VTOL Build log PT.1

Lets start off with WHY.

First, why multiple parts?

I personally just give up on an article if it exceeds my limit of interest. No matter how interesting it is, i end up skipping some parts. I want to give the readers bite sized pieces so they dont have to work hard while still enjoying the meal.

Secondly, why am i working on such a project?

Well, I had some time thinking, "if the world is going to change, or if something is going to get innovated, someone has to do it.". I might not be an adult but that doesnt mean that i cant start working now for what i'm going to do in the future. The future i envision is one filled with multicopters, and fixed wing crafts, all controlled autonomously, and all helping out humans. Well, what can i do to achieve this future? I can start off first. You all might know this famous quote, "Every journey starts with one small step". I wanted to build something to help with disaster relief. Say theres a fire somewhere. Firemen get ready while someone flies the plane over, and flips on the hover mode to see whats going on around the building, and the firemen dont waste time getting used to the surroundings. Maybe you can fly first aid kits over. Who knows, VTOLs are aircrafts with lots of uses since they incorporate two disciplines into one. 

So I've had a project for a VTOL for a long time, even before i saw peters VTOL msuic video about a year ago. I recently got down to it, and heres my progress!

I started off with a normal design, quadcopter and a tandem wing. 

All was going well until the tests, where the wings oscilated way too much because of weak fuselage design. At the same time i had been experimenting with flying wings, and i was VERY impressed by their glide slope, so i said, "why the hell not. Lets build a VTOL wing."

So, after a while, i had a tricopter base to work on.

I ran into a couple problems with this.

I used carbon fiber rods for the booms. Carbon fiber was so annoying to work with, i could never hot glue it to anything. No matter what i did, it just wouldnt stick nicely. Not to foamboard, not to plastic from the metal gear servo, not to ANYTHING. So my dad got me an aluminum (dowel? rod?) and i used that for the front two booms and that was just fantastic. After that i started working on the PID values. With the Carbon Fiber, it was around 20 P and 5 I just so it wouldnt oscillate. I figured that was because of the vibrations caused by the CF rod. After replacing aileron PID was fine, but pitch still oscilated like crazy every now and then. I'm currently waiting on another aluminum rod (longer than the CF one), so my foamboard can stop bending. 

Final projected view of the VTOL.

I am using 3 suppo 1450 KV motors with 10/4.7in props. Battery is a 2200 mAh turnigy 20c, and the flight controller is a KK 2.1.5 with a flashed firmware called "OpenAeroVTOL" by the one and only HappySundays. 

Also special shoutout to Ran. D. St clair from the RCgroups VTOLs forums. Not sure if he comes around here but i wouldnt have gotten anywhere without him. 

ARTICLE INDEX:

VTOL build log PT2, Hover tests and lessons learned with PID values.

VTOL build log PT3, perfecting the transition

VTOL build log PT4, data, and efficiency tests.