ITU Tilt-Rotor VTOL UAV concept from here
A good mate and I were talking a few weeks ago about the AR Drone and it's possible application in scouting for our hunting trips. We discussed putting bigger batteries in it and using a directional antenna to increase it's range and flight time but we came across several problems, the first being the fact that by the time we unpacked it and flew it out to it's maximum range, one of us could have just walked over and taken a look for ourselves.
This prompted a discussion on what our actual requirements were and after seeing a few youtube clips of aggressive maneuvering by quadrotors, we decided to build. My mate has an electronics background and mine is IT so we figured we'd be able to work the project ourselves. I fly micro helicopters as well as R/C planes and have built several from scratch.
Our requirements are these:
- Man Portable
- VTOL
- Autonomous flight via waypoints
- Ability to loiter
- Video Feed
So from here... the Planning begins.
Comments
Also if you are out for a week in the back country w/o electricity gas might be the way to go.
Hmm, a 2-rotor VTOL mimicking the Osprey might be a pain in the ass due to the necessity to preserve the center of gravity. Each time you make a modification - throw a larger battery or add a module (e.g. camera) - you'll have to make sure it doesn't mess with the balance.
If I were fantasizing about a tilt-rotor, I'd probably go for a quad.
As for preserving line-of-sight in uneven terrain, one might consider a relay blimp. Or simply the radio module (or just the antenna) of the base station floating on a balloon on a leash.
Also I thought it would be a good idea if: you are really gona use an EDF motor on the tail..
then make the fusealodge like that of a "F86 Saber" where the intake spans through the whole fusealodge offering max intake, and min drag
Also I'd like to add that I am currently building an Aerostat that uses 3G for communications, and the outback I have tried seems to be fine for me (using Telstra).
One thing I was wondering about: I there a project for APM code that handles this kind of VTOL? I mean the switch from a tri- or -quad copter mode to a wing aircraft mode. I can imagine that it should be capable to change from one mode to the other once the forward speed is enough for the wings resp too low.
After daydreaming at work all day I think an Osprey type configuration would be best suited to my needs.
Tilted rotors at the extremities of stumpy high lift wings with a ducted rotor at the center of the tail plane.
I think this would give me my maximum "Bang for buck" allowing for VTOL and limited hover capabilities with the extended flight time and payload of a fixed wing UAV.
I'm off to get drawing!