Starting from scratch

G'day group,

Complete beginner here.

I am taking up RC with traditional Heli and I want it to have full ArduCopter compatibility from the offset with GPS waypoints.

Basically I want to do it in stages:

1/ Buy a Spektrum DX7 7-ch or DX8 8-ch and a USB cable and learn using a simulator, if I go for the $100 more 8-ch will it be very useful for ArduCopter?

2/ Buy a frame, something like the (clone) Trex 500E Flybarless kit from Ebay for roughly $160, or I have just seen the Hobby King HK-500TT which is similar but cheaper at $120 and uses a TT instead of a belt. Add the other parts with good quality motors and servos.

It would be cool if the heli loses comms or perhaps when I press a (panic) button the heli loiters and slowly descends, is it possible, also is it a good idea, looking at AC2_Failsafe it does appear possible?

Am I right that I wouldn't need a tail gyro?

Am I right that I would need sonar for landing?

Do I need to worry about where to mount the APM?

Do I need to worry about swashplates, when I look at the clone kit (ebay #251120891282) I have no clue on this items servo placement and how that may impact AC doing the CCPM?

Thanks.

Richard

Hey Richard,

You don't need a tail gyro apparently. I use one but Robert Lefebvre doesn't and he says it works fine.

I don't think the Sonar really helps that much for landing. We need to rework that part of the code a bit I think. Best to stick with manual landings for the moment.

I mount my APM between the main body and the landing gear by building a little shelf between them. There are some trex450 mounting plates in the diydrones store (althought they're sold out at the moment) .. even if they were in stock they wouldn't fit the 500 but it'll give you a good idea of how best to mount it.

I'd go for the UBLOX GPS and mount it on the tail or on the body just where the tail meets the body. the diydrones store stocks some long gps extension cables for this purpose.

By the way, if you buy the APM 2.5, I'd buy the one without pins soldered already. It comes with 90-degree angled headers which will make it easier to wire up when it's squeezed in between the body and landing gear.

http://store.diydrones.com/APM_2_5_Kit_p/br-ardupilotmega-06.htm

You can set-up the APM to do an RTL when it loses radio contact. I always leave one flight mode control switch position set to stabilize with "simple mode" enabled .. i find this is the easiest way to recover from a problem.

If you're a really terrible pilot..honestly, it's easier to learn to fly rather than rely on the APM to do it all for you. If that's the case, I'd recommend starting with a quad or hexacopter and then move to the heli if you're still interested. Heli's have their special abilities (they fly faster, they can fly inverted, some people think they're cooler than multicopters) but when you weight that against the ease of use, ease of repair of a multicopter..you need to be really sure you prefer a heli.

welcome and good luck!

-Randy

Replies

Developer

Randy November 5, 2012 at 4:52am

Hey Richard,

     You don't need a tail gyro apparently. I use one but Robert Lefebvre doesn't and he says it works fine.

     I don't think the Sonar really helps that much for landing. We need to rework that part of the code a bit I think. Best to stick with manual landings for the moment.

     I mount my APM between the main body and the landing gear by building a little shelf between them. There are some trex450 mounting plates in the diydrones store (althought they're sold out at the moment) .. even if they were in stock they wouldn't fit the 500 but it'll give you a good idea of how best to mount it.

     I'd go for the UBLOX GPS and mount it on the tail or on the body just where the tail meets the body. the diydrones store stocks some long gps extension cables for this purpose.

     By the way, if you buy the APM 2.5, I'd buy the one without pins soldered already. It comes with 90-degree angled headers which will make it easier to wire up when it's squeezed in between the body and landing gear.

      http://store.diydrones.com/APM_2_5_Kit_p/br-ardupilotmega-06.htm

     You can set-up the APM to do an RTL when it loses radio contact. I always leave one flight mode control switch position set to stabilize with "simple mode" enabled .. i find this is the easiest way to recover from a problem.

     If you're a really terrible pilot..honestly, it's easier to learn to fly rather than rely on the APM to do it all for you. If that's the case, I'd recommend starting with a quad or hexacopter and then move to the heli if you're still interested. Heli's have their special abilities (they fly faster, they can fly inverted, some people think they're cooler than multicopters) but when you weight that against the ease of use, ease of repair of a multicopter..you need to be really sure you prefer a heli.

     welcome and good luck!

-Randy

This reply was deleted.

ArduCopter (traditional heli) user group

Replies