So I've decided to take what I learned from the AXN and build a better platform this year. First off, NOT an AXN. Skipping the easy star completely, no offense, but seems I don't like small heavy planes. Momentarily considered a Uruses UAV thingie and settled on the Skywalker.
Ordered the SW from FPVHobby it took about a 3 days to dispatch and a week to arrive.
From Hobby King:
Turnigy Aerodrive TR35-36-B (35A, ~400W on 3S 9x6)
Turnigy Superbrain 60A ESC (over kill but future proof)
8 Hextronik MG-14 Servos (14g/2.2kg/0.11sec) Only because I have 6 or 7 of them already and haven't had the slightest trouble with them on helis.
1/3-inch SONY CCD Video Camera (PAL) - Just to try it out. If it works, great. If it doesn't I'll pay up for a securitycamera2000 600TVL cam.
Hobby King 401B AVCS Digital Head Lock Gyro (Ailerons, also does rate mode, gain set from the Tx channel 5)
2 Turnigy 5000mAh 3S 25C Lipo Pack
2 9x6E APC Props
From Ebay:
Futaba 9C + 3 35Mhz Rxs.
Also from ebay over the first week, a huge list of little things, connectors, glue, carbon strips, rods, etc. etc. I'll compile a list at some point.
Already have a Corona 8 channel dual conversion Rx.
Unboxing:
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/thumbs/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Unboxing/p1010597.jpg?m=1299013148)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/thumbs/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Unboxing/p1010601.jpg?m=1299013092)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/thumbs/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Unboxing/p1010612.jpg?m=1299190576)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/thumbs/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Unboxing/p1010614.jpg?m=1299190588)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/thumbs/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Unboxing/p1010616.jpg?m=1299190599)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Unboxing/p1010618.jpg?m=1299190611)
Album: http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/index.php/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Unboxing?page=1 (http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/index.php/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Unboxing?page=1)
Wiring harness:
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/power_wiring-101629975.png?m=1299183473)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010619.jpg?m=1299272616)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010622.jpg?m=1299272641)
Wing Strengthening:
1x8mm Carbon strip from root to tip, cut deep through the dihedral point, UHU Por'd in.
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010626.jpg?m=1299272668)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010630.jpg?m=1299272661)
Hinging:
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010637.jpg?m=1299282877)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/thumbs/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010635.jpg?m=1299282877) (http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/thumbs/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010636.jpg?m=1299282866) (http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/thumbs/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010631.jpg?m=1299282856) (http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/thumbs/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010632.jpg?m=1299282856)
Wing completion. Note not LEDs yet.
Glass fibre tape covering all the new strip spars, main spar covers and servo wire.
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010638.jpg?m=1299359082)
Servos hot glued in, using the original/stock rods, horns and servo horn attachment. One of the servos is a little stiff due to the horn hole not being reemed out enough to allow the horn attachment from rotating, but it'll loosen up.
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010639.jpg?m=1299361919)
I can see quite a few evenings of tinkering to come :)
Paul
Nice one Paul, you are obviously Venquessa on RCG or you are using the same photos!!
I have a Skywalker still in the box sitting on the floor next to me and most of the parts to kick-off the build. Please post lots of pics as you build this as I will be a few steps behind you. Carbon strips in the wing will be the first step, perhaps next weekend if the weather is still bad.
Good luck with the build.
Nice choice Paul, the popularity of the Skywalkers is sky rocketting and for good reason. Great choice for FPV. Ill watch with great interest, Bignose loves his :)
Quote from: electricmick on March 05, 2011, 11:11:02 PM
Nice one Paul, you are obviously Venquessa on RCG or you are using the same photos!!
I was venquessa on here for a while, up until yesterday. Fancied a change.
I'll try and get loads of pics. If you follow the link above to the album itself you can look at all the photos at full scale. Sorry if the server's a little slow at times, it's my home server, can't be bothered pay for hosting and having to upload stuff :D
Nice one paul its all coming together excuse the pun lol.
Hi,
Could you let me know where you got the 1mm x8mm cf strip from, I seem to have looked everywhere but the nearest I have found is 0.5mm x 8mm.
.
Best plane out there at the moment, I loves mine
TBH, I didn't put any carbon strips in mine and not had any issues with it, I did over 100kmh dive Friday and no issues
But hey, I'm not saying dont do it, I just didn't do it to mine
Quote from: pk-surfing on March 06, 2011, 09:48:45 AM
Could you let me know where you got the 1mm x8mm cf strip from, I seem to have looked everywhere but the nearest I have found is 0.5mm x 8mm.
My mistake, mine is 1x3mm.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-Carbon-fibre-strips-1x3x1000mm_W0QQitemZ160543336075QQcategoryZ34056QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D7543750915737128637 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-Carbon-fibre-strips-1x3x1000mm_W0QQitemZ160543336075QQcategoryZ34056QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D7543750915737128637)
ooo your skywalker is more colourful then mine, mine dosent have any yellow
Any more progress Paul ?
Not much to be honest Ian. Started a new contract for work a large american company (still based in Belfast though) so a little shattered on the evenings and some early starts to boot.
I hinged the rudder and drilled 2 props last night :) BTW, the prop reemer faced with a nylon APC prop would take about 4 hours to reem out to 6mm. I didn't have a 6mm drill bit, so I just used the dremel reeming bit, then fixed the "roundness" of the hole with the prop reemer.
I hope to get the tail finished and the fuse sown up at the weekend. Which would have me on target for a test flight the following weekend. Target date for the full version 1 (FPV gear + Flaps + LEDs) is end of march.
Paul
Some skywalker progress.
More wiring loom, <yawn>
Main Battery->ESC lead with "equipment" power splitter (Futaba Plug).
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010655.jpg?m=1299967801)
Wiring loom end-to-end system test. From camera to goggles. 'Cuse the mess!
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010656.jpg?m=1299967816)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010659.jpg?m=1299967828)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010657.jpg?m=1299967841)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010658.jpg?m=1299967801)
Fuse Layout + Tailboom 'spar' glued in.
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010662.jpg?m=1299967829)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010663.jpg?m=1299967841)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/p1010664.jpg?m=1299967853)
Also complete, but not photoed yet is the motor mount, Motor<->X Mount<- 3mm bolts/nylocks -> Wood mount. Hope to epoxy it on with the motor attached. I'll worry about removing the motor if and when i need to :)
Also, Put the control horn and rod in for the rudder.
Still to do:
* Embed pan servo.
* Cut hatch.
* Cut tail servo slots in other side of tail
* Glue fuse halves together
* Mount motor
* Attach tail piece and elevator servo
* Wing mounting
* Canopy and GoPro mounting.
* 12V Camera mount
* Vtx Mount
* Battery velcro
So... not flying tomorrow!
Never mind, progress has been made at least :) Best thing comes to those who wait
I fly the skywalker, great plane, noted that earlier you say you hot glued the servos in the wing. I did this originally and one pulled out on a tight bit of banking (see video "crash"). Hot glue doesnt stick too well to shiney plastic things. I superglued and hot glued them in this time, and i used a file to roughen up the surfaces I was glueing.
When I hot glue servo's into foam I wrap then about 3 times with a strip of masking tape then hot glue them in, this sticks ok and also stops any chance of hot glue squeezing past the case joint and into the servo !
.
So I finally got everything I needed and got round to gluing the fuse together.
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/P1010780.JPG?m=1301249902)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/P1010782.JPG?m=1301249902)
... expoxied on the motor and hey presto it looks like a plane at last!
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/P1010786.JPG?m=1301249925)
(http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/Build/P1010785.JPG?m=1301249925)
A few odds and ends remain, things like velcro for the battery, tiny stuff.
I'm not sure about the camera though, seems to be putting out levels too high for the Vtx as bright areas are all distorted. Dropping the shutter speed to the lowest or second lowest setting helps a lot, need to see what it looks like outdoors, might be fine.
The LOS maiden should be some evening this week now the late evenings are available :)
Paul
Looks awesome Paul, really like the build. How come you positioned the camera so high ?
Go Pro will be on the nose, so FPV cam needs to be above it and the Skywalker had a slot cut already for a pan servo there :)
Ah right, nice ! I did wonder at first :)
Wooo hooo!
It flies and it flies great. Feels much more "in it's element" at 1900g than the AXN did at 1000g.
It's surprisingly neutral, when I threw it on launch it just tracked straight forward on the angle I launch it at. Pretty much flies like that, point the nose, give it enough power and it locks in on that attitude nicely.
It only gets a little messy in high bank angles where it tends to sit very "nose proud" in the turn, but of course that's what the rudder is for :) It also still likes a little (I have 15%) rudder with ailerons. Makes the banking action 'feel' smoother.
Landing is a joy, it's just so stable and stalls initially flat, no wing drop or nose down, just drops onto the grass like it's got bored of flying.
I haven't explored her envelope (ooeer!) yet, but with people popping wing spars and folding them, I thought I'd get some enjoyment out of it before I tried stalls/spins/rolls/loops.
Nearly forgot the video:
YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1mVuQKG3FE#)
Paul
Okay, so hopefully this version of the video will work better :)
Skywalker FPV Maiden (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTX6Gh_AGmk#ws)
Ah thats better i can see that one :)
Yes it does fly lovely, i deffo want one.
"My 2011 FPV Platform - Skywalker"
Does this mean you go through an FPV plane every year?!
Now its time to get us some fancy Go Pro vids :)
Quote from: Pasty on April 13, 2011, 08:40:11 AM
"My 2011 FPV Platform - Skywalker"
Does this mean you go through an FPV plane every year?!
Now its time to get us some fancy Go Pro vids :)
As soon as the weather is good I'm going to take it back down the mountains, this time it will be summer and they won't just look like stained brown student's flat carpet, like they do in Autumn. Stay tuned.
The scenery I'm looking forward to is the Causeway coast along the north coast of Ireland, but.... need to proof the plane FPV first and the north coast needs a gentle north wind, as I don't like the idea of flying anything on the down draft side of cliffs! Even if it has a motor!
And... 2011 FPV platform cause I wrote off the 2010 one :D Not saying I'm going to write this one off though, depends on how it holds up and how my flyin is :)