good luck. As mentioned in the thread.. You might want to add a capacitor in addition to the zener diode. I started noticing that one of my servos (included in the RTF kit) dies upon power up.

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