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Telemaster Aerial Survey flight testing with APM

Posted by The Old Flyer on July 5, 2011 at 2:39pm

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The Telemaster during pre-flight checks. 

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APM, GPS, Air speed sensors and bubble level in the center payload bay.

 

Hobby Lobby's 74" Telemaster

Motor: Electrifly Rimfire 42-50-800kv GMP4700

ESC: Cermark ESC70BL

Prop: APC  16X8

Battery: Lightmax 3s 5000mAh or 2ea; 4000mAh

Receiver: Spektrum AR 7000

Aileron Servos: HS82 MG

Flap Servos: HS81 MG

Rudder Servo: HS85 MG

Elev. Servo HS85 MG

Camera: Canon SD1100IS

 

APM 2.1.2 MOD FOR POWER SENSOR

Planner 1.0.20

 

Planner worked very well loading software updates, .params and waypoint files.

HIL Simulations worked well with X-Planes

 

Still needs tuning but flight over an area survey path went well.

See:   01-07-11 12-00 9.kmz

The APM Log file is:   01-07-11 12-00 9.log

.param file: Cadencia 07-01-11 FLIGHT.param

Mission Check List: UAV APM Mission Check List 07-01-11.rtf

 

We are now ready to sort out the needed waypoint commands to snap pictures.

 

 

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Comments

  • The Old Flyer May 25, 2012 at 5:37pm

    Eduardo,  I am not sure what news you want.  For a later result of out photo survey work go to:

    http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/a-successful-apm-aerial-survey-mi...

    Irv

  • eduardo May 25, 2012 at 1:08pm

    Hello irvin, some news ?

  • Mauricio May 25, 2012 at 8:49am

    @Irvin

    Congrats on your project.

    Just a quick question: are yopu using the spektrum satellite receiver on your setup?

    Thanks! all the best

  • Wessie August 16, 2011 at 12:28am

    Excellent Project, I am trying the SAME project here with a 4m Lanyu primary. Initial tests have been promising, and your really well documented  post has inspired me to finally take some decent photos and create a blog for my project as well. Hope to be able to post that soon.

     

  • The Old Flyer July 7, 2011 at 1:57pm

    Eduardo,

     

    If you are asking about duration - we have not done extensive testing for best prop, air speed, weight combinations.

    At about 2 Kilos a 3 cell, 4800 Mah LiPo back gives us 6 to 8 minutes flight time.

    The Telemaster can carry a large load so extending the flight time is easy.  Add batteries.

    Good luck with your aerial photography efforts.

  • eduardo July 7, 2011 at 7:38am

    Hello Irvin, how many time you can flight with this airplane ?

    I planning to order a 4m wingspan telemaster to make a precision photogrametry in my country.

     

     

  • Russell B. Sutton July 6, 2011 at 12:55am

    Very nice!

     

  • The Old Flyer July 5, 2011 at 6:03pm

    Cliff,

    The development team assures me that navigation issues are getting the highest priority in the problem solving queue.

    We have not experienced the stability issues you mentioned, but we haven't had very many flights yet.

    I am a real fan of the Planner.  In-flight PID tuning is a great time saver.  It has worked very well for us.

    I can't comment on the use of the magnetometer - we don't have one .. yet.

    I'll comment more on straight line navigation after we complete more tuning flights.

    During pre-flight checks, I raise the tail to get the plane close to level before the final 'Fly Mode' reset.

    In flight we make sure the plane is flying in the desired trim and airspeed when we transition from MANUAL mode to FBW A then AUTO.  That establishes level flight for the APM.

    Good luck.

     

    Thanks to the development team, especially Chris, Mike, Doug, Jordi, Paul, etc.  Great work all! 

  • Cliff Gill July 5, 2011 at 5:15pm
    Also, is the level bubble just to get as precise an initialization after turning on the APM? Do you think it helps?
  • Cliff Gill July 5, 2011 at 5:12pm

    Excellent posting, checklist, and supporting info! This sort of thing helps me in making sure that I am on the right track with what I am doing, which is very similar with a skywalker. 

    A question for experienced APM users is how to improve the quality of the navigation, when things are right I get about the same quality of navigation as your posting shows (but that is not all the time, I am still working on PIDS and seem to have some issues with the stability of the software/hardware  that causes the apm to lose all its settings and go into loiter mode, which is not even setup on the radio), which is pretty imperfect. I am also trying to use the magnetometer which I might imagine could improve the navigation, such as following the flight lines more closely rather than the wandering course more typically seen here and in my flights. But I have not been able to configure and retain the configuration of the mag all the time, and many times the mag makes it navigate very poorly, but maybe I am still working on the declination settings and mounting of the mag.

    If their is any advice to get the best possible straight line navigation for aerial photo, please share it, and if anyone has had improvement in navigation with the magnetometer, please let us know.

     

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