Blogs

Best plane for UAV application

Posted by ionut on July 15, 2010 at 2:37pm
I know this is an endless subject, but I must tell you how disappointed I was when I tried Multiplex EasyStar.I attached some pictures of my plane.It looks good, but flying caracteristics are weak.

My plane is stock:Permax 400/6v motor with 12,5 x 11 cm propeller.

The stock version is useless for UAV and FPV.Main reason is the motor, but I also think the plane may be the culprit.Gliders may fly longer, but they go with the wind.

My Multiplex EasyStar with landing gear:


There is a reason for EasyStar lack of landing gear.The reason is its poor controling behaviour(small control surfaces and big wings)



E-mail me when people leave their comments –
Follow

You need to be a member of diydrones to add comments!

Join diydrones

Comments

  • Peter Seddon July 16, 2010 at 4:50am
    I've had two EasyStars and both have gone the same way into an unrecoverable vertical dive. As a result I have gone back to my electrified Tiger Trainer.

    Whilst the Easy* has many advantages it also has a number of vices, which may be made worse by the bigger props and more powerful motors. I put in a brushless motor and 6 x 4 prop. Both Easy* were always difficult to launch (I used the stock CofG) - they tended to dive at launch even though I tried different power settings. At full throttle I don't think the thrust line is right and that causes it to dive. With a small prop doing high revs I think the prop maybe be partially stalled and hence loses thrust until airspeed is established. With hindsight I wonder if a less powerful motor and smaller prop (the stock setup) might be better.

    I always found flying under power they were squirrely although gliding was fine.

    The other problem that killed both my Easy*s was tucking under. Applying too much power in a dive and it will not recover but go in vertically. This could be back to my first proposition that the thrust lines are wrong. No amount of elevator would pull them out.

    I have also tried a Twinstar which to my mind is better, easier to launch and easy to add an undercarriage. The Tiger Trainer is a pussycat (although I did have a problem recently with major windshear coming over a treeline) quite heavy, easy to convert to electric and has quite a bit of space up front.

    There's my tenpen'th

    Peter
  • ionut July 16, 2010 at 4:32am
    Another issue.Why all your(ours) elapor planes look like somebody stepped on them or look like a flying sausage.This elapor is strong but after first flight and first landing it will get ugly.It will deform, brake, stretch,bend and in the end my beautiful plane gets so ugly.I want something more durable.Not this disposable plane.
    http://ugly.It/
  • Moderator
    Gary Mortimer July 16, 2010 at 3:29am
    Wheels are a drag
  • ionut July 16, 2010 at 2:10am
    Thanks for advice.I will change the motor with a brushless one.I am looking for a plane that can take off from an airstrip using his own landing gear ,do a circle and come back and land on the same airstrip without crashing.My EasyStar is far from this.
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson July 15, 2010 at 10:59pm
    You have to mod it! We've always advised people to upgrade to a brushless motor and larger rudder, with loads of tutorials on the site (search for "easystar mod") on how to do it, including the one linked from the manual.
  • Mathurin July 15, 2010 at 9:51pm
    sweet, thanks!
  • Taylor Cox July 15, 2010 at 9:45pm
    I recommend the microjet v3 from graysonhobby.com
  • Mathurin July 15, 2010 at 9:30pm
    I have been having trouble with the stock motor, is there a good one that anyone recommends?
  • Developer
    Jason Short July 15, 2010 at 4:02pm
    Yes, I love my mod'ed EZ Star!
    Christof has a wonderful twin boom version of the Multiplex's glider.
  • Moderator
    Sgt Ric July 15, 2010 at 3:42pm
    I think you are looking at this the wrong way.

    The EZ is famous as a stable fun flyer.

    It is true that the stock motor, esc, and prop are next to useless, and the rudder needs immediate replacement, but the large wings and upturned tips are great for helping it float and stay stable.

    There are endless sites dedicated to zillions of mods - from turning this platform into a speed burner, to twinning the fuse, adding floats, etc.

    Wind is the enemy of any floater, especially underpowered like the stock EZ is.

    With a little love and a bit modding the EasyStar can be a fantastic platform, even for FPV and UAV use.
This reply was deleted.