Alright, enough narrative, let's talk mission and setup!
| In the air Plane: Multiplex Cularis (heavily modded) Motor: Hacker 30A12L Props: Graupner CAM 12/6 and 10/6 ESC: Castle Creations Phoenix ICE 50 Battery: 4000 mAh Nano-Tech Rx: Hitec Optima 9 Telemetry: Xbee 900 Camera: Sony WDR600 VTx: Lawmate 1.2-1.3 gHz VTx Battery: 850 mAh Servos: Hitec 2x 4x Weight: 1.9 Kgs / 4.2 lbs. (serious cable shortening left to do) | On the ground Tx: Hitec Aurora 9 Netbook: HP Mini 311 running Win7home Video-USB dongle: Yet to come in Telemetry: Xbee 900 with high-gain ducky antenna VRx: Lawmate Tracking station: tdb Antennas: tdb Tripod: tbd |
Mods:
- Rx in a slot cut into the Elapor at the back of the cockpit. (Frees up space for battery, shortens cables)
- 2x Rx BODA antennas have channels cut from the back of the Rx slot to the wing slots where they come out at the bottom of the wings
- Extra space for APM aft of ESC in the cockpit (packing foam on sides and bottom against vibration)
- Vtx ducky cut into the tail to reduce drag and balance the plane
- Low-pass filter and xtv into the fuse (stock heatsink still in the air, I may go for a larger one to dissipate better).
- Single pitot tube in right wing (sensor as well)
- GPS in enlarged switch bay on right hand side of the cockpit (I was worried about reception, but it works like a charm)
- Transparent canopy
- (ignore the wires on the wing, it's the very unfortunate result of what happens when Cularis wing holding mechanism and the servo connectors don't like each-other).
Maiden flight for GE: 2011-10-15%2005-39%201.kmz
I'll be using this blog to share progress, lessons learned (foam lost) and ideas as well as to hopefully illicit some suggestions on how to improve the setup further, so please feel free to chime in.
Before signing off let me just pay my respects to: Chris for his fantastic work and willingness to help, everyone who has helped develop the APM, Trappy for putting cameras on RC aircraft, and RC aircraft in places they really shouldn't go, Pedro for getting me into this hobby in the first place, and Laura for putting up with the fact that our home looks like a factory floor ;-)
Comments
Ask and ye shall receive... pictures and even the Google Earth trajectory of the maiden ;-) And I do mean trajectory, the power train is making the Cularis handle like a gem!
I've been eyeing the Cularis, Easyglider and Skywalker as options for my new frame. I'm hoping to get a new P&T and pimp it out good and proper with transmitters and an ARM board to do some trickery.
Yes, pictures!
Or perhaps post this information in http://diydrones.com/forum/categories/my-project/listForCategory ?
Pictures please!