Like a Bixler, but bigger and with a cool nose dome for a forward-facing camera. $120, now available from HobbyKing.
Details:
The Sky Eye is a large plug and fly glider designed for the FPV pilot who is looking for all the benefits of a larger model that is also fast to get into the air and won't break the bank!Make no mistake, the Sky Eye is a biggie! That said, it is also really practical and features a 2pc plug in wing and huge magnetic canopy for easy camera and Lipo access. Being a plug and fly model, the Sky Eye is really quick to assemble, the heavy duty mini servo's are all pre-installed, as is the powerful 35mm brushless out-runner motor and ESC, in fact setting up your camera in the supplied transparent camera dome is going to be the longest job of the build!As the old saying goes, the bigger they are, the better they fly and with a 2 metre span, the Sky Eye provides a high lift, stable and virtually un-stallable camera & FPV platform thanks to it's generous wing area and effective pre-installed flaps. The powerful brushless outrunner and 8" prop combo offer an excellent climb rate while the effectively sized four channel control surfaces offer absolute control at all speeds. This fantastic model offers a fun and easy to fly glider and FPV/Camera platform in a simple & fast to build format that is totally affordable and perfect for pilots of every ability, the Sky Eye offers something unique and familiar rolled into one great priced package!Features:• Tough EPO Construction• Plug and Fly Format, Simply add Battery and Reciever!• Large Size Ideal for a Stable Flying in a Variety of Weather Conditions• Unique Nose Mounted Transparent Camera Dome• Pre-Installed Landing Wheel• Pre-Installed Flaps• Large Magnetic Canopy• Plug In 2pc Wing for Easy Transport• Powerful 35mm Brushless Outrunner• Large Payload Capability• Large CF wing TubeSpecs:Wingspan: 2000mmLength: 1100mmWeight: 1350gWing Area: 46.3dm2Wing Loading: 29.2g/dm2Servo: 6 x Mini 17gESC: 30A w/BECMotor: 3536 Brushless Outrunner 900kvProp: 8x6
Comments
A quick update, I discovered a stripped flap servo while on the ground. That got me nervous enough to go ahead and replace all of the servos on the plane with metal gear ones. Went with these:
Hitec 32082S HS-82MG Metal Gear Micro Servo
So far so good, makes me feel better for sure. Don't forget to reverse one of the flap servos (and check to make sure its the right one)
Thanks Dave Williams for sharing that info :) I've been a bit on the busy side. Just remember guys my PID's are tuned for a heavy Sky Eye with 5000mah battery installed if you are flying with a smaller battery you are going to need to back the gains off or risk your servos!
this is brilliant. thanks a lot :D
I got in touch with Mathew and Aytek. Aytek forwarded me Mathew's PID settings which was enough to get me on the right track with this airframe. I've only tested on winds less than 10mph, but it turns and tracks very well (I modified the nav settings beyond the file I got from Aytek).
Aytek let me know that his SkyEye crashed due to what he thought was servo failure. I have reduced the PID settings a bit from his, although they are still about 2x stock. So far the servos have been cool to the touch after auto flights. May want to replace those aileron and elevator servos just in case...
I got proposing when I tried to set the max cruise speed too low (less than 15m/s). I'd think that 13m/s might be a good flap1 speed, and 9 or 10 m/s for flap 2. Those are not tested or implemented on the following file. Not sure how to attach, so threw it in pastebin. Here is a download link: http://pastebin.com/download.php?i=6B0h9uEc
Hi mathew,
Please share the config file if u can. will help a lot. thank you :D
Ritwik
Hey Mathew, I just had my first attempt at a full auto flight yesterday and it was really sluggish. I'd love to see your config file if you still have it.
In stabilize its really fun to fly, with flaps it almost floats in for a landing.
Hi Aytek,
Sure I will try and attach the file here or if that fails PM it to you.
This param file will work with a Sky eye that is running stock out of the box hardware ( stock motor, esc and servos) with a 5000mah Zippy 3 cell lipo and a cg 70mm from the leading edge of the wing at wing root. The optional hardware used is an airspeed sensor and a current sensor.
If you are flying your aircraft lighter/heavier or with different hardware you will still need to fine tune the parameters but this should give a you a good starting point.
Cheers Mat
Hi Mathew,
IF you have, can you share param files for skyeye ?
Thanks
Aytek
Its a nice platform for the APM 2.5 and i love it but those getting it should be aware of a couple of things.
1. It is not as stall resistant as it sounds and when the do stall they like to drop a wing and go hard into a spin if you aren't all over it strait away. they also take a fair bit of time to recover from a full stall so keep your landing speeds up till the last moment.
2. They do not like being banked beyond 30 degrees and get quite squirrely around this point.
Beyond that however they do as they say with a great payload capability and a very high spec construction considering the price. The APM flys it very nicely once properly tuned and in FBWA it is a joy to fly.
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