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Posted by Chris Anderson on May 1, 2010 at 3:30pm

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Convert any RC airplane into a fully-autonomous UAV!
Just add the APM 2 autopilot to any RC aircraft and it becomes a fully-programmable flying robot with a powerful ground station and Mission Planner.  

 

Features include:

  • Return to Launch with a flick of your RC toggle switch or a mouse click in the graphical Ground Station
  • Unlimited 3D GPS waypoints
  • Built-in camera control
  • Fully-scriptable missions
  • One-click software load, and easy point-and-click configuration in the powerful Mission Planner. NO programming required!
  • Replay recorded missions and analyze all the data with a graphing interface
  • Supports two-way telemetry with Xbee wireless modules. 
  • Point-and-click waypoint entry or real-time mission commands while the UAV is in the air
  • Fly with a joystick or gamepad via your PC--no need for RC control!
  • Built-in failsafe will bring your aircraft home in the case of radio loss

 

All instructions and software are here.

 

 

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APM 2 is an open source, Arduino-compatible, pro-quality autopilot. It is the most advanced IMU-based open source autopilot available today, and provides an entire UAV control system with scriptable missions with 3D waypoints, in-flight uploading of commands and powerful ground station software. 

 

APM 2 supports any kind of of vehicle with a one-click change of code. Available code include ArduPlane (fixed wing), ArduCopter (rotary wing), ArduRover (ground vehicles) and more.

 

Everything you need to create an ArduPlane UAV:

 

*  APM 2.5 autopilot with GPS ($179)

*  [Optional] Telemetry kit ($75).

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You'll also need a at least a five-channel RC radio setup, a soldering iron, a mini USB cable and of course something that flies!3689354440?profile=original (We're partial to the SkyFun delta wing (right) and
Bixlee 2   powered glider (left) or its equivalents ourselves).

 

 

 

 

Resources:

Manual
Source code/firmware

Note: ArduPilot Mega requires no programming, but it's open source and you're welcome to modify it if you'd like. If you are going to play with the code, you can use the free Arduino IDE to edit and upload the code to the ArduPilot board.

 

 

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Comments

  • jordan stocker June 16, 2011 at 9:05am
    will this ever work with helis like the Trex 450
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson June 14, 2011 at 1:14pm
    hoopty: please note that on one of Michael Oborne's Mission Planner threads. He won't see it here.
  • hoopty June 14, 2011 at 12:53pm
    Not sure if it has been mentioned but the new APM Planner does not zoom properly on the east coast of the United States. Not sure if anyone cares but it makes it hard to plan without good resolution.
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson June 1, 2011 at 6:41am
    Alan: Good catch--fixed. It was correct lower on that page (and everywhere else), but wrong there.
  • 3D Robotics
    Alan Sanchez June 1, 2011 at 12:33am
    @Chris, I thought it had 16MB for data logging  :S  4 gigs!?
  • Moderator
    Alex May 3, 2011 at 1:24am

    Just as a suggestion, it is better to ask technical questions in the forums http://diydrones.com/forum/categories/ardupilot-mega-hardware-tech/...

    But as for your problem, try to move the slider switch to both positions and that should make a differance. when the slider is towards the servo connectors Ardupilot Mega is in setup mode, the other position is in fly mode. more information can be found on the wiki
    http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/CLI

  • Alex May 3, 2011 at 1:09am

    Hy guys,

    I have another problem, my ardu "package" stops working.

    I tried to connect with usb cable and first time it worked but suddenly it disconnected from arducopter configurator. When i've tried to reconnect nothing happened(the 3 LEDs stop working/flashing).

    If i let it to "rest" for an hour and connect via usb cable it's working , but after couple of minutes it dies.

    Sunday it flies my hexa for the first time so it worked.

    No software uploaded neither hardware intervention.

    Where could be the problem ?

    (i've changed the usb cable, tried on my laptop,desktop same result).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-StIbsxaH0c&feature=mfu_in_order...

    Thanks for help.

  • Blueeyes April 21, 2011 at 6:48pm

    That looks great.  Does anyone know of one that can be used for dual ailerons?  I can use a Y harness, but I'd like to be able to control flaps, too.

  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson April 21, 2011 at 10:56am
    Kelvin. Thanks for that--it seems like a very good (and cheap--$3!) solution. I've added it to the manual here:
    http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/RC
  • Kelvin V April 21, 2011 at 10:34am

    Chris: 

    Here's the link: V-Tail Mixer

This reply was deleted.