What Did You Do FPV Today?

[LitterBug]

There's nothing easy about putting a Stratosurfer together. Building a Flite Test plane is fun--a Stratosurfer, not so much. But I got it done. Being a Flite Test kind of guy I ended up using a little hot glue. The tail screw was tight but the tail still seemed a bit loose, so out came the glue. It's solid now. Will have to give it a maiden tonight sans FC.

Yeah, my horizontal stabilizers still wiggle on #1&#2. I need to Foam-Tac mine. Compared to an AR-wing PNP, the stratosurfer is a breeze to build. Once you fly it, you will forget the build fun. They take a ton of abuse and keep on flying. Even #1 which is missing some chunks of wing is still flight worthy after the BIG bOuNcE that took out the power pod. I only built #2 to have a fresh straight plane. It is starting to show some wear after landing in Corn and Beans a few times at FliteFests. Not ready for #3 to be unboxed yet. Just couldn't pass on the price for the kit to have around. They had been really tough to get for several years.

My new canopies came today. Can get the moonlight VTX setup Pan ready now.

 

[toryander]

Is there anything in particular you must select in the Ports tab of Inav when using the Avatar Mini 1s lite?

 

[LitterBug]

Is there anything in particular you must select in the Ports tab of Inav when using the Avatar Mini 1s lite?

MSP Displayport

 

[toryander]

I've been flying my Stratosurfer to get used to it while I wait for a part for the fpv. I went out to practice landings with flaps again, this morning, and ended up crashing it. Apparently an aileron servo froze up. I did my due diligence before and surfaces moved properly with no warning signals. Once up in the sky I noticed the Surfer wouldn't roll (quit about halfway -- no gyros present). I didn't know what was wrong then and lost control before I could get her back. A slight bend in the plastic nose and small cracks in wings by the flaps, but otherwise it's fine (whew). All the other servos are working properly except for the left aileron. How often to servos freeze up like that?

 

[LitterBug]

I've been flying my Stratosurfer to get used to it while I wait for a part for the fpv. I went out to practice landings with flaps again, this morning, and ended up crashing it. Apparently an aileron servo froze up. I did my due diligence before and surfaces moved properly with no warning signals. Once up in the sky I noticed the Surfer wouldn't roll (quit about halfway -- no gyros present). I didn't know what was wrong then and lost control before I could get her back. A slight bend in the plastic nose and small cracks in wings by the flaps, but otherwise it's fine (whew). All the other servos are working properly except for the left aileron. How often to servos freeze up like that?

Depends on the servos. I have had servo issues on several used birds acquired this year with ??? brand servos. I have been replacing them with EMAX servos after having issues with the ??? brand. I have not blown one of those up over the years without a blunt force incident....

(like the servos didn't even have a brand name on them)

 

[toryander]

Depends on the servos. I have had servo issues on several used birds acquired this year with ??? brand servos. I have been replacing them with EMAX servos after having issues with the ??? brand. I have not blown one of those up over the years without a blunt force incident....

(like the servos didn't even have a brand name on them)

From the behavior in the sky (not rolling--only partially) and the fact that the left aileron was the only servo not working when I checked it out after the crash, I thought the servo had gone bad. When I went in to glue the cracks in the wings that servo was now working smoothly. I'm now assuming a bad y harness (I have the connections taped up good so it shouldn't be a loose connection. I guess I need to order a new y harness or risk another aileron failure in the sky.

 

[toryander]

I'm finally to the point of configuring the F405 fc in the Stratosurfer. I'm wondering what some of you are using for batteries and the flight times you get. Are you using a single battery. A double? If a double, how to you arrange them for cog? I was messing with 2 3200 3s batteries and the weight changes everything. To hold my F405 in I'm starting with double sided tape and a velcro strap? I have some 3-d printed mounts coming in about a week and I'll see how they work out. I'm getting closer to that first digital FPV experience and I'm nervous.

 

[LitterBug]

I am running old Tattu 3S 4200 mah in my Stratosurfer. I easily get 20 minutes cruising and can do 30 if I don't do many practice landings or speed passes. I pretty much have them all the way back in the bay.

I have some 21700 packs that are 5000mah and 4S, but haven't tried them yet. I tried a 4S 5200mah LiPo the last time out when I broke my FPV pod. Plenty of torque roll on 4S that I was not expecting.

I use heavy duty velcro on the battery and the plywood tray plus one strap. The tray will rip out before the battery moves. Did rip the tray out once with Strato#1 which is when strato#2 came to be.

 

[toryander]

When using Inav, what happens if you happen to have two different modes selected at once like if you errantly programmed Horizon and Angle on two different switches and they are both selected?

Update: Okay, I found the info on this: https://deepwiki.com/iNavFlight/inav/3.5-flight-modes

 

[toryander]

After all that learning and work I took my Stratosurfer out today for a run. The idea was to fly with the FC and Camera on, but without using the goggles, so that I could study the video and learn how to "see" with this configuration. Then I would go out again and fly with goggles. This is how it went:

 

[Mr NCT]

After all that learning and work I took my Stratosurfer out today for a run. The idea was to fly with the FC and Camera on, but without using the goggles, so that I could study the video and learn how to "see" with this configuration. Then I would go out again and fly with goggles. This is how it went:

Ouch!

 

[toryander]

Ouch!

A bit disappointing.

 

[LitterBug]

After all that learning and work I took my Stratosurfer out today for a run. The idea was to fly with the FC and Camera on, but without using the goggles, so that I could study the video and learn how to "see" with this configuration. Then I would go out again and fly with goggles. This is how it went:

I watched it in slow motion. Your Ailerons clearly rolled it to the left. What flight mode were you in? Did you check that the gyro/accelerometer were making the control surfaces react in the correct direction? Just because the stick move things right does not mean everything is configured right.

 

[toryander]

I watched it in slow motion. Your Ailerons clearly rolled it to the left. What flight mode were you in? Did you check that the gyro/accelerometer were making the control surfaces react in the correct direction? Just because the stick move things right does not mean everything is configured rig

I think I was in "Angle." No, I didn't check gyro control surfaces. I don't remember hearing them doing anything as I moved it around. Yes, not checking was a mistake (and I had been so careful about so many things). When I fly with the Aura board I always check the gyro movements. If the movements are opposite with the F405, how do you change them? In Angle mode, I should see the ailerons moving when I tilt the plane, right? When I reached my plane after the crash I found my propellor in one piece lying right next to the plane. I was wondering if maybe it had been loose and thus no thrust. The left aileron was probably an incidental command from me. I have trouble throwing and getting back to the stick. I spent the afternoon studying Nav_Launch and have that set up to try in the morning. I hope it will make for a successful launch. I will check the gyros this time. Does that have to be after it arms (took ten minutes to get my satellites)?

 

[LitterBug]

First, make sure the artificial horizon moves correctly in the configurator.

Angle mode is self leveling.

Roll the plane left, Right aileron should raise, left aileron should drop
Roll the plane right, Right aileron should drop, left aileron should raise.
Nose down, elevator up
Nose up, elevator down
Yaw left, rudder right
Yaw right, rudder left

Are you using a single pwm for both ailerons with a Y cable?

 

[toryander]

First, make sure the artificial horizon moves correctly in the configurator.

Angle mode is self leveling.

Roll the plane left, Right aileron should raise, left aileron should drop
Roll the plane right, Right aileron should drop, left aileron should raise.
Nose down, elevator up
Nose up, elevator down
Yaw left, rudder right
Yaw right, rudder left

Are you using a single pwm for both ailerons with a Y cable?

Yes, I have a Y harness. That must make a difference. In Angle the elevator responds to movement, but the ailerons don't. Can't use a y-harness with self-leveling?

 

[LitterBug]

Yes, I have a Y harness. That must make a difference. In Angle the elevator responds to movement, but the ailerons don't. Can't use a y-harness with self-leveling?

They should work fine.

 

[toryander]

They should work fine.

Yes, the gyros are working now. The only problem is that the ailerons gyro is reversed (high wing aileron goes down). The others are correct. I'm searching for how to reverse the aileron gyro, but am coming up with nothing. What's the trick?

 

[LitterBug]

Yes, the gyros are working now. The only problem is that the ailerons gyro is reversed (high wing aileron goes down). The others are correct. I'm searching for how to reverse the aileron gyro, but am coming up with nothing. What's the trick?

Reverse the servo port, not the gyro.

 

[toryander]

Reverse the servo port, not the gyro.

Got it. Reverse servo on inav and then reverse direction in tx Outputs did the trick. It's looking good.