Hovering Platform with the FMA FS8 Co-Pilot

[AeroJDK]

Hey all...been reading threads in this forum for a while and would just like to say thanks for all the good suggestions and info given through them. I have a question, though. I'm looking at building a hovering platform using four ducted fans and am curious if something like FMA's FS8 Co-Pilot would be up to the challenge of "controlling" the platform. I was thinking that instead of plugging the servo outputs into ailerons or elevators, they could be plugged into the appropriate speed controller for the ducted fans that would translate into pitch and roll. Sound possible? Any suggestions are good ones...thank again for the help.

AeroJDK

[rdresch]

The copilot will only work if you have a clear view of the horizon. If that works for you then it may work. Robbe has a new autopilot that will hold your model stationary but only to about 10 ft altitude, plus it is expensive $450.00.
Note I tried the co-pilot with gyros and that doesn't work. At least not with Futaba 190 gyros.
Rudy

[v22chap]

JDK
Your project sounds like it would work ,,I would just use gyro's for testing purpose first and then start to look for stab stuff.Joe Orlando has a new TH-2 GP mixer board coming out that may be of some interest to you if you don't already have a v-tail mixers ...
Good luck and keep us posted
Larry

[ghoti]

This is fascinating so much I, too, am working on a 4-motor build. I will use 10 by 4.7 counter-rotating props on slow stick booms. Other threads I read call for elevon mixers v22chap, you mentiuon v-tail mixers. Are they interchangeable... I have never used one? If so I am interested in buying some. How do I learn more about Joe Orlando and his TH2GP?

I chose to go with gyros instead of a co-pilot because I want to fly it indoors!

Thanks and Happy Landings! fish

[v22chap]

That is a big interesting 4 rotor project ... good luck on it
The vtail mixers that I use are the Veetail ones ...Veetail (http://www.veetail.com/Omni.html)

This is the url to Joes page "Tech Model Products "
The nice thing about Joes TH is the fact it has the ablity to be hooked to a puter and do some changing of the way it works and it is not much more than buying two seperate mixers.

tech model products (http://www.techmodelproducts.com/th-2.htm)

Good luck and keep us posted with pix as you progress
Larry

[AeroJDK]

Thanks for the info, v22chap. I'm sorta new at this so I've got a question: would these mixers come into play in order to adust the sensitivities of the servo signal over their range i.e. exponential control? If so, is this really the only benefit that these mixers would provide, or what else are they/could they be used for in a setup such as a hovering platform with four fans and the Co-Pilot? I see that the TH-2 says it works with the FS8 Co-Pilot, but I'm just not understanding how...thanks for help.

AeroJDK

[rdresch]

JDK, Please explain how you plan to control the 4 motors? We need to know how many channels your radio is. Guessing here but, If you use 2 aileron channels for roll with 2 esc no need for mixer here. For pitch don't you need a mixer of some sort to send to ESC's for controll of both motors? It apears your motors are stationary. If so how do you controll yaw? Sorry for all the questions, but I need to understand your setup better. Remember you are controlling altitude by increasing power to the 4 esc's. You need mixers to mix in controll from ail and elev inputs. Hope I am clear. Heck I hope I understand your questions.
Rudy

[v22chap]

He will need mixes for the yaw ,,this is like the roswell flyer and they vary opposing motor RPM's for yaw. I am not sure that can be done with just the two servo mixing ..... I will have to think about this one.
There is no expo on the TH-2 board ,,that still has to come from your tx.The mixes will provide differentail control for pitch and roll axis and I think also yaw .It does have servo reversing and some other extras like auto on off mix of certain channels for transition into forward flight of our VTOL's ....well we are hoping that will be part of it ...still no final word from Joe yet.The list Rudy and I gave him must have been a little more than he expected or something else has happened ,,haven't heard from him or saw a post by him in a while now.