Bind TWO aircraft to same transmitter!

[mybad]

Most of us know that it is possible to bind multiple receivers to the same transmitter simultaneously. This is almost a necessity with a single memory transmitter such as a Dx5e. Of course, you would only try to fly one of these at a time ... or WOULD you?

Challenge: Bind two planes, quads, whatever simultaneously to the same transmitter (model memory). First, get one high in the air ... cut the throttle ... connect the battery to the second aircraft ... then open the throttle and take off! Of course, whatever you do to one aircraft happens to the second! But ... I think you could fly and land both in one piece if you were judicious about your aircraft selection. Perhaps aircraft #1 would be a slow, underpowered three channel trainer while aircraft #2 would be a quicker and nimbler one. Thus, you might manage to manuever aircraft #2 into the air and back again before aircraft #1 crashes. You'll also need to cut the throttle long enough to remove the battery from aircraft #2 before aircraft #1 crashes.

You'll need A LOT of room, or a lake, to carry this out.

I CHALLENGE YOU!

 

[CavRecon]

I had no idea it was possible to bind more than one receiver to a non-computerized transmitter...

 

[N4RF]

I had no idea it was possible to bind more than one receiver to a non-computerized transmitter...

You can bind an unlimited number of receivers/planes to a transmitter, even a DX5. I have four on mine now as I transition to the 6.

As for the challenge, I'm trying to visualize two airplanes in the air at the same time on one trx.

How would it work once the first landed as in the second example?

Also, I wouldn't want to be the friend arming the second while the first was in the air unless there was an on/off switch like the Apprentice.

 

[CrashRecovery]

this is such a bad idea. There is no way you can watch both planes fly at the same time. Look at it this way, if you have an issue with one and try to correct it the second one will mirror it and could cause more of an issue then the first. Just my 2 cents

 

[Jugsy]

Entertaining yes, achievable probably not

 

[CMS_1961]

Bad idea unless you are looking for a crash.................all you have to do is ask some of us that used to fly on the old 72MHz band, when someone turns on another radio on your channel your plane cant receive two transmissions at once and it usually ends in a crash!! And as CrashRecovery already stated, it is impossible to watch two planes because they will both be doing something different. Maybe a better challenge would be for someone to fly two planes with two radios at the same time......seen this done once...not real safe but the spotter jumped in and took over second plane and saved the day. Of course when you are "out in the middle of nowhere" flying you can try stunts like that, but not recommended at the local flying field!!

 

[jaskoller]

Honestly, I have seen multiple quads flown simultaneously with one transmitter, just a few feet a part. Wind will knock them into each other but it was cool to watch.

 

[PsyBorg]

It could be done if they were taken off at the same time with some space between them. You wouldn't do it for long as getting them both to move the same amounts with the same inputs would take a lot of tweaking. I doubt a set of planes let alone quads would survive long enough to get synced perfectly. You can bind an unlimited amount of receivers to one transmitter easily enough.

Maybe at the end of Flight Fest the surviving barons and such could all do a test. Line up as many as possible on the flight line with the same receivers and bind them to one tx. Then take them all off at the same time and see how many are flyable and what one is the last one flying. Maybe do a pool for like a dollar for the last one in the air and split the winnings like 70 /30 going to a charity and the winner. I'm sure a raffle like that could help FT team outfit a decent start for a school stem program quite easily with all the people that would be at FTFF.

 

[mybad]

You Are All Correct ... And That Is Why This Is A CHALLENGE!

Nowhere did I say this would be easy!

Perhaps an expert 3D pilot might be able to figure something out. For sure, you will want a big enough field that should things get out of hand, you could safely crash both planes. I don't think FF would be a good choice, but who knows?

If the first plane was slow, underpowered, docile, and self-correcting with dihedral or whatever, perhaps it wouldn't respond too much to what you did to the second plane. That could give you the time to get a short flight out of the other plane. The second plane wouldn't have to stay up very long; take off and then land it while the first plane gets a little crazy.

I'm still convinced that this can be done, somehow! I just don't have the wherewithall to attempt it myself.

Let's not say that it CAN'T be done; let's say how it MIGHT be done! If you HAD to do this, HOW would you do it?

Think of it as the FT Xprize! (without any financial reward)
http://lunar.xprize.org/

This seems like a perfect challenge for the FLITE TEST GUYS! Who wouldn't love to watch THAT video?

 

[mybad]

You can bind an unlimited number of receivers/planes to a transmitter, even a DX5. I have four on mine now as I transition to the 6.

As for the challenge, I'm trying to visualize two airplanes in the air at the same time on one trx.

How would it work once the first landed as in the second example?

Also, I wouldn't want to be the friend arming the second while the first was in the air unless there was an on/off switch like the Apprentice.

At both times, you would have to cut the throttle completely. One plane would be in free flight while the other was having the battery connected or disconnected (or arming switch activated/deactivated). That is why I think the first plane would have to be a trainer or a sailplane.

 

[PsyBorg]

I'm still convinced that this can be done, somehow! I just don't have the wherewithall to attempt it myself.

Let's not say that it CAN'T be done; let's say how it MIGHT be done! If you HAD to do this, HOW would you do it?

Think of it as the FT Xprize! (without any financial reward)
http://lunar.xprize.org/

This seems like a perfect challenge for the FLITE TEST GUYS! Who wouldn't love to watch THAT video?

I know it can be done and have a good idea how to do it but there is too many things holding me back... First is common sense about safety (I'm old and my "Here hold my beer while I try this" days are long over) Second I would not trust to chance the flight so it would all be computer controlled and pre programmed pattern like the guy did with the drones on the TED talks circuit. Third I am too poor to be able to afford two or more airframes in flying condition at once and last but not least I am subject to "Bills Law" which specifically states that it covers anything Murphy may have missed, forgot, omitted, or ignored can and WILL happen to me or something I am involved in.

 

[JuulRNLAF]

Most of us know that it is possible to bind multiple receivers to the same transmitter simultaneously. This is almost a necessity with a single memory transmitter such as a Dx5e. Of course, you would only try to fly one of these at a time ... or WOULD you?

Challenge: Bind two planes, quads, whatever simultaneously to the same transmitter (model memory). First, get one high in the air ... cut the throttle ... connect the battery to the second aircraft ... then open the throttle and take off! Of course, whatever you do to one aircraft happens to the second! But ... I think you could fly and land both in one piece if you were judicious about your aircraft selection. Perhaps aircraft #1 would be a slow, underpowered three channel trainer while aircraft #2 would be a quicker and nimbler one. Thus, you might manage to manuever aircraft #2 into the air and back again before aircraft #1 crashes. You'll also need to cut the throttle long enough to remove the battery from aircraft #2 before aircraft #1 crashes.

You'll need A LOT of room, or a lake, to carry this out.

I CHALLENGE YOU!

WITH AN OH CRAP BUTTON PLS!!

 

[Userofmuchtape&glue]

Hmm, often thought of this. Could you have your 2 planes say 15ft apart on the Tarmac than take of simultaneously? You could have a switch on your tx, middle is controlling both planes, down 1st plane up 2 plane. Have a auto stab or something of corse to keep the other plane level.

 

[mybad]

That's The Spirit!

Hmm, often thought of this. Could you have your 2 planes say 15ft apart on the Tarmac than take of simultaneously? You could have a switch on your tx, middle is controlling both planes, down 1st plane up 2 plane. Have a auto stab or something of corse to keep the other plane level.

Hmmm. Selective control?

I just KNEW that someone would come up an idea on how to attack this problem!

With your idea, you wouldn't have to take off simultaneously, unless you wanted to.

 

[Ran D. St. Clair]

Does this count? The two planes are joined with about 18' of fishing line, wing tip to wing tip. Two separate receivers and only one transmitter though. Both planes have a KK-mini flight controller running OpenAero-VTOL. There is only one servo per plane on elevator which is used for both pitch and composite roll. Differential throttle controls composite yaw. It's not flying all that well yet, but it is flying...

 

[fixnfly]

Flying with a single airplane is a closed loop control system. This means you can tell the aircraft what to do based on visual feedback which yields a controllable system. With two aircraft you have an open loop system because you cannot control the separation between the two aircraft. With any open loop system you will accumulate error. Often this error accumulates and there is no way to fix it regardless of pilot skill. With drones, their flight stabilization systems are able to stabilize for roll/pitch/yaw which keeps accumulated error to near zero so they only accumulate error in the x/y/z axes. A modified version of GPS position hold that got rid of drift would make it possible to control.

Here is one way this challenge could be made feasible and safe, while still being interesting. You still need two pilots, but have the first pilot fly both aircraft, and the second pilot control the difference in control inputs the second aircraft gets. Basically take the output from the second controller and add it to the inputs of the first pilot.

This could also be done with more then two aircraft in which case you can have N aircraft and only N-1 pilots. Try this on a windy day for the best entertainment. The result is one pilot flies the swarm, and the rest of the planes receivers get an input of master_pilot+differential_pilot

Number of aircraft = (1+N_s)
Number of slave aircraft = N_s
Number if Pilots = N_s

 

[FoamyDM]

This Challenge spells a beautiful cross between Pure Entertainment and the nearly certain spectacular impending crash, or total amazement at who pulls it off.

I imagine it would look a lot like plane synchronized swimming.

Fixnfly I was just thinking on a similar Idea with my [URL="http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?29967-Robotech-VF-9-that-flies-maybe-Hovers]Robotech-VF-9[/url]. I'm trying think up ways to add a few more channels to my full scheme, to add awesome but unneeded things like LEDs or to control hybrid arms/hands, or missiles. I'd use a toggle to switch control modes.

Mode A(plane) - Receiver 1, Mode B(hybrid)-Receiver 2.Use a toggle to switch modes/Rx.

FoamyDM

 

[Ran D. St. Clair]

Better video of the Twofer

https://youtu.be/WDIEJIrgROc

https://youtu.be/2SMqG4pNMFE

https://youtu.be/qBEDg4iZzeI

 

[Hai-Lee]

With aircraft performances differences, (even for identical aircraft), the variability of the air in the proximity of each aircraft and the current transmitter/receiver capabilities it would be such a bad idea that I hope you have an understanding insurance company or attempt this somewhere extremely remote.

If both aircraft were fitted with autonomous control systems with the ground input a matter of maneuver request additional to the flight plan then it might be possible.

The separation of/or switching between aircraft on your controller might require some control mods if using current technology transmitters or a PLC or similar in each aircraft to detect which aircraft is under ground control and which is to return to its flight plan based upon switch selection in the transmitter on a non-flight control channel.

Such a controller on board the aircraft could also allow the fitment of 2 or more receivers with a priority or select system based upon a channel input from Rx number 1, (Master). This could do away with the need for "Buddy Box cables" and the eternal dilemma of mode 1 trained student or inexperienced pilot and only mode 2 trained experienced pilots/ instructors.

It could even allow a FlySky user to share his aircraft with a DX6 user at the same time.

What about it you programmers? Are you up to this challenge?

Another possible benefit of such a PLC type device is that it would be possible for pilots to swap aircraft whilst in flight if the two Rxs in each aircraft were fitted in different channels of the PLC so that each controller is selected as master in one of the aircraft. A real way to see who is the better pilot and which aircraft has the performance edge!

 

[N4RF]

Not exactly the same thing but I just saw hoe Disney will start doing a illuminated drone show at night with a handful of drones being controlled by a single computer in a single "performance".