2.1 Mile/4.2 Round Trip GS Flight Today

If I'm interpreting the FlyTrex data correctly you took off and moved slowly forward for a while, then suddenly stepped onto an elevator and went up, leveled off, then about midway in the flight dropped way down again, almost hovered, climbed again and so forth. Was this a result of meeting waypoints?

Were you in contact the entire flight or beyond radio and visual range?

Man, this is interesting stuff but you're starting to make my hands sweat!


Fdnyfish said:
 
The flytrex starts recording as soon as the phantom is powered up. I had the flytrex cable in the flytrex card when I powered up the phantom. Normally I do not plug in the cable to the flytrex until I get all my green lights and I am ready to take off, but because this ground station is new to me, I just kept the flytrex plug in from the get go.

So the flat data line (238 seconds) was how long it took me to program the route on my ipad).
 
I should have thought of that... I use FlyTrex myself.

How about my "beyond range" questions? Are you flying FPV?
 
Nice job, like the Google thing what to know how to do that been playing with my phantom 2 for three days now want to get grounds station as well using iPad Air.
 
Hate to be nit picky, but as a professional helicopter pilot, I need to ask...Were you in contact with your local Flight Service Station(FSS) or Common Traffic Freq? A quick look at the charts shows that near Barnesville, PA both Hazelton Airport and Arner Memorial Airport both have Class E shading around them meaning that controlled airspace drops from 1200 to 700 ft above ground level(AGL). Basically so that IFR traffic can get in an out, however as a helicopter pilot that used to fly back east, your video and flight data disturbs and frightens me., your aircraft was above 1400 ft almost the entire time, with NO FPV!!! I own a Phantom, however as a commercial pilot, I am very aware of my airspace and surroundings. I just want other phantom pilots to realize that not all planes or aircraft fly high all the time. Most helicopter traffic flys 500-1,000 agl, or above ground level. Although I cannot wait until Ground Station is available for the Vision Plus, please please please stay below the 400 ft agl level that R/C aircraft are supposed to abide by.
 
My max ascent was 339 above ground, just the way I programmed the flight path.. So at no time was I in any controlled airspace drops as you mentioned. I called no one for clearance, as I was flying under their airspace.
 
Your ground station videos have kept my spirits up as I struggled with the conversion of my Phantom 1.0 to a 1.5. I now have everything installed and the P1.5 is buttoned up, ready for a maiden GS flight. (After I do a few simulated iPad flights, however.)

In two initial flight tests of the P1.5 I've found that I'm getting about 12 minutes in the air, mostly hovering. (gimbal, GoPro, Fatshark tx, extended landing gear) Having never used the DJI P2 battery, I'm being conservative. My gains are stock P1 -- all at 100%. Loaded voltages are 10.5 and 9.5 though it has been suggested that I up those a bit, to 10.6/10.3.

How do these various settings compare to yours?
 
Excellent flight. I am having a lot of success with GS as well, but have not tested much long distance yet. GS is very handy for repeating perimeter checks of my dad's 400 acre ranch! Just curious, it looks like on the way out you were going about 30-33 mph, and on the way back your speed was around 20-22. Have you experimented much with your speed vs. time/battery life? For example, if you would have returned home at the same 30 mph +/- instead of 20 mph, obviously the total flight time would have been shorter, but would you have used more or less battery? I plan to do some testing on this. There must be some speed that is the optimum compromise (optimum efficiency) between battery life and distance, which theoretically would allow the longest distance flights. Of course, it's always good to leave a buffer in case of unexpected headwinds, etc. Great job!
 
bas4241 said:
I plan to do some testing on this. There must be some speed that is the optimum compromise (optimum efficiency) between battery life and distance, which theoretically would allow the longest distance flights. Of course, it's always good to leave a buffer in case of unexpected headwinds, etc. Great job!

While I'm sure there is a sweet spot there you can achieve, when you're in GPS mode the battery drain differs very little with speed if you leave the throttle at the mid-point position...even the top speed you can hit that way won't be spinning the motors much faster than hovering, just the minor bit of difference needed to create X degrees of forward tilt.

If you add some throttle though, the efficiency equation becomes completely different.

You'll probably notice quickly when testing that zipping around in GPS mode (with the throttle centered) can be far more efficient than hovering and will generate longer flight times than just letting it sit in one spot.
 
Wow nice flight , bit scary going blind tho :shock:

One thing I noticed that was a bit strange , when it came back on the last point it was turning a bit on its self and specially when it was coming down , is this normal or was it cos the wind or did you take over controls at that point thanks

Sry just watched it again , it also did a similar thing when it reached the farthest waypoint.

Thanks

Best regards

Aron
 

Recent Posts

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
143,094
Messages
1,467,590
Members
104,977
Latest member
wkflysaphan4