Thanks everyone. Just goes to show that you should never give up on your VTOL model. Even like in my case when you should have stopped about two years ago

Stats are...

Wingspan = 31"

Weight with 2100 15c thunderpower 3 cell = 555 grams
Weight wtih 1800 40to50c Turnigy 3 cell = 580 grams

Motors up front are 1300kv blue wonders spinning CC 8" slow fly props.
Rear motor is (AD-100L Micro Brushless Outrunner 1850Kv) with recommended 6 inch GWS prop.

CG is about two inches behind front motors pivot point.


Video showing most of the controls and how the back motor shuts off automatically when in forward flight...

TricopterControls (1 min 13 sec)

Looks great

20th Flight, 1st one with FPV telemetry running while in 50/50 mix. Will get full forward flight footage later.

20130302-140417 (2 min 56 sec)

-Steve

The promised forward-flight video:

Introduction to the Orange Hawk Project (0 min 0 sec)

Looks awesome! Great job.

Yes, very good job!

Dave-

Excellent!

Fantastic job!

Now tell us all your secrets so we can do it with 1/10th the work

I've posted a few pieces of information on the project at DIY Drones here: http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/...-wing-vtol-uav

The text editor at DIYD doesn't take code nicely, as this forum does, so I'll post a preview of the code here, an exclusive sneak peek:


In the MultiWii.ino source file:

#if defined(TRICOPTER_HYBRID_TYPE_A) || defined(TRICOPTER_HYBRID_TYPE_B)
		if(rcOptions[BOXHYBD_FF] == 1 && rcOptions[BOXHYBD_INT] == 0){ // Forward Flight
			hybridTiltFactor = (hybridTiltFactor>HYBRID_TILT_INCVAL)? hybridTiltFactor-HYBRID_TILT_INCVAL: 0;
			#if defined(TRI_HYBRID_FOLD_MECH)
				foldMechSetpoint = (hybridTiltFactor==0)? HYBRID_FOLD_FWDFLT: HYBRID_FOLD_HOVER;
			#endif
		} else if(rcOptions[BOXHYBD_FF] == 0 && rcOptions[BOXHYBD_INT] == 0){ // Hover Mode
			hybridTiltFactor = ((hybridTiltFactor+HYBRID_TILT_INCVAL)<HYBRID_TF_MAX)? hybridTiltFactor+HYBRID_TILT_INCVAL : HYBRID_TF_MAX;
			#if defined(TRI_HYBRID_FOLD_MECH)
				foldMechSetpoint = HYBRID_FOLD_HOVER;
			#endif
		} else if(rcOptions[BOXHYBD_FF] == 0 && rcOptions[BOXHYBD_INT] == 1){ // 50/50 Mix, or middle spot between F/F and Hover
			hybridTiltFactor = ((hybridTiltFactor+HYBRID_TILT_INCVAL)<(HYBRID_TF_MAX/2))? hybridTiltFactor+HYBRID_TILT_INCVAL : 
							   ((hybridTiltFactor-HYBRID_TILT_INCVAL)>(HYBRID_TF_MAX/2))? hybridTiltFactor-HYBRID_TILT_INCVAL : (HYBRID_TF_MAX/2);
			#if defined(TRI_HYBRID_FOLD_MECH)
				foldMechSetpoint = HYBRID_FOLD_HOVER
			#endif
		} else{ // R/C Knob Channel Mix, direct assignment, no incrementers. For debugging/manual flying. For the manual-transmission type of crowd.
			hybridTiltFactor = (rcData[AUX1]> 1960)? 0 : ((rcData[AUX1]-1100)<0)? 120: (120-((rcData[AUX1]-1100)>>3)); // (rcData[AUX1]-1000)>>3; // and 120
			#if defined(TRI_HYBRID_FOLD_MECH)
				foldMechSetpoint = (hybridTiltFactor==0)? HYBRID_FOLD_FWDFLT: HYBRID_FOLD_HOVER;
			#endif
		}

In the Output.ino File:

#elif defined(TRICOPTER_HYBRID_TYPE_B)
		motor[0] = PIDMIX( 0,+3/2, 0);		//REAR //+4/3
		motor[1] = -axisPID[ROLL] - axisPID[PITCH]/2;		//RIGHT PIDMIX(-1,-2/3, 0); //axisPID[PITCH]*2/3;	
		motor[2] =  axisPID[ROLL] - axisPID[PITCH]/2;		//LEFT  PIDMIX(+1,-2/3, 0);
		
		// servo[2] = YAW_DIRECTION * axisPID[YAW] + MIDRC + conf.hybrid_cassette_offset; //LEFT 
		// servo[5] = YAW_DIRECTION * axisPID[YAW] + MIDRC - conf.hybrid_cassette_offset; //RIGHT 
		// servo[2] -= ((HYBRID_TILT_HOVER-1000)*(hybridTiltFactor>>2))/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2) + 
							// ((HYBRID_TILT_FWDFLT-1000)*((HYBRID_TF_MAX-hybridTiltFactor)>>2))/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2);
		// servo[5] += ((HYBRID_TILT_HOVER-1000)*(hybridTiltFactor>>2))/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2) + 
							// ((HYBRID_TILT_FWDFLT-1000)*((HYBRID_TF_MAX-hybridTiltFactor)>>2))/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2);
		
		servo[2] = ((YAW_DIRECTION*axisPID[YAW]*(hybridTiltFactor>>2))/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2)) + ((HYBRID_TILT_LIMIT_B-HYBRID_TILT_LIMIT_A)*(hybridTiltFactor>>2)/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2) + HYBRID_TILT_LIMIT_A) - (conf.hybrid_cassette_offset);
		servo[5] = ((YAW_DIRECTION*axisPID[YAW]*(hybridTiltFactor>>2))/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2)) + ((HYBRID_TILT_LIMIT_A-HYBRID_TILT_LIMIT_B)*(hybridTiltFactor>>2)/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2) + HYBRID_TILT_LIMIT_B) + (conf.hybrid_cassette_offset);
		
		// 120 is 90 deg up, 0 is 0 deg (forward). Or, 120>>2 = 30, 30 is 90 deg. 120 *3/4.
		// Actuator		Left & Right Motors			Rear Motor		Left & Right Servos
		// Pitch		*= sin(t)					*= sin(t)		
		// Roll			*= sin(t)									+= rollPID * cos(t) * 10% ( leave off for now )
		// Yaw			+= yawPID*(120-t)*12% ( need cos(t)? )	    *= t/120  ( may want *= sin(t) )
		
		//		sin approx		cos approx		[0:90 deg] -> [0:120 ticks]
		//	1.0	      __		__
		//	.8	    /...		...\
		//	.6	   /....		....\
		//	.4	  /.....		.....\
		//	.2	 /......		......\
		//	0	/.......120		.......\
		//		0     90		0 30    120
		
		if(hybridTiltFactor<HYBRID_TF_MAX){ // 120 -> 30
			if(hybridTiltFactor == 0){
				motor[0] = MINTHROTTLE;
				motor[1] = (YAW_DIRECTION*axisPID[YAW])>>2;
				motor[2] = (-YAW_DIRECTION*axisPID[YAW])>>2;
			} else {
				for(uint8_t i=0; i<3; i++) motor[i] = (motor[i]>2000)? 2000: motor[i];
				
				motor[0] = (hybridTiltFactor>(HYBRID_TF_MAX*5/8))? motor[0]:((motor[0]-MINTHROTTLE)*(hybridTiltFactor>>2)/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2))*8/5+MINTHROTTLE;
				
				motor[1] = (hybridTiltFactor>(HYBRID_TF_MAX*3/4))? motor[1]:((motor[1])*(hybridTiltFactor>>2)/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2))*4/3;
				motor[2] = (hybridTiltFactor>(HYBRID_TF_MAX*3/4))? motor[2]:((motor[2])*(hybridTiltFactor>>2)/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2))*4/3;
				
				motor[1] += ((YAW_DIRECTION*axisPID[YAW]*((HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2)-(hybridTiltFactor>>2)))/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2))>>2;
				motor[2] += ((-YAW_DIRECTION*axisPID[YAW]*((HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2)-(hybridTiltFactor>>2)))/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2))>>2;
				
				//servo[2] += ((YAW_DIRECTION*axisPID[YAW]*(hybridTiltFactor>>2))/(HYBRID_TF_MAX>>2)) + The start of trying to isolate servo loop as motors are above.
			}
		}
		
		// motor[0] += rcCommand[THROTTLE];
		motor[1] += rcCommand[THROTTLE];
		motor[2] += rcCommand[THROTTLE];
		
		debug[0] = rcCommand[PITCH]; // servo[2]; //conf.hybrid_cassette_offset;
		debug[1] = axisPID[PITCH];  // servo[5]; //MIDRC;
		
		servo[2] = constrain( servo[2], 1005, 2000); // LEFT
		servo[5] = constrain( servo[5], 1005, 2000); // RIGHT
	#endif

Repeated from the DIYDrones post, attached here is a snapshot of the GUI:

Here is the source code for the project:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1855292

Thanks all for the kind remarks. You guys are the prime motivators for me, I hope I've added something to the group, being the lone wolf I've been.

Originally Posted by EddieWeeks

I have been flying in the yard for a few days now... The plane is fine.. The pilot needs some work..

Going to transition next..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUU3IF6cu8k

Eddie,

Did transitioning ever work out?

-Steve

Originally Posted by KatanaGuy

Here is the source code for the project:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1855292

Very nice code drop. Looks like you did a lot of work here.

Does your code stretch the servo signal to let them move past a 90 degree range?

Originally Posted by RCvertt

Very nice code drop. Looks like you did a lot of work here.

Does your code stretch the servo signal to let them move past a 90 degree range?

No, it doesn't. I initially started in that direction, and was hacking MultiWii beyond recognition. I abandoned that attempt in favor of staying as conservative as possible with the base code, since timers and such had to be modified to get the servo outputs below 1000 us. Going above 2000 is doable, I think 2100ish is where the variable overflows.

That's cool. Your bird is functioning quite well without it.

The new ISR method they use in (2.1) code appears to be very custom and not the most friendly to work with. Not a good sign when the person that implemented it told me that it would be difficult to stretch and that he doesn't have time to do it.

Do you think it's possible to not stretch the servo signal but rather shift the 90 degree range up and down so we don't loose any resolution?

Ultimately there is only a certain amount of resolution a servo can be capable of. You could use a single larger and slower servo for tilt and a couple of smaller and quicker ones for control, though. However the problem with using the whole servo range for control is that there is a limit to the speed a servo can travel its full range, so there will always be some compromise made between response time and resolution