Plane orientation

[Guntars]

My question is not directly connected to UAV, but similar. The point is, when I do AP, the plane (Easystar) flies far from me and I cannot distinguish its orientation. Due to complicity and weight of GPS (with APRS modem) I want to use something simpler. Since I have video downlink with spare audio channel I want to somehow modulate signals from orientation sensing device. On the ground I would decode the signal and see the planes orientation. I can have some 10 - 20 degrees mistake in orientation detection, so the sensors can be not so precise. What do you think of magnetometers in this case? How many axes? What king? Perhaps gyro is better?
Thanks for anwers.

[clolson]

The FMA copilot seems to be a favorite device of many people here. I have one at it works pretty well if you take the time to carefully calibrate it. With the copilot, you can essentially always assume your plane is straight and level or returning towards straight and level. If you can see the plane at all (even if it's a tiny dot) then you just steer that dot in the direction you want it to go with your rudder, if your dot gets too close to the ground, add a little power.

I think any scheme were you start to detect aircraft attitude and transmit that back to the ground is going to start to get a bit complicated and maybe a bit pricey.

[tomsal]

The plane does not fly far away, you fly it far away.

Keep it closer and you will have no problem with orientation.

[Guntars]

I already use copilot. I levels wings, so I can be sure that plane will not fall down. Sometimes my AP objects are fare away from me and I must fly to them some 150 meters, and then is hard to see the direction of plane in turns. Especially if plane is flying to you or from you.

[d_wheel]

I already use copilot. I levels wings, so I can be sure that plane will not fall down. Sometimes my AP objects are fare away from me and I must fly to them some 150 meters, and then is hard to see the direction of plane in turns. Especially if plane is flying to you or from you.

In that case, just make a left turn. If it goes to your left it was going away from you. If it goes to the right it was coming toward you. That's the way I do it with "specked out" sailplanes.

Later;

D.W.

[Unterhausen]

I practiced flying "specked out" planes on a simulator. It has saved me at least once. If you have some altitude, you should be able to figure out orientation by the way the plane flies. It seems that you really have two workable solutions: FPV (first person view, a different forum) or a simple autopilot that will return the plane to a given position.

[Guntars]

Thank you for advices.

[vpatron]

Guntars, yes, I have the same issue; having to shoot from so far away.

I just aim the plane what I think is either away or towards me, then I turn the rudder left and right (it's a 3 channel like an EZ star) and if it goes left and right correctly, it's going away. If it turns left and right opposite, it's coming at me.

This has saved me many times!

-Vince