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

[FPVAirCombat]

Thanks guys! These stills are taken from a RunCam 2 4K camera affixed to the tail of the tanker. The key to getting these shots is being able to fly close formation by using head-tracking FPV in the Spitfire, just like full scale pilots do for aerial photo shoots.

Incidentally, we had a full scale pro corporate jet pilot join us for some RC FPV flying the other day. He also has numerous hours flying full scale aerobatics and formations. He said that flying RC FPV formation is 100x harder then it is flying full scale formation. That made me feel pretty good!

 

[PsyBorg]

Those pics are awesome! Are they from the DJI fpv camera or a separate dedicated camera?

DJI? hhahahahaha uhhh no.... DJI's best is 720p on low latency. They claim 1440 for single frame but the electronics aren't that good to stay at that and to even be able to fly more then 50 feet from the unit it has do downgrade resolution transmitted other wise the whole system locks up and goes into fail safe and HAS to be restarted to get it back. Meaning yer butt is walking to get the gear that crashed HOPING it didn't explode in the crash. They don't tell you that in the brochures and reviewers wont say anything either. Specially if you bought that new "race" drone flying turd.

 

[Hondo76251]

Boy @PsyBorg , tell us how you really feel! 🤣

Ive never had any trouble with mine but i probably dont use it as hard as the quad guys.
I do know it doesnt have near the range i was hoping for. My old phantom can do 4 miles, the new stuff isn't even close

 

[PsyBorg]

Boy @PsyBorg , tell us how you really feel! 🤣

Ive never had any trouble with mine but i probably dont use it as hard as the quad guys.
I do know it doesnt have near the range i was hoping for. My old phantom can do 4 miles, the new stuff isn't even close

Ok... Bottom line DJI is the most responsible for destroying the hobby. And all you knuckleheads paying for and using their gear can take pride in knowing you funded the end of personal level RC flight.



I need more Not wound up enough yet this morning.

 

[FlamingRCAirplanes]

Yeah! I am SICK of DJI. Stuff em in the toilet and flush it!
They are PROUD of their RemoteID!
The DJI Air 2s comes with it!

The words I am searching for I can not say, because there is preschool toys behind me.

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Not a fan of a company that is on the US entity list that would potentially give up client data at the behest of The Chinese Communist Party - yes I am aware of DJI position as lap dog of government surveillance, both China and US. I wish there were a competitive alternative to DJI’s HD digital FPV offering. Unfortunately Fatshark’s Shark Byte just is not on par performance wise.

While developing my pan & tilt, I searched throughout Taiwan to see if any company (including some public ones) were interested in competing in that space. NONE! Apparently, DJI is so dominant in that space and has extensive intellectual property protecting its leadership position. Interestingly, its major chip and optical components are produced in Taiwan even though DJI is a China based company. While trying to find a competitor, I inadvertently stepped on some toes of DJI’s suppliers.

I disagree about DJI being the most responsible for regulations clamping down on the hobby. I believe the lobbyists for Amazon, Google, UPS etc. that want airspace below 400’ for drone deliveries are the main culprits. Hobbyist drone incidents are just convenient cannon fodder for those lobbyist to use against the hobby. The somewhat good news is that Amazon, UPS, DHL have announced cutbacks on their drone delivery plans, though Google seems to be persisting.

My thinking is this, the regulation clamp down has already happened. All my RC FPV flying happens within RC club field boundaries, complying with club rules, AMA rules, FAA rules. If I can’t beat DJI, why not join them and have fun. Why should all the renegade FPV flyers, some blantly disregard LOS rules going tens of miles out, 1000’s feet high have all the FPV fun?

 

[FPVAirCombat]

In fact, I am trying to integrate scale FPV flying into the mainstream of our RC club. We formed a FPV demo team and exhibited at a major local event, Warbirds and Classics in Southern California. Both the RC crowds and event organizers were thrilled by our attendance.

Here are some pics from the event and videos:

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Oh yeah our FPV team... some training videos:

4-ship formation practice... through loop and barrel roll!

And displacement rolls (combat maneuver) that did not turn out as planned!

Trying to do this @ 0:40, but harder than it seems. Head-tracking FPV is essential to keep target in sight!

https://fb.watch/7UJHXmkwDz/

 

[Hondo76251]

Ok... Bottom line DJI is the most responsible for destroying the hobby. And all you knuckleheads paying for and using their gear can take pride in knowing you funded the end of personal level RC flight.



I need more Not wound up enough yet this morning.

I was idealistic once. Even signed the dotted line in service of the country i love, to defend her from those that would wish us harm. I used to seek out "american made" products whenever possible, supported products that stood for what I believe in, or at least so i thought. Alas, it was all to no avail for I am but a pebble in a stream.

DjI isnt the enemy, complicit yes, but not adversarial. They just want the dollar. It is the government who wants your 400 feet and they're going to get it. Just another merger in the union of big business and big government.

Bottom line is that people have failed. Lost the idea of what America is, what freedom is. They won't fight back with any meaningful resistance until its too late. Truth is, people want safety not freedom these days. Tell them anything is for their safety they're going to follow along in droves.

I hate it, burns me to my core, but bucking the tide is a loosing battle. Buy all the best goods while its affordable, while you still can. We'll learn to hack the good stuff later (though i still prefer analog myself for, um, survivability reasons)

Do what you must @PsyBorg, i certainly dont fault a commited moral stance, but i plan to have a whole pile of contraband when the house of cards comes tumbling down and, unfortunately, a lot of it isnt American made...

Sorry for the hijack, let us return to the topic at hand! 🤣🤣


Is the gimbal auto leveling while in head tracking?

 

[FPVAirCombat]

That was very well said, Hondo! But I am not as pessimistic as you are on America’s future. I see new ways of manufacturing, in 3D printing, and other innovations that does not rely on foreign labor for production. There’s hope yet for a turn around, but I digress.

I guess to fit the definition of a “gimbal”, then it should auto level. But no, it’s just a pan & tilt camera mount controlled by head-tracking. So it’s not a gimbal.

But I am intentionally using the gimbal misnomer in marketing my pan & tilt mount. I am calling it Motionsic BAG - BadAss Gimbal with following attributes:
Easy to install, adjust height, leveling. Requires minimal space to articulate fully (cylindrical space 40mm in diameter, 50mm tall including tilting camera up 70°), would fit under most canopy. Gimbal has enough pan range to allow camera to see vertical stab. Dampens most runway and prop vibrations. Easy clip on air unit mount with ventilation channel underneath. Can be easily transplanted to another plane in your hangar. Designed for use with DJI FPV Camera/ Air unit. But could be used with camera 20mm in width or slightly smaller.

Patent Pending

 

[Hondo76251]

I like to think of it as optimistic pessimism! 😄
Helps to have a little stoicism in life. Focus on what you can control, dont worry about the rest. Amor Fati.

I was curious about the gimbal setup as i believe there is a way for the air unit to control one. Never done it on the air unit myself but i have with a pixhawk. It made for an neat flying experience while just using sliders, would be interesting to try it with a head tracker... 🤔

 

[BayDesigns]

DJI has made RC aviation available to a much wider audience. While that’s good in some ways, it opens the door to people who know nothing about the hobby and shouldn’t be allowed to touch a transmitter. They’ve created more problems than they’ve solved.

 

[FPVAirCombat]

I like to think of it as optimistic pessimism! 😄
Helps to have a little stoicism in life. Focus on what you can control, dont worry about the rest. Amor Fati.

I was curious about the gimbal setup as i believe there is a way for the air unit to control one. Never done it on the air unit myself but i have with a pixhawk. It made for an neat flying experience while just using sliders, would be interesting to try it with a head tracker... 🤔

The previous version of DJI goggle (Race Edition) and air unit does offer Head-tracking control. The Current DJI FPV Goggles has no such inertial sensors built-in. So one must add a third party solution.

Interesting you mentioned Stoicism, I like that philosophy as well though not quite a practitioner.

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Sharing my friend Loukhan’s awesome video flying from the cockpit of a Thunderbolt! Scale FPV at it’s best — head-tracking with functional reflector sight, and chasing a bandit with smoke! Can’t get more realistic than that!

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Over the years, many people have asked how I do head-tracking FPV as smoothly as I do, and asked me to point them to a gimbal that would allow them to do the same. Unfortunately, no such pan & tilt gimbal was readily available for purchase. I had to spend hours making one to fit my own use. The commonly available ones are bulky, flimsy, vibration prone and can not fit easily underneath a RC plane canopy or car cabin.

At last, I have achieved my 2021 New Year resolution to design, produce and market an easy to install, compact, light weight, pan & tilt gimbal tailor made for DJI FPV camera (& compatible ones from Caddx, Runcam, etc.) It would also work for any micro FPV camera 19~20 mm wide, ideally with two screw mounting holes per side, but could work with cameras with only one.

Introducing Motionsic B.A.G. (BadAss Gimbal). See demo video of the realistic in-cockpit visuals of gimbal in use.

Check it out at www.FPVdogfight.com or www.FPVaircombat.com

 

[FlamingRCAirplanes]

Good for you!!

 

[FoamyDM]

the little mirror is a great touch!

 

[FPVAirCombat]

the little mirror is a great touch!

which little mirror?

 

[FlyingMonkey]

which little mirror?

Over the cockpit, the rear view mirror.

 

[FPVAirCombat]

Oh, yes on the P-47 video above and the Spitfire in the OP. They are nice indeed. Once in a while I do catch a glimpse of a buddy in chase. It’s rare but awesome when it happens. Usually when that happens in real dogfight, it’s time to bail out. Reminds me, I need to give the Spitfire some love…

And finally incorporate laser tag! Now that one is available from VAS, which was featured on FliteTest,. That was my intent originally setting up the Spitfire with reflector sight, in anticipation of the laser tag being available, two years ago - after watching a FliteTest episode featuring a prototype laser tag unit from Tritium Studios.

I have been pre-occupied training with my team mates on flying Diamond formation in EDF jets. We are getting pretty close on that. Now that we are competent formation flyers. Air Combat is next!

Some pics to share…

and a team video showing how we do it: