Best Plane TO Start With UAVs

[Jeanseb]

Hello,

I would like to know what is the best plane to start with UAVs. I read that the Twinstar from multiplex is really good, because it handles really easily and it is very sturdy as it is made of foam (pretty good for crashes).
Appart from the airframe structure (wood, foam), should I go electric or thermic?

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks!

[kd7ost]

That's a very loaded question. It depends on several factors. Just to name a few, 1. What kind of flight experience do you have? (Is surviving a crash really a necessary design criteria) 2. What are your intentions for cargo or flight packages? Developmental parts tend to be bigger and larger than final versions. Do you have enough plane to carry a GPS, a processor, extra battery packs, Video systems etc? 3. What can you fly in your area? Do you have a park to test in requiring small electric or do you have room for bigger other powered planes? Etc.

There's no one good answer. You have to loook at your needs, skill and direction at the very least.

an

[Jeanseb]

That's a very loaded question. It depends on several factors. Just to name a few, 1. What kind of flight experience do you have? (Is surviving a crash really a necessary design criteria) 2. What are your intentions for cargo or flight packages? Developmental parts tend to be bigger and larger than final versions. Do you have enough plane to carry a GPS, a processor, extra battery packs, Video systems etc? 3. What can you fly in your area? Do you have a park to test in requiring small electric or do you have room for bigger other powered planes? Etc.

There's no one good answer. You have to loook at your needs, skill and direction at the very least.

an

Hello,

Thanks for the reply. What are your recommendation then for a rookie.

The Twinstar could accomodate a bunch of electronics, as shown here: http://www.nongnu.org/paparazzi/index.html and here http://pfump.org/autonomous_my_hw.html

[kd7ost]

The Twinstar could accomodate a bunch of electronics

This is a vague term in some respects. I make bigger planes with bigger electronics. I couldn't make a UAV out of a Twinstar but that is because I lack the engineering skills to do so. I use bigger airframes and fly camera's for AP purposes. I think if that plane strikes you, there's nothing wrong with giving it a go. The Paparazzi group has certainly demonstrated success.

Dan

[danstrider]

I have an answer for your question :-)

You need to add up the weights of all the components you want to fly, including batteries and wire weight, and pick an airframe that can carry that amount of payload comfortably. If you're in the 1lb range, the Twinstar very well might be your ship. If you're in the 10lb range, a Senior Telemaster might be more your cup of tea. If you're in the 20lb range, a giant scale aircraft would be better. Problem solved!

The problem is compounded though in that you likely don't know all of the parts you'll need. That's where this forum comes in. Before you spend money on parts or pick parts even, you can get an idea on this forum of a full parts list for making the type of UAV you're looking for. It could be a simple DIY version using the FMA Co-Pilot or a more expensive version using more advanced purpose-built autopilot parts. Narrowing this down will also help you judge how large of an airframe you need.

If you're still not sure how large of an airframe you'll need for an amount of payload weight, an upper limit of payload capacity is about 35-50% airframe ready-to-fly weight. There are exceptions to this guideline based on technology used and intended usage (such as field considerations), but 35-50% max will get you started. Just try asking people how much weight they can fly on their Slow Sticks comfortably and you'll see how widely the range varies. Ask kd7ost Dan how much percentage he can fly on the twin boom plane pictures. I can fly just at 50% payload to airframe weight on a modified Senior Telemaster, but 35% is more comfortable.

Dan

[Jeanseb]

I have an answer for your question :-)

You need to add up the weights of all the components you want to fly, including batteries and wire weight, and pick an airframe that can carry that amount of payload comfortably. If you're in the 1lb range, the Twinstar very well might be your ship. If you're in the 10lb range, a Senior Telemaster might be more your cup of tea. If you're in the 20lb range, a giant scale aircraft would be better. Problem solved!

The problem is compounded though in that you likely don't know all of the parts you'll need. That's where this forum comes in. Before you spend money on parts or pick parts even, you can get an idea on this forum of a full parts list for making the type of UAV you're looking for. It could be a simple DIY version using the FMA Co-Pilot or a more expensive version using more advanced purpose-built autopilot parts. Narrowing this down will also help you judge how large of an airframe you need.

If you're still not sure how large of an airframe you'll need for an amount of payload weight, an upper limit of payload capacity is about 35-50% airframe ready-to-fly weight. There are exceptions to this guideline based on technology used and intended usage (such as field considerations), but 35-50% max will get you started. Just try asking people how much weight they can fly on their Slow Sticks comfortably and you'll see how widely the range varies. Ask kd7ost Dan how much percentage he can fly on the twin boom plane pictures. I can fly just at 50% payload to airframe weight on a modified Senior Telemaster, but 35% is more comfortable.

Dan


Hello, This is the detailed answer I was looking for!!! I'll be working my math on the models I am targeting.

Thanks!!!

[AntonK]

The twinstar proved a stable start for the guys at pfump.org. Martin was able to fly it autonomously on the second flight of the airplane. He credits the stability of the plane.

[libelulamodelos]

i got a nice , telemaster mod , son i'll atach some pics.