10' wingspan Gemini v2 UAV

mountaindewdude76

Junior Member
This isn't "Flite Test" related but I thought some of you might be interested in seeing my latest build.

I actually started this build about 2 years ago and just finished it. I got so engrossed in other projects that I simply put this build on the shelf and forgot about it. Then this Corona Virus came along and the Governor started the Stay At Home order. I decided to take this time at home to finish the Gemini v2 UAV.

Here is a list of the electronics used:

2 Eflight Power 15 motors
2 Castle Creations 50amp esc
1 Castle Creations 20amp BEC Pro
1 Matek F405wing flight controller (which also supplies OSD for the pan/tilt camera on the front for the pilot, me)
1 Omnibus F4 v2 Pro flight controller (which only supplies OSD for the pan/tilt camera on the belly for the co-pilot)
2 M8N Ublox GPS modules (one for each FC)
1 FrSky X8R receiver for the pilot
1 Spektrum AR600 rx for the co-pilot
7 Corona DS538HV servos (2 ailerons, 2 elevator, 2 rudder, 1 steerable nose gear)
2 smaller servos that operate the air brakes (i forget what brand they are)
2 HXT900 servos (wing mounted cargo droppers)
2 Runcam Eagle FPV cameras
2 Lumenier TX5G6R 5.8ghz vtx
6 3S 5000mah 45C lipo batteries
2 APC 13x8 two blade propellers

I think thats about it, lol. I just finished the build, to 100%, yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to fly it yet. Although I did list the batteries, above, I haven't ordered them yet. I need to wait until the Stay At Home order is lifted and local parks (and the local flying club) to open. Something that I've considered, to be sure that I have enough open area, I might just take the Gemini v2 UAV to the AMA Headquarters and use their WIDE open fields. I'm going to be so nervous flying this monster. I'm gonna want LOTS of open area until I get comfortable with it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics. Feel free to ask any questions.

Your friend in Indiana,

Derek
 

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Boberticus

Active member
Holy Cow, how many total channels is this beast? Is it able to fly without the copilot? im guessing he works the bombs and airbrakes and steering his own camera, is there anything else he controls?

Are you running those HV servos at a higher voltage? seems a shame to take that 20 amp bec and drop it down to low enough voltage for those 9g servos when those HV ones can take i think 12v, right? maybe power the smaller ones off of the matek board?

What flight control software are you planning on using? im pretty sure the matekf405 is ardupilot capable, with those GPS units and steerable cameras, I'm curious to whether or not your planning on autonomous personal scenic view style flights?

You have anyway to record DVR via the goggles? what resolution/TVL are those runcams at? Fpv view will be pretty sweet regardless. Have any plans on working in a head tracker?
 

mountaindewdude76

Junior Member
Holy Cow, how many total channels is this beast? Is it able to fly without the copilot? im guessing he works the bombs and airbrakes and steering his own camera, is there anything else he controls?

Are you running those HV servos at a higher voltage? seems a shame to take that 20 amp bec and drop it down to low enough voltage for those 9g servos when those HV ones can take i think 12v, right? maybe power the smaller ones off of the matek board?

What flight control software are you planning on using? im pretty sure the matekf405 is ardupilot capable, with those GPS units and steerable cameras, I'm curious to whether or not your planning on autonomous personal scenic view style flights?

You have anyway to record DVR via the goggles? what resolution/TVL are those runcams at? Fpv view will be pretty sweet regardless. Have any plans on working in a head tracker?

Thanks for the many questions! There are 11 channels, in total, that I will control. Then the co-pilot has two channels, only the pan and tilt of the belly camera. The cargo droppers and airbrakes are controlled by my transmitter.

Yes, the HV servos are running at 7.2v while the two smaller servos are getting 6.0v from the FC.

Both fpv cameras are 800tvl cameras and 16:9. Both are on pan and tilt mechanisms that have full 360 pan and 180+ degrees of tilt. It will be very easy to be looking forward and then rotate to look behind me and down. The belly camera can look straight down.

I am using Inav on the Matek F405wing fc. I'm curious about using ardupilot but I don't know anything about it. Still learning. Yes, the GPS modules are installed for the potential for autonomous flight. I won't be in any hurry to do autonomous flights until I can get quite a few successful flights and get it tuned and tweaked.

As for recording, I will have two Runcam 2 HD cameras onboard and the goggle DVR will be running, as well. I'd love to have an antenna tracker but I haven't started that yet.

I think that answered all your questions, lol.
 

mountaindewdude76

Junior Member
The F405 will run Ardupilot. You have to go through a few extra steps to flash it from iNav but it’s not difficult.

Here’s a great series on how to install the firm ware:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYsWjANuAm4riGiv4GPJfCuktGXZ22nmV
Yes, that's very true....the Matek F405wing will run Ardupilot and that is my goal. However, I've never run Ardupilot before. So, in an effort to learn how Ardupilot works and how to set it up, I've built an rc rover and installed another F405wing, flashed it with ArduRover, and I'm learning how to get it configured while the rover stays on the ground. The rover will have a LOT less chance of crashing and getting destroyed while it's on the ground lol.
 
That sounds like good fun. I‘ve got a couple ArduPlane builds on the go right now. Some for fun, and some for work. I’m really taken with the F405 for a fun build. Everything on one board is sure appealing. I’d like to try a Rover build one day for the same reason as you, a lot less chance of watching your money self destructing in a pile of dirt.
 

CrazyFastFlying

Elite member
This isn't "Flite Test" related but I thought some of you might be interested in seeing my latest build.

I actually started this build about 2 years ago and just finished it. I got so engrossed in other projects that I simply put this build on the shelf and forgot about it. Then this Corona Virus came along and the Governor started the Stay At Home order. I decided to take this time at home to finish the Gemini v2 UAV.

Here is a list of the electronics used:

2 Eflight Power 15 motors
2 Castle Creations 50amp esc
1 Castle Creations 20amp BEC Pro
1 Matek F405wing flight controller (which also supplies OSD for the pan/tilt camera on the front for the pilot, me)
1 Omnibus F4 v2 Pro flight controller (which only supplies OSD for the pan/tilt camera on the belly for the co-pilot)
2 M8N Ublox GPS modules (one for each FC)
1 FrSky X8R receiver for the pilot
1 Spektrum AR600 rx for the co-pilot
7 Corona DS538HV servos (2 ailerons, 2 elevator, 2 rudder, 1 steerable nose gear)
2 smaller servos that operate the air brakes (i forget what brand they are)
2 HXT900 servos (wing mounted cargo droppers)
2 Runcam Eagle FPV cameras
2 Lumenier TX5G6R 5.8ghz vtx
6 3S 5000mah 45C lipo batteries
2 APC 13x8 two blade propellers

I think thats about it, lol. I just finished the build, to 100%, yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to fly it yet. Although I did list the batteries, above, I haven't ordered them yet. I need to wait until the Stay At Home order is lifted and local parks (and the local flying club) to open. Something that I've considered, to be sure that I have enough open area, I might just take the Gemini v2 UAV to the AMA Headquarters and use their WIDE open fields. I'm going to be so nervous flying this monster. I'm gonna want LOTS of open area until I get comfortable with it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics. Feel free to ask any questions.

Your friend in Indiana,

Derek

Hey, that's a really cool airplane!
 

mountaindewdude76

Junior Member
That sounds like good fun. I‘ve got a couple ArduPlane builds on the go right now. Some for fun, and some for work. I’m really taken with the F405 for a fun build. Everything on one board is sure appealing. I’d like to try a Rover build one day for the same reason as you, a lot less chance of watching your money self destructing in a pile of dirt.
Youre right again! The F405wing is an amazing board! It just has everything needed. I have 4 of them total
 

Hondo76251

Legendary member
I've been running Pixhawk controllers so I don't have any experience with the F405 but I hear good things. Ardupilot seems complicated at first but once you get the hang of it its actually quite simple. I wouldn't worry about waiting too long to get into the air with it, as long as you can fly the plane already its just an added bonus. Any time something goes wonky you can just flip back to manual/stabilize. The main thing is to have your failsafe set so that it goes into RTH for signal loss. Its surprising how quickly you can out fly your radio signal when you have a flight controller and good FPV setup. I run UHF to avoid having to worry about that...