A tipette - What not to do at 20-30' in the air.

[Vikki]

Here is the evidence (result of unintentional action on the part of the *cough* Pilot *cough*!

Poorly Speedy.jpg

Let the trial commence.

Judge: Tell the Court, in your own words, what happened.

Me: Well, your 'onour. I was flyin' me Quad in a field recently vacated by a small 'erd of cows...

Judge: Bullocks?

Me: 'Onest, guv, I swear on the life of me 'amster that died last year it's true! Oh, B U L L O C K S! Yes, your 'onour, they was bullocks. It was me little Quad, 'im as I calls Speedy. We was on our second battery when the wind started to pick up. It was quite strong on me mug 'n' I'm thinkin, like, maybe it's time I brought 'im in. Anyway, M'lud, I've got the little bas... erm, blighter near me and I's droppin' the throttle like a good girl should when another gust comes along 'n' Speedy starts climbin' ag'in. I drops the throttle some more to assist 'im in 'is descent when I suddenly - 'n' I swear, M'lud, it was with 'orror in me eyes - I see the motors stop! Yes, M'lud, that does tend to mean that the props stop as well since they are stuck on the motors... contempt! Me! Never! Sorry, M'lud. Yes, M'lud, I'd dropped the throttle to nothin'.

So, there's Speedy 'angin' 30 foot in the air with no means of keepin' 'imself aloft, when, out of the blue and contrary to all the laws of gravity as I knows 'em, 'e plummets to the deck! In the meantime, yer right worshipful, I've gone to full throttle but, alas, too little time for the motors to spin up. I swear, M'lud, it works in Phoenix!!!! No, M'lud - not in real life though!

So, Speedy, as 'is name implies, 'its the deck at a considerable rate of knots and bits fly off all over the place. Everywhere, M'lud. So, 'e's got two broken arms, yer 'onour, and I swears that's the extent of the damage. Oh, I did have to dig an inch an' an 'alf out o' the ground!

Judge: Hmmmm, I sentence you to get Speedy repaired as soon as possible and go out flying again as soon as is practicable. Case dismissed!

And that, dear friends, is how it happened. I didn't fly him into the deck, I failed to fly him into the deck since without power *cough* one can't fly him at all!

Vikki (heading to quadcopters.co.uk webby).

[dw45]

jury is back in and decided: too much time spent on computer, get quad fixed and back in the air.

[Vikki]

Defence replies: No parts delivered till Wednesday (Easter in the way, boo-hooo). Still, I can take Quadasaurus out tomorrow while Speedy wallows in his sick bed

Actually, I'm looking at upgrading to the 500X frame and transplanting Speedy's bits.

Vikki.

[Guest]

And the motive for the intentional damage to property has been established..... "I'm looking at upgrading to the 500X frame"

[Andy from Sandy]

This is why it is almost essential to fly helicopters in idle up.

If you notice full size they very rarely hover for any length of time. It is unfortunate the prop linkage method doesn't allow them to auto-rotate or that the blades are fixed pitch.

New project, a quadcopter using variable pitch blades so that you can land under power.

[Mark_T]

Yes, idle-up with a curve set so bottom stick is just above the 'stop' point for your controller would seem like a good move

Some controllers can be set to only stop the motor using a CSC so that is another way to avoid the problem.

[Vikki]

Lol, Colin!

Well, two arms come as a complete set of parts meaning £20 an arm (ouch!). So that's £40 ( double ouch!).

Set of 4 replacement arms on 500X? £7.39! Can't argue with that and the 500X frame folds up

Better wind stability too.

Idle up! On a Quad! I think not! To the cells with young Andy!!!

A few more feet up and the props would have had enough speed to slow the descent, damn!
Shame the throttle doesn't have some kind of stiffness at less than, say, 20% to warn that you are approaching bottom. Drop like a stone they do.

Vikki.

UPDATE: 500X frame ordered from Fast Lads.

[Vikki]

Yes, idle-up with a curve set so bottom stick is just above the 'stop' point for your controller would seem like a good move

Some controllers can be set to only stop the motor using a CSC so that is another way to avoid the problem.

Unfortunately these things are flown in ACRO mode on the transmitter. Idle up curve isn't an option. I'll see if I can do it some other way. Might fly in HELI mode and do that idea of yours. This flight controller is too simple to allow CSC, bummer. Quadasaurus (NAZA) uses that method

Vikki.

[ghost2212]

Bit of a stupid FC frankly to allow the motors to stop, The multiwii controller I'm using you have to move the rudder right at bottom stick to arm the motors and then they don't stop until you do left rudder at bottom stick. You can adjust the minimum throttle value.

[Mark_T]

Unfortunately these things are flown in ACRO mode on the transmitter. Idle up curve isn't an option.

Multi-rotor pilots using Acro mode seems to be down to most of them being non-heli flyers so they get frightened by all the options, no excuse for you though

[Vikki]

True. I'm dismantling Speedy at the mo' but I'm going to set him up in heli mode later. I've seen somewhere what you need to do. No mixing and 1 servo, 90 degree if memory serves.

Bloody well is stupid letting the motors stop in the air. My naza only stops the motors when it detects throttle at zero and landed (uses barometer).

Once new Speedy is in the air I'll change flight mode so there's minimum throttle value. Hmmm, throttle hold will work as well then so if I plaster the earth with him again I can hit TH instead of worrying about changing flight mode. Cool, thanks for the idea, Mark.

Vikki.

[Vikki]

Set up in heli mode now with 15% minimum throttle in fmode 1. Normal throttle in fmode 0. That should sort it out. It's too easy to get to zero throttle with these critters.

Vikki.