Flight controller recommendations

WM4MM

New member
The first statement is that the controller must be cheap. That said I want to put a flight controller in my powered sailplane. I want to have altitude hold and return to home. Also want a recovery stetting in case I screw up and want to save the plane like after a tip stall/spin. I am using a Fly Sky I6 with 10 channels set up. Maybe later FPV and telemetry . For flight battery. Suggestions? Please list controller and software.
Thanks in advance
 

Aireal Anarchist

Elite member
I have been using the zohd Kopilot with GPS & RTH, as have some others here & it works well, no soldering or computer programing its plug & play, but it has a drawback that just doesnt work for me, they messed up programing the altitude height while in return to home mode.
it RTH at 114ft..... where I live most trees are above that , so if I loose my video signal in RTH it will fly into a tree at some point

so I have just purchased the......AFPV SN Sparrow FC Flight Controller Stabilizing 6-Axis Gyro With M7 GPS Module for FPV RC Airplane Fixed-Wing
https://www.banggood.com/AFPV-SN-Sp...p-1356353.html?rmmds=myorder&cur_warehouse=CN

RTH is a necessity with FPV flyiing IMO and more importantly to long range FPV pilots ........the Sparrow is a clone of the zohd but with better features the RTH altitude is above 300FT "from launch altitude"
havent tried it or received it yet, but I do know the zohd Kopilot and this IS an improved clone....setup and instructions are almost identical
manual
http://img.banggood.com/file/products/20181212035738SPARROW-EN.pdf
 
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LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
Personally, I'd stick with a Matek Wing FC. There are several varieties depending on how much you want to spend. http://www.mateksys.com/?page_id=3834 You can use them with either iNav or Ardupilot firmware depending on how much fiddling you want to do. iNav will be easier to set up. Ardupilot has a ton more features, but can be cumbersome to set up.

I have a thread where I've been keeping track of some of my builds with FCs here https://forum.flitetest.com/index.p...nav-ardupilot-fc-enabled-wingy-thingys.53689/

Cheers!
LitterBug
 

Aireal Anarchist

Elite member
Personally, I'd stick with a Matek Wing FC. There are several varieties depending on how much you want to spend. http://www.mateksys.com/?page_id=3834 You can use them with either iNav or Ardupilot firmware depending on how much fiddling you want to do. iNav will be easier to set up. Ardupilot has a ton more features, but can be cumbersome to set up.

I have a thread where I've been keeping track of some of my builds with FCs here https://forum.flitetest.com/index.p...nav-ardupilot-fc-enabled-wingy-thingys.53689/

Cheers!
LitterBug

thanks for the links you posted , I WILL look into this, I am techy guy so I will pick it up when I approach it, however at the time in my case and Im sure many others I wanted Plug & Play to get in the air with RTH security & without soldering on small boards I may bugger up and have to order another and then spending week or more learning new iNav software, I wanted plug & play and be in the air in an hour or so

I just spent tooooo much time learning scripts for Taranis and I have been led to believe iNav is just as "in depth"
 

leaded50

Legendary member
i do use a easy use NX3 , and if wants GPS control and RTH eg. i also plan use the Sparrow. Got it, but not tried it yet.
 

WM4MM

New member
Looks like the Sparrow is enough to do what I want. I did not know these little boxes did more than just gyro.
Looks like its easy to setup without all the hair pulling that programs like beta flight require.
Can anyone argue for a more complex device?
 
I’m going to agree with LitterBug about the Matek Wing FC. I’m using a 405-wing and it’s been great. I’ve done a few builds now with Ardupliot (Arduplane) and I’m getting pretty comfortable. I love the auto take-off mode for my FT Spear. I haven’t used iNav yet, but I‘ve spent enough time with BetaFlight that I’m sure it wouldn’t take long to figure out. Ardupilot isn’t as pretty as the others, but once you get past that you realize how powerful it is. It’s easy to get lost in the details of the setup but the documentation for it is amazing. If your plane is well built and you follow the guidelines for setup you’ll have success. And I can also say that if you try to rush and skip a step you will watch a perfectly good plane leave a dent in the ground.
 

WM4MM

New member
"I’ve done a few builds now with Ardupliot (Arduplane) and I’m getting pretty comfortable. " My problem with most of this is which hardware works with what software. I even considered Arduino since I have several just laying around but if someone else has done the work why waste building time to develop software.
 

stephk

New member
I have been using the zohd Kopilot with GPS & RTH, as have some others here & it works well, no soldering or computer programing its plug & play, but it has a drawback that just doesnt work for me, they messed up programing the altitude height while in return to home mode.
it RTH at 114ft..... where I live most trees are above that , so if I loose my video signal in RTH it will fly into a tree at some point

so I have just purchased the......AFPV SN Sparrow FC Flight Controller Stabilizing 6-Axis Gyro With M7 GPS Module for FPV RC Airplane Fixed-Wing
https://www.banggood.com/AFPV-SN-Sp...p-1356353.html?rmmds=myorder&cur_warehouse=CN

RTH is a necessity with FPV flyiing IMO and more importantly to long range FPV pilots ........the Sparrow is a clone of the zohd but with better features the RTH altitude is above 300FT "from launch altitude"
havent tried it or received it yet, but I do know the zohd Kopilot and this IS an improved clone....setup and instructions are almost identical
manual
http://img.banggood.com/file/products/20181212035738SPARROW-EN.pdf


Aireal Anarchist, have you received your Sparrow? I just got mine and will probably try to install it tonight. Have you encountered any issues yet?
 

WM4MM

New member
Sparrow sounded good BUT I understand that both ailerons must be on same channel. I NEVER do that!
Does the sparrow have an altimeter built in? If not is there an altimeter that reads in feet that works with Flysky i6.
Again what I want is return to home altitude hold during RTH hey "land" would be nice (after it returns home.
Thanks
 

leaded50

Legendary member
Sparrow sounded good BUT I understand that both ailerons must be on same channel. I NEVER do that!
Does the sparrow have an altimeter built in? If not is there an altimeter that reads in feet that works with Flysky i6.
Again what I want is return to home altitude hold during RTH hey "land" would be nice (after it returns home.
Thanks

If using a general rc setup on ailerons by a y-cable on the servos to RX, its gonna be both on same channel anyway . But, i saw in a thread in RC forum, some did just connect one aileron without problem.

FlySky FS-CAT01 Altitude Sensor : https://www.banggood.com/FlySky-FS-CAT01-Altitude-Sensor-I_bus-Data-Port-Compatible-FS-i6-FS-i8-FS-i10-Transmitter-p-1661314.html
 
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Aireal Anarchist

Elite member
@WM4MM
Does the sparrow have an altimeter built in?

it has a barometer that calculates the altitude starting from launch altitude, sparrow RTH altitude is 300ft

some guys have lined up approach for landing and switched to stabilized mode....chopped the throttle let go of the sticks and allow it to land itself, this will take some practice judging speed the distance and timing the throttle chop

although the manual doesn NOT talk about this ( most likely stolen technology & they dont know ) I read as a safety the sparrow needed to be moving 2 or 3 meters per second before switching to RTH or the motor WONT SPIN UP and felt it was maybe like the zohd kopilot and would have launch assist...... I had it tested and the sparrow also has launch assist... set throttle 50% or more ( motor wont spin at this point) switch to "Return to Home" mode now hand chuck the aircraft so that it goes 2 meters per sec , the SPARROW will see its moving fast enough, spin up the motor, climb out to 300ft and begin to circle over head in loiter mode, till you are ready to take control
 
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