FPV Dogfight with Head-tracker in a Spitfire... a Journey to get there

[FPVAirCombat]

As seen in the previous two videos, a simply drawn reticle on the faux reflector sight appears blurry and out of focus, since it’s positioned closely to the infinity focused FPV camera. I had foreseen this problem and commissioned Tim Noack to make a functional reflector sight months earlier after seeing his functional cockpit video in January.

Three months and forty emails later. I finally received, possibly, the world’s smallest working reflector gun sight.

 

[FPVAirCombat]

So I moded the front windscreen by removing the side glazing, added back the front armored glass framing - fitted with hand cut polycarbonate clear plate to protect gunsight. I also sourced and fitted a perfectly sized round mirror in the rear view mirror case included in the kit. And finally, secured the world’s smallest reflector gunsight on the instrument panel with Velcro, for easy recalibration to flight path now, projectile path or laser tag beam in the future.

It was finally time for maiden flying the Spitfire under FPV. I took extra time (30 minutes) taxiing around on the runway to get used to not being able to see the front in the nose high attitude. And using zig zag taxi to avoid obstacles, just like pilots do in WW II.

Second flight after FPV maiden:

 

[Mr. Gandalf]

This is so ridiculously awesome!!

Your videos are great by the way!

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Thanks Mr. Gandalf for your kind words. The reflector sight idea would be hard to top. Unless of course I can find a laser combat system to put the sight to good use.

I did see another target system for racking up scores for placing the reticle on a bogey though. Pretty neat!

Note the upper left corner score when reticle over lays target box.

 

[FPVAirCombat]

FPV aerobatic training session, uncut, with son recording LOS view. Newly paved runway helps smooth out landings.

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Close formation training is necessary to become a proficient dogfighting champion. Here’s a recent training flight with a couple of near misses.

 

[Hondo76251]

There are hardly words to describe how cool that is!

 

[Hondo76251]

Jealous of this awesomeness...

been considering good googles for a while (I fly mostly with screens/monitors) and now I'm thinking I need head tracking...

Any suggestions for the best goggles for this setup? I fly Spektrum mostly...

 

[FPVAirCombat]

The FPV system I use is called DJI Goggles Racing Combo: includes 720P head mounted display, VTX, antennae, built-in headtracking transmission. It’s probably the easiest turn key all in one HD FPV system to use. Shortcomings: 1. longer latency compared to analog FPV systems.
2. no sound transmission
3. Bulky goggles and VTX unit (Harder to install in small spaces)

 

[Hondo76251]

Being DJI, is that system 2.4?

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Being DJI, is that system 2.4?

2.4 and 5.8 both. I choose to operate in 5.8 only as 2.4 gets interference from RC in busy club environment. If you fly alone, 2.4 would get you twice the range.

 

[FoamyDM]

As seen in the previous two videos, a simply drawn reticle on the faux reflector sight appears blurry and out of focus, since it’s positioned closely to the infinity focused FPV camera. I had foreseen this problem and commissioned Tim Noack to make a functional reflector sight months earlier after seeing his functional cockpit video in January.

Three months and forty emails later. I finally received, possibly, the world’s smallest working reflector gun sight.

Can you please make a video detailing your instrument panel? Or a thread here. With a post on each instrument. It really is a beautiful creation.

 

[Hondo76251]

2.4 and 5.8 both. I choose to operate in 5.8 only as 2.4 gets interference from RC in busy club environment. If you fly alone, 2.4 would get you twice the range.

Ive got 1.3 for now but I like the range/quality of my older DJI p3p so I've been considering a 2.4 video setup for a while since i never fly with anyone anyway! That's good to know, ill be looking into it! Thanks!

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Can you please make a video detailing your instrument panel? Or a thread here. With a post on each instrument. It really is a beautiful creation.

The beautiful instrument panel is Tim Noack’s creation, not mine. He has a build thread on it here:
https://www.rcscalebuilder.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=23196&PN=1&TPN=29

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Ive got 1.3 for now but I like the range/quality of my older DJI p3p so I've been considering a 2.4 video setup for a while since i never fly with anyone anyway! That's good to know, ill be looking into it! Thanks!

You are welcome! The point of this thread is to motivate more people to join the fun of flying scale FPV and explore the challenges and opportunities that this aspect of hobby (formation, dogfighting, precision aerobatics, realistic takeoff/landing) entails. It has the potential to bridge interest from RC pilots, simulator pilots and even full scale pilots. And hopefully vendors would take notice and develop products for this as well.

I dare say a proficient scale FPV pilot could easily transition to flying full scale plane with little trouble at all.

 

[FPVAirCombat]

The Spitfire, being a conventional gear (tail dragger) configuration with narrow stance is particularly hard to land without ending up in a ground loop (or scraping a wing tip). Taking a break from that to hone scale landing skills with a much easier to ground handle tricycle gear plane. The FMS PC-21....

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Two greasers flown LOS to familiarize my son who wore the HT goggles to see how it looks from the cockpit. He later soloed and landed by himself under FPV in the same plane. He is hooked!

 

[FPVAirCombat]

OK this is the real deal, practicing lap after lap of traffic patterns/ touch and goes like full scale pilots trying for the elusive squeaker greaser using head-tracking FPV in a FMS PC-21.

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Realistic formation sortie， from takeoff to landing. The lead plane has much higher performance and is much faster then my plane. So I used some dogfighting techniques to stay/get back in position.

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Commentary on what goes through my mind when I fly FPV formation.