Can anyone tell me who makes this UAV?

[dalbert02]

I saw this UAV online and was curious if anyone could tell me who makes it. I know it is sold by MarcusUAV but I am not sure if they actually manufacture it. Thanks.

http://www.marcusuav.com/uav4.jpg Specs:

Length = 4 Ft
Wing Span = 8 Ft
Weight = 6 Pounds
Engine (electric) = Axi Brushless
Altitude =No Limit
Duration =Approx. 3 HRS
Average speed = 30 MPH
Maximum Winds = 15 MPH

Starting at $8000




-dave

[dalbert02]

Maybe this?
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/aeromaster.htm

-dave

[elossam]

At least what is refered to the airframe I know it´s the evolution of this one http://www.roi-import.com/AeromasterAER.htm
No idea about the kind of autopilot MARCUS is using as there is no details on his web.

[Gary Morris]

It appears that it's made by Aero-Master, the basic sailplane can be found here: http://www.hobby-lobby.com/aeromaster.htm Wow, fast posters, by the time I posted this link others found it as well....

Gary Morris

[Gary Mortimer]

Jeffs using one of those http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=819918&highlight=catalina+project

Looks just the job, the english on the MARCUS site is very amusing.

I'm awaiting a flame for that comment, google MARCUSUAV and you should find out why, I had to chuckle that the Goog also turned up www.uavpregnancycenters.com/

Do you think you get to know if they are boys or girls and perhaps be given earnest advice as to continuing or not???

I wonder how they manage to get 3 hours and an unlimited altitude out of their version. Lets see 250 fpm for 180 minutes thats an altitude of 45,000' now if we let it glide down at....

Cheers all

G

[zlite]

AKA CropCam (http://cropcam.com/product.htm)?

[FrankC]

The pictures on the CropCam site show a tractor mount with a folding prop, but is is interesting the wingspan and such seem to be the same. Both are also up there in price. I think I could live with a PicoPilot-NAT model with the ground software to program it, the combo is $900. That system with a decent airframe, rc system, and camera should be in the ballpark of $2500 to $3000 and roughly similar abilities. If you want an idea of what this can do look for a thread by IceBear called LightHouse Mission 2, using that autopilot with a SuperMiss.

[dmgoedde]

I think I could live with a PicoPilot-NAT model with the ground software to program it, the combo is $900.Hmmm, I'll try to de-convolute what you stated... Pico is $800 and the Pico-GS is $100, so there is your $900. The GS does not do any special programming of WPs over the normal software except it is more of a GUI to point and click them automatically, followed by uploading to the Pico via cable from the PC while on the ground. Your comment indicates you think Pico-GS can update WPs during flight, which is what MarcusUAV's system will do. Your somment MUST mean this, because the old-style Pico already has ability to have WPs entered "to program it", thus no new capability is required. U-Nav does not claim that Pico-GS uploads new WPs during flight, but rather if you happen to have a modem, then you can split off the GPS data and send to ground for a moving map experience. For me it is hard to imagine a system based on an 8-bit processor at 4 MIPS having the computational bandwidth to parse incoming modem data during flight. This is like having a Basic Stamp autopilot... albeit highly refined with a yaw axis gyro (ADXL330) with a filter to correct gyro bias via GPS turn rate data... aka "wing levelling" for stable motor gliders. As Bjorn and others will tell you, once setup the Pico is great for navigation, with rock-solid turns.

Look carefully at Bjorn's Lighthouse mission #1... the plane flips over (but recovers) right after it is finished with the lighthouse and is returning. With no direct idea of pitch or roll, any UAV is susceptible to over control and entering a spiral dive.

Part of the Attopilot "delays" to market release are becuase beta testing uncovers marginalities as the horizon is pushed back further... small things, but above a thresh-hold of comfort for me... the system is controlling a plane for goodness sake, so it had better be perfect. If there is a decent chance that at 1 mile from shore the plane could over-control and flip over... that is not acceptible for a cheaper $2500-$3000 solution with no ability to upload new WPs, if a $8000 solution is much closer to 100% reliable, and flexible during flight.

[FrankC]

Dean, I was not expecting the pico NAT model to be reprogrammed in flight, I was looking at their ground software solely for ease of use in preparing the flight. At $100 it did not seem an exorbitant price to simplify the setup of the flight. I did not elaborate on what I have in mind, but the aircraft actually would remain within LOS at all times and the autopilot portion of the flight would be used to reduce the workload on the pilot. I am looking at the picture of the flight path of the SuperMiss and see where it circled once on the return trip, is that where it flipped over? If so he is lucky it recovered quickly and completed the flight. My actual goal with all of this is just aerial photography though and a low cost autopilot would simplify a lot of the flight. I have followed your build thread on AttoPilot and am waiting for it to be completed and available. It also looks like a good match for what I want to do and if it prices out good it will get some good consideration.

[dmgoedde]

Frank,

I'm sorry, I recall Bjorn's almost flip over was due to a radio glitch.

Pico is a great system, and once setup (like any system) is awesome. Now that I know firsthand how 'hard-core' developing an autopilot is with a large beta team and high goals, I regret ever saying anything "down" about Pico over the last 9 months. Bjorn and others have had lots of success, and I understand U-nav has sold many hundreds of them to the hobbysist market, and apparently many more than that to non-hobby, whatever that may be. Also, Dave Perry HATES it if anyone refers to the Pico as a mere hobby system. I have had some respectable people here from RCGroups in phone conversations ask me what my beef is with UNAV... my reply was just that originally I thought Pico is kind of pricey for what it does. Well, now I know that $200 or $300 of hardware doesn't mean that a company is raking in the dough or charging exhorbant margin over costs. The real cost is for liability insurance, taxes, and especially development time. Making an 8-bit MCU run a robust embedded application for navigation is a big deal.

[FrankC]

Very true Dean, we often forget all of what went in to making that product available and think of it as overpriced. In looking at the capabilities of the PicoPilot NAT model I am not at all bothered by a price of $800 and consider that to be very fair. In following your design thread I have always assumed you would end up somewhere in that ballpark, I just don't see how you can develop and produce something this sophisticated for an amount significantly less. If I were to give you advice I would say don't sell yourself short and don't undervalue the personal investment you have made. I do suffer from that myself as a software developer. I am developing software specifically for RCAP and need to price it fairly, but it also needs to be low enough to sell. Not an easy task. Good luck with your project and I will continue to follow the thread.

[icebear]

Hi Frank,

Just to clarify;
Dean is right, the "almost flip over" was from the first Lighthouse mission (May 2007) and I had set the elevator failsafe to "last good frame hold" which in the case of the FS-8 rx causes jitter and glitches at the far end of radio range. I have now changed it to a fixed failsafe position and that works fine. Actually if I had turned the tx off - it wouldnt have neen a problem.
The rounding of a WP in the second mission didn't cause any trouble - the setup is very robust and I have not had any stability issues at all.

/Björn

[Munin]

I saw this UAV online and was curious if anyone could tell me who makes it. I know it is sold by MarcusUAV but I am not sure if they actually manufacture it. Thanks.

-dave

Its a fairly new re-designed model made by a german company called Aero-Naut. Came to light about a year ago and has caught attention by UAV enthusiasts as a good test platform. From what I know this model is a candidate by some at the OutBack Rescue 2008 - UAV Challange.
I would like to have one of these in my collection.

http://www.aero-naut.net/138.html?&L=1
http://www.uavoutbackchallenge.com.au

Good luck.

/Munin