Yellow Plane 2 Lost Without a Trace

December 13, 2012|nickatredbox

Sadly Yellow Plane was lost on a test flight and as yet has not been found. It flew reasonably well, but still a bit heavy. She was in the air nearby but over water I think when I lost orirntation and then she was gone.

Lost a key fob cam 6ch RX and 2200mAh Lipo. As its probebly went in the drink its very likley sunk in the mud by now. Pitty as the video would have shown snow on the hills nearby as it was a frosty Autum morning.

Wing Loading 15 oz/ft²

Motor Power 410 W

Power/Mass 267 Watts/Kg

Fuselage Mass 1040 mm

Wing Span 1200 mm

Wing Chord 280 mm

Take off Mass 1536 Grams

All Calcs Here

Turnigy L3010C-1300kv (420w)
H-KING 50A Fixed Wing ESC
10 X 6 Windsor Propeller S2 Series Master Air Screw Sabre Shaped blades
Turnigy 3C 2200mAh discharge 20C

Thrust test results
1632 Grams, 415 Watts, 37.6 Amps Grams/Watts 3.93
1490 Grams, 356 Watts, 31.5 Amps Grams/Watts 4.18
1231 Grams, 264 Watts, 23.1 Amps Grams/Watts 4.66
1071 Grams, 214 Watts, 18.2 Amps Grams/Watts 5.00
750 Grams, 139 Watts, 11.6 Amps Grams/Watts 5.39

Stability system test

Arduino code for receiver

void UpdateServos()
{

//Digital inputs TX code helper
//TxVal[8] |= (digitalRead(5) << 0);//joy 2 push
//TxVal[8] |= (digitalRead(6) << 1);//pb
//TxVal[8] |= (digitalRead(7) << 2);//slide
//TxVal[8] |= (digitalRead(8) << 3);//toggle

//Throttle TxVal[1]
//Rotary pot TxVal[2]
//Joy 1 X TxVal[3]
//Joy 1 Y TxVal[4]
//Joy 2 X TxVal[5]
//Joy 2 Y TxVal[6]
//rssi TxVal[7]
//digital TxVal[8]
//micros() TxVal[9]

//Use the pot as the gain for all channels for now
float GainPot = (float)(TxVal[2]) * 0.001f;

//Get the target values from the TX
int PitchTarg = (TxVal[3] / 10);
int RollTarg = (TxVal[4] / 10);
int YawTarg = (TxVal[6] / 10);


//Prime the Target WOZ values
if(PitchTargWOZ == 9999)
PitchTargWOZ = PitchTarg;

if(RollTargWOZ == 9999)
RollTargWOZ = RollTarg;

if(YawTargWOZ == 9999)
YawTargWOZ = YawTarg;


//Get the Centered target values
float PitchTargCentred = (float)(PitchTarg - PitchTargWOZ);
float RollTargCentred = (float)(RollTarg - RollTargWOZ);
float YawTargCentred = (float)(YawTarg - YawTargWOZ);

//Calculate gains
float PitchGain = GainPot * 1.0f;
float RollGain = GainPot * 1.0f;
float YawGain = GainPot * 1.0f;

//Get Gyro values
float PitchGyro = (float)(AnIn[2] - AnInWOZ[2]);
float RollGyro = (float)(AnIn[1] - AnInWOZ[1]);
float YawGyro = (float)(AnIn[0] - AnInWOZ[0]);

//Calc P error
float PitchError = (float)PitchTargCentred + PitchGyro;
float RollError = (float)RollTargCentred + RollGyro;
float YawError = (float)YawTargCentred + YawGyro;

//Apply gains
int PitchTrim = (int)(PitchError * PitchGain);
int RollTrim = (int)(RollError * RollGain);
int YawTrim = (int)(YawError * YawGain);

//Constaring trim authority
PitchTrim = constrain(PitchTrim, -30, 30);
RollTrim = constrain(RollTrim, -30, 30);
YawTrim = constrain(YawTrim, -30, 30);

//Dump the trim value
if((TxVal[9] & 0x4) == 0)
{
PitchTrim = 0;
RollTrim = 0;
YawTrim = 0;
}

//Calc flap anglke
int Flaps = 0;

//Apply flaps
if((TxVal[9] & 0x8) == 0)
Flaps = -25;

//Throttle
val = TxVal[1] / 10;
val = map(val, 1, 179, 30, 179);
val = constrain(val, 1, 165); // scale it to use it with the servo (value between 0 and 180)
servo[0].write(val); // sets the servo position according to the scaled value

//Vee tail

//Left Elevator Joy 1 Y TxVal[4]
val = (YawTarg + YawTrim) + (PitchTargCentred + PitchTrim);
val = constrain(val, 15, 165);
val = map(val, 0, 179, 135, 45); // scale it to use it with the servo (value between 0 and 180)
servo[1].write(val); // sets the servo position according to the scaled value


//Right Elevator Joy 1 Y TxVal[4]
val = (YawTarg + YawTrim) - (PitchTargCentred + PitchTrim);
val = constrain(val, 15, 165);
val = map(val, 0, 179, 135, 45); // scale it to use it with the servo (value between 0 and 180)
servo[2].write(val); // sets the servo position according to the scaled value


//Left Flaperon
val = 90 + (RollTargCentred + Flaps) + RollTrim;
val = constrain(val, 15, 165);
val = map(val, 0, 179, 165, 15); // scale it to use it with the servo (value between 0 and 180)
servo[3].write(val); // sets the servo position according to the scaled value

//Right Flaperon
val = 90 + (RollTargCentred - Flaps) + RollTrim;
val = constrain(val, 15, 165);
val = map(val, 0, 179, 165, 15); // scale it to use it with the servo (value between 0 and 180)
servo[4].write(val); // sets the servo position according to the scaled value


//Joy 2 x nose Wheel
val = (TxVal[6] / 10);
val = map(val, 0, 179, 55, 125);
servo[5].write(val); // sets the servo position according to the scaled value

}