Blogs

I thought I would share my recent experience getting back into UAV/RC. HI got started in this a few years back as a uni project where I wrote a FBW / Stabilization program on a PICAXE PIC chip using the ArduIMU as a sensor package. 

More recently I have started again with a Bixler 2 and Pixhawk where I have been learning the world of APM (and re-learning my rusty RC skills). It was certainly a learning experience - my first ever auto flight flew away out of sight due to reversed rudder settings. Lucky for me the APM eventually managed to turn the plane around and it calmly flew back to home after a few very tense minutes packing up and go searching for the aircraft in the suburbs.

Over the Easter break I took a trip down to Albany in Western Australia and obtained some HD videos around the beaches there which I've attached below:

First Camera Equipped APM Flight on my Bixler 2 - Snapshot is looking over Bald Head.... next stop Antarctica.

Telemetry Range Tests around whaling station - This includes a crash due to stalling at the end of flight. First time with dual 2.2AH batteries and I underestimated the effect of the extra weight on stall speed.

Flying Over Goode Beach - A nice tour of the Goode Beach area in Albany. This video includes an overlay of the MP HUD from the telemetry data on the flight.

Unfortunately on my last flight (not shown as camera was lost) I encountered a major problem in the air which I suspect was motor/ESC failure. The resulting stall and crash from high altitude destroyed the aircraft but fortunately hit the ground only about 100m from me and I was able to recover all of the electronics except the camera. A new Bixler is on my kitchen table at home under construction and I hope it lasts longer and I can learn the lessons for both build and flying.

(Standard safety note - you will notice that we are launching/landing in a small carpark and using the nearby road at times. This is an extremely quiet rural road and I had a spotter who could see up and down the road to ensure we didn't get in the way or get hit by traffic)