FPV Wing Racing

by squishy | April 20, 2015 | (10) Posted in Just Fun

 

FPV multirotor racing has been getting quite popular and I have attended a few races myself. But what aboutthe fixed wing FPV guys? Fixed wing FPV flight is obviously much older than multirotor and yet it is missing the racing component. The boys in north east USA have created a small spec class and have published at least one video of legit fixed wing racing and I've also seen a race session with IBCrazy on YouTube. It only took one trip to the multirotor races for my fellow members of the Flight Club to get the itch to try it.  I attempted to fly the multirotor race course in Oakland CA but it was way too small for a fixed wing. We began thinking about what it would take to get some real FPV fixed wing racing going, how the starts would be managed and what the courses may look like.

We often fly in formation and already have a small team of expert FPV pilots, so why not give it a try? We found a great new venue to put it to the test, Gibson Ranch in Sacramento.

We have been brain storming the starting method and I believe a "yacht racing" start may be best and tactically exciting. Another option would be a Le Mans where everyone has to run to their ground stations and turn everything on before flight. Another option is a hand launch for each craft at once in a line, but that requires just as many spotters as pilots. If you have any ideas or theories for us to test out, please reply below with your feedback.

 

Obviously soccer goal posts are perfect for fixed wing FPV racing gates.

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COMMENTS

nic872 on April 20, 2015
i guess you could try timed races like start when they go through the first gate and reach the last one. i think it would work but would take a long time.
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squishy on April 20, 2015
Like a rally race, where the start doesn't matter and could be staggered. Yeah we though of this, but it requires some expensive transponder system we lack access too. Such tools start at $3,000. But there are members of the FPV community who actually own them for athletic sporting events, so the testing is ongoing.
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onelesseye on April 20, 2015
You could always use an arduino based laser type system. I saw a project where a guy made one for pinewood derby cars. The timer started/stopped when the laser was broken. Tie it with rfid for identification. It might work.
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nic872 on April 21, 2015
you could try a camera that has a little timer on screen, but i guess it would have to have some kind of slow motion to see when it passes the gate. it would be some what time consuming.
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murph on April 24, 2015
Good article. For a staggered start you just need some type of gps logger (such as a smart phone or hand held gps). This is how it is done for full size sailplane races. Then down load the gps traces/logs to the internet or central computer. Gliding has long had the OLC On Line Contest (or Old Liars Club) http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/segelflugszene/index.html .
I just checked the website to get the url and they also have a model gliding section.
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mervin0455 on October 31, 2016
Need info on the transponder equipment
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brentmc79 on April 20, 2015
I've never flown fixed wing, so I'm not sure if it's even feasible, but I'm picturing some sort of launch rig, similar to model rocket launch platforms, but obviously horizontal. A thin rod (or pair of rods) a few feet long that the wing could slide across. Place the wing on the rig, blast it full throttle, hopefully gain enough speed to generate some lift before reaching the end of the launch rod.
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squishy on April 20, 2015
This is a great idea and worth experimenting with. It would need to launch at least 4 planes possibly more. With enough thrust all that would be needed is rails to glide on. It would be cool to combine this with a gate dropping like in BMX race starts.
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Thorsclaw on April 20, 2015
I think a sailing style starts sound the best maybe even a similar course design with marks and everything.
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squishy on April 20, 2015
I figured it would provide for very interesting strategic positioning (circling) before the start and exciting racing when many planes try to occupy the same place. One problem this method poses is the coding of the timing system to fault out transponders that cross the line before the start and a countdown mechanism.
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Thorsclaw on April 20, 2015
or you could just have someone watching and call out people who are over early i really don't think a transponder is necessary as long as all the cues are auditory.
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WhiskeyJack on April 20, 2015
I see a "Red Bull Air Race" scenario. The aircraft use the same prop, motor, battery and all up weight. Other than that, the sky is the limit.
Now it becomes a contest, which pilot had the best line, took the sharpest turns, completed every maneuver, didn't cut a pylon and so on.
A dozen or so air pylons would work for the initial runs, fly through the timing gate, around the course, through the timing gate again and the winner is the pilot with the lowest time.
You must fly the course in a minimum time, go over and you are eliminated from that heat. You cut a pylon or hit a pylon you are eliminated from that heat. You do not perform the required maneuvers at the required gate you are eliminated from that heat.
Eventually the contest will be between two pilots, one will be victorious and one will be the guy who needs to get better at his game! WJ.
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squishy on April 20, 2015
I really like it, great ideas. Do you picture this with a stopwatch guy? One craft at a time on the course?
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MultiGP on April 20, 2015
Due to the payload capacity I would recommend a system that records and transmits position with GPS for race tracking.
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erichb on April 21, 2015
Simultaneous launch and a finish gate that has a bunch of mobius/gopro/whatever inexpensive action cams you can find all focused around it (say 4, at 90 degree angles (picture an gate | | with cameras at the top and bottom of each pole of the gate, so that if anyone questions which plane came in first, its easily verified. Only trick would be getting them recording all at once, at the start of the race, so that you can give absolute times, not relative ranking.
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HilldaFlyer on April 22, 2015
Funtastic! - Looks like a complete blast.
I'm just curious what frequencies everyone was using? Was cluttered bandwidth a problem?
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squishy on April 23, 2015
I actually use a spreadsheet to organize RF before even going out there, everyone has a tried and true channel and we leave room between them. One pilot uses 2.3ghz video and two others use 1.3ghz and are able to fly together. We can have 5 to 8 aircraft in the air at the same time depending on our environment and we often do. FPV at this level requires a small team or group and nothing more, we have ran into the old problems of the past with having to manage RF in this way. The air is simply getting to crowded. How about I just share our tool? here ya go: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1alnfZ1dlL8EgX03UvYcH0Xhmp9NjzSShHxEzT3xQYoM/edit#gid=0
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squishy on April 23, 2015
For all those interested in actually organizing FPV fix wing races here in the USA, join the "FPV Fixed Wing Racing" group on Facebook

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Madpco on April 29, 2015
For an easy fair and equal launch method, use a bungee launch with a common release system.... Cheap and easy..
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Damig on April 29, 2015
Super, make it like Calvin Ball / pick up hockey games at the rink / make it up as you go / shotgun start so the first turn is not a crash, and enough laps to thin out the crowd and catch up...
Fun guys, simply fun!! Streamers,,, its gotta have streamers... (wait, I have to practice WAY more)
damig
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transom on May 21, 2015
I have a pop wing and I have been able to stand it on its wiglets pointing up and launch it by just slamming the throttle to full. You might also try a stand with the plane angled at maybe 45* Then so many laps with spotters then a dive thru a last gate at the end. Or a timed event and the plane with the most laps at the end is the winner. If number of laps are even at the end of the time than the plane that is farthest on the last lap is the winner
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CaCondor on November 24, 2015
There Should be a pop wing class, for sure. Four pilots hand launch at the sound of a bell and run the course laps to a finish. Simple and fun.
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FPV Wing Racing