My Phantom 1 is fully loaded and distinctly nose-heavy on take-off, needing up elevator to avoid chewing the dirt. Has anyone had success with mounting the gimbal/camera further back? I calculate I could move about 50mm before the legs come into view on GP3 Medium fov. Tips?
Moving the CG back
- Thread starter pligo
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N017RW
Premium Pilot
Good point(s).
Minding or adjusting CG is not something I have seen discussed here before (may have missed it!).
Can't help with specifics om how to do what you want but the idea is valid.
Proper CG would improve 'handling' and have to also improve flight times.
Minding or adjusting CG is not something I have seen discussed here before (may have missed it!).
Can't help with specifics om how to do what you want but the idea is valid.
Proper CG would improve 'handling' and have to also improve flight times.
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Last year (before the P2V was announced) I "spun" my phantom around so the battery door faces the back. That let me mount my gimbal even more forward so it sticks out the front and still maintains perfectly centered X-axis COG with a larger 4400-5400mah pack. This is great for me because it solves three problems - gets rid of COG issues, lets me really get the legs out of view even when shooting wide and moving fairly quickly on the sticks, and doesn't really impact the visual profile of the Phantom (nobody really even notices it's "backwards."
Other people have gone to similar lengths and more, including plasti-forming retrofits to the bottom shell to allow the battery to slide back further into the body. Others externally mount the batteries, which gives you a bit more sliding room as well.
Handling in the air is the same, you can't really tell in the air if something is front-heavy as long as the FC is doing its job maintaining attitude. It IS less prone to lurch on takeoff though, I can take off as slowly as I want and can even skit across the ground with the legs dragging on the floor. Zero difference in flight times, the Phantom is small enough where the front motors are not working that much harder to balance out a typically front-heavy craft.
Other people have gone to similar lengths and more, including plasti-forming retrofits to the bottom shell to allow the battery to slide back further into the body. Others externally mount the batteries, which gives you a bit more sliding room as well.
Handling in the air is the same, you can't really tell in the air if something is front-heavy as long as the FC is doing its job maintaining attitude. It IS less prone to lurch on takeoff though, I can take off as slowly as I want and can even skit across the ground with the legs dragging on the floor. Zero difference in flight times, the Phantom is small enough where the front motors are not working that much harder to balance out a typically front-heavy craft.
N017RW
Premium Pilot
Yea flight time was a poor metric.
Efficiency would be better.
A perfectly balanced a/c would be more efficient.
Efficiency would be better.
A perfectly balanced a/c would be more efficient.
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