Coyote`s Skywalker

[electrotor]

Commiserations Coyote, I lost my faithful old Twinstar at sea a couple of months ago. Downdraught at cliff face caught the model and I lost control. It hit the sea and broke in two, then started drifting out of the bay. With unknown current strength and direction and shear coldness of water it would have been suicidal to go in after it. Luckily the FPV gear was not fitted that day. I am building a new one with more powerful motors and an HD camera. The perils of over-water flights I guess.

[n00b@FPV]

Oh Coyote.... at least i know it's not just me that can loose skywalkers! :)

[Coyote]

Well here`s what happened :

* url removed *

Skip to 6:52 for air crash investigation analysis :)

Points to bear in mind

1) Plane flips and starts to go out of control before rx failsafe is registered

2) Rx failsafe was set to 0 throttle, DOSD`s failsafe to 60% throttle. Throttle stays at 0 amps so its Rx`s failsafe not Dosd`s

3) Dosd does not seem to try to try to steer home

4) CL seems to regain contact seconds before crash, but no elevator control would pull it up

5) RSSI shows 100% signal, even though in failsafe

RSSI being normal suggests no BEC failure, that would have gone to zero, but no DOSD controlling suggests a control surface failure maybe, maybe it was trying but say the rudder servo had smoked, then nothing it could do to stabilize plane ?


Any suggestions would be interesting to see

[g.collins]

weird I don't suppose the autopilot system worked loos in the plane. so in the early stages the plane thought it was level when it was at a bank, it looked like you were having to correct the bank, then as it flips over the autopilot unit cold have been moving around in the fuselage. I no withe the system I have the FY-21AP, thay say it is crucial that it is facing forward and level, of course I could be talking from my aris.
regards

[Coyote]

The Dosd is a gps based stabilization unit. As long as it had gps it would still be fine. Noo acceleromters or gyros inside

[Coyote]

Ok so the Skywalker is reborn !

This is from the contributions of the amazing members we have on here.

Thanks to the following people for contibuting to replace the Skywalker and keep me in the game :)

PK-Surfing
DPS-Dave
Swissnic
G.Collins
Paulca
Sheep600fx
RCMonster
Mark1975
Chris in Kabul
Sue Rogers
Rick
Munkyboy
Steve W
IWCorborg
Pasty
Bignose13
Shikra
Marcin
Est1976

So after the amazing contributions, Skywalker mk 2 has arrived, work began yesterday with a few changes

An incredible response from everyone, but extra big thankyou`s to PK-Surfing, Nic and DPS-Dave for really pushing the boat out to help me get back into it

[Pasty]

Cracking guys us!  :)

Its only because if you gave up FPV we'd have no one to help us stock the magic smoke coming out. :D

Or could it be because we love you  :-*

[Coyote]

Ill update with what, but very little thats changed on the inside. But that will have to wait till i have access again because of the mod below

The one acillies heel with the Skywalker is its tail strength, there is none lol. So i added the carbon rod i did last time, but this time instead of putting it off ive started the whole body strengthening.

I took a pair of white tights, cut the legs off and then put them over the vertical stab, pulled tight and down the tail.



I then did the same with the front :





Pinned the tights down to match the original contours of the plane:



Then covered with several coats of water based varnish. Once dry, it will give the Skywalker a hard outer skin to protect the bottom with landings, tail twisting. Ill trim it back tonight to neaten it up

[mark1975]

Very nice looking forward to seeing this one ian i do enjoy watching them come alive..

[DPS-Dave]

where your pins are is where i'm going to add the extra carbon rods one each side and one on the bottom but lookin good so far Mr ian  :D

[Coyote]

Cracking guys us!  :)

Its only because if you gave up FPV we'd have no one to help us stock the magic smoke coming out. :D

Or could it be because we love you  :-*

Lol, i missed this comment, i love you guys too  :-*

[FPVSteve]

Great to see you getting sorted again after what happened.

I believe these may fit over the wings?



:D

[DPS-Dave]

Nice find steve  :D That bloody north sea lol

[Coyote]

Lol Steve

Well after last times mishap, it was prude to change a few things, first was the servos i didnt have much confidence in anyway, so now it has Towerpro metal geared servos, then i fitted threaded bar, meatal clevis`s and glued the bars in.







I also changed the what seemed weak original control horns for tried and tested horns ive used in the past without issue. This should rule that problem out well and truely

So apart from the camera pod and some trimming of the strengthening after its fully cured tomorrow she`s all set. I tried the rc link, motor, control movements and all went without any hitches so far

Even after the strengthening, she still looks stock :

[Coyote]

Finally got round to fiting the camera, and th eHD keyfob Cam

Im going to put additional strapping on the keyfob, but only after the wide angle lens turns up as it might need moving etc