My quad is flying better than it should. I almost feel guilty.
I slapped together a frame in a few hours. I use cheap props mounted on long shafts with cheap collets. The motors are not precisely aligned to the frame. The props are not balanced perfectly. Motor centers form a rectangle not a square. APM is strapped to the frame. I never bothered to calibrate compassmot. CG is not in the center of the frame.
However...
Loiter is freaky solid, missions are as boring as dressage, no fly aways, toilet bowling or any other stability problems. Gopro video is jello free. With each new firmware version it just keeps getting better and better. Holds position in wind well. I have flown several versions of the firmware on this frame and never had a problem with any of them. Just Dave C tune and go...
I started to think about why it works. Some of the ideas may help others designing their own frames.
1. vibration has a very hard time reaching the APM.
2. the power distribution board is located far away from the APM
3 the power distribution board is not an electromagnet printed on a circuit board
4 motor wiring is away from the APM
4 The GPS is located away from the power distribution board, ESCs and wiring
5 The frame is very light so current and therefore magnetic fields are reduced
Vibration is low. Around "2" in hover
Even with motors just taped to the frame...
APM is just strapped down with velcro.
Good power distribution method? Bad power distribution method?
GPS is away from most RF and in null of telemetry antenna. GoPro on or off does not seem to bother it. I do shift the battery a little to help balance.
Hope some of the ideas are useful. This type of frame makes a great EPP "trainer". There is more info that was posted here:
Comments
Glen, your avatar isn't a link to Facebook for me. If you don't see a reply button, you may not be logged in. However, the fact that you were able to reply suggests that you sorted it out.
There is a link just below the pics to a previous post. Some more info on the multirotor tab at www.aerialrobotics.com
I never took a video of the frame twisting in flight.
where is the reply button??? why is my avatar a link to facebook??? This site is acting strange.
BTW are you going to list the specs? Like the flight time, weight, etc? We can clearly see the motor type.
Also, can you link that video? Thx
Hi Daniel: When you glue the compression rods into the top and apply tension tape on the bottom pool noodles are extremely rigid. You have to build one and try to bend it to believe it. There is no side to side force so no reinforcement is needed there. I used to fly with just tape which is no use in compression and had more flexing. The biggest challenge is stopping the frame twist in yaw. The X bracing does a pretty good job of controlling it. It actually flies fine without the X brace but has a bizarre amount of frame twist when yawing. I wish I had made a video of that - pretty funny to watch.
BTW I need to figure out how to use this site. My reply does not look the same one the left panel. Must be posting this wrong. I did not have "reply" button.
Do those foam arms flex easily? If so, that would be an amazing fluke that your quad is able to fly.
Am I jealous that your first was so easy? Yes. But great work, I learned a thing or two. I also started with that silly power distribution board. I quickly cut it up and minimized its size and spread them apart. My APM was also shielded with thick copper film which hopefully cut some EMI.
Great post, Glenn. I love your lessons, which are insightful. You got a lot of learning out of those foam noodles!
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