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DeltaQuad VTOL autonomous maiden flight

Posted by sander on April 4, 2016 at 8:10am

After some succes with the QuadRanger we developed we decided to step it up and convert this Skywalker X8 to VTOL. And this was it's maiden (autonomous) flight

It was outfitted with the PX4 flightstack too which I recently added the VTOL_TAKEOFF and VTOL_LAND support.

The maiden flight of the DeltaQuad was a succes. It slightly overshot it's landing site due to a miscalibration of the airspeed sensor (it was flying faster then measured). Still it made for a very smooth flight.

In the next few weeks we will start payload and endurance testing, based on the current data it looks like it could carry a 1-2 kg payload for a distance of around 80km.

The build serves as a prototype for the modules/platforms that we (DronesLab) aim to produce and make available this year. 

I'm very interested in your thoughts, idea's and comments so feel free to drop a line! 

Tags: vtol
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Comments

  • Cala August 25, 2016 at 3:04pm

    A Bixler 2 is a good cheap option to learn too, remember that it's more frecuent to crash when you are in learning stage, but, first of all, buy a simulator and learn with it, you push a button and have a new plane at instant ;)

  • Kevin Perkins August 25, 2016 at 2:59pm
    Thanks for the advice, you have just confirmed what I felt, the x8 may be a bit too ambitious at this stage. I'll invest in a quad first and also look into the Bix 3.
  • Cala August 25, 2016 at 2:27pm

    If you need to work with it, follow Sanders production and you are going to save money and time; If you want to build by yourself and time isn't a problem; try to learn to build and fly the airplane alone, then a multicopter alone and, after that, build the hibrid, perhaps the Bixler 3 proyect is better to learn than the X8 if you don't have flying experience http://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/quadplane-conversion-of-hobby-king-b...

  • Kevin Perkins August 25, 2016 at 7:44am

    I look forward to following this, I have an Ambition to build one of these, but I have no flying experience and would rely heavily on VTOL auto land and take off.

     I'd be glad to receive any useful advice from anyone on here.

  • 100KM
    sander August 24, 2016 at 4:23am

    We are in the final stage before production, they will be available soon

  • Kyomo Jung August 24, 2016 at 12:34am

    Hi Sander,

    What's your plan to provide modules on market?

  • Serge Wich July 21, 2016 at 2:14pm

    Very cool. Would be extremely useful in many of the conservation projects we do.

  • vorney thomas April 5, 2016 at 4:12am
    Lovely
    I really like your brilliant work, and i actually do the similar assignment .
    so expect your dronelab to launch online soon.
  • Chris Jackson April 5, 2016 at 3:51am

    So smoooth, very nice.

  • 100KM
    sander April 5, 2016 at 3:43am

    If you wish to follow the software progress you could follow my development work on the PX4 flightstack - https://github.com/sanderux

    sanderux - Overview
    sanderux has 6 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.
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