3 axis stablisation units

[JayCee]

Thanks Eric

However, unable to locate the link in HK site, can you help?

JC

[Eric Strefford]

Jaycee

I had the uncased model if you find the page for it then scroll down you will see a tab for files click on that and it says user manual.

If you have the one in the case there does not appear to be one but it might still help.

I would try aligning the end of the case with the gain controls  to the front and work from there.

Eric

 

Edited By Eric Strefford on 09/08/2012 10:12:21

[JayCee]

Yes done that but user manual is not listed!

JC

[Eric Strefford]

Jaycee

try this

Regards

Eric

 

Edited By Steve Hargreaves - Moderator on 09/08/2012 10:38:29

[JayCee]

Thanks Eric

The later orange case unit doesn't have an arrow to indicate forward flight or any basic set up instructions.

But thanks for the link for the older original version, sure I can sort it out from there.

JC

[Erfolg]

Jaycee

A lot of us have a unit on the way.

Given that there appears to be a lack of instructions, perhaps a dedicated thread to setting up the unit would be of benefit, rather than this thread, which is a little general now.

You appear to be the first who is investigating how to use, your experiences would certainly interest me, I guess, many more.

How about it?

Edited By Erfolg on 09/08/2012 11:15:57

[Garbo]

This should help but not much.

Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 09/08/2012 23:11:06

[NigelH]

I watched that but thought that they didn't making a convincing case for buying one.

I have though, already ordered one of those orange three-axis units.  I hope that they're not the same.

 

Edited By NigelH on 09/08/2012 20:40:00

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Garbo I've had to reduce the size of your video, it sent the thread under the ads...

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

I flew the stabiliser agin this evening in perfectly calm conditions, not expecting to notice it was there.

But there were immediatley comments from others who said how amazingly smooth the model looked.

What was also notoced was how the model stopped rolling instantly, as soon as the stick was released.

For some unknown reason, I had to retrim the elevator compared to last time. Not sure what might have changed, maybe I didn't quite have it trimmed perfectly in the very windy session??

[Dave Bran]

You probably had it perfectly trimmed for the greater lift in the wind.

Basically, these things are no brainers, they have little penalties and lots of gains. Their effect is right across the board in all conditions.

The FireFly (Indoor/Outdoor Delta Foamie) I have so fitted, a plane I am very experienced with sans gyro, (I have four flyable, so can fly with and without gyro back to back) is now regularly flown in wind way beyond its normal range, and can be easily and repeatedly rolled in wind from less than waist height, and looped so the exit is inches from the ground..........reliably.

[Eric Strefford]

Flew mine again last night very little wind but flying as Chris's seemed smoother. one really noticable thing was the take off normal have trouble with it squirrelling about when on the tarmac peritrack at Woodvale but this time ran straight and true with no swing at all so the rudder correction definately works. Tried knife edging flying away from me so I could look at trailing edges of controls could definately see the ailerons moving and applying corrections that I was not doing.

Still work in progress but would say for the cost definately worth it will have a few more flights with it then try in a 16" profile Eurofighter and see how that goes.

[ericrw]

I have a FY20A fitted to a E-Pioneer. One day when I was flying the model, as I thought without the gyro being switched on; it did a spiral dive behind a tree and I lost sight of it. We spent three days,to no avail, searching a cornfield, where it was believed to have crashed ! It was found by the farmer two fields away. What had happened, is that when I thought I had lost control and I let go of the sticks and then unknown to me, the model righted itself and flew off in the direction the nose was pointing at the time of my letting go of the stick. At the time of the spiral I closed the throttle but again, unknown to me,the motor kept running. The Orange receiver, on being tested showed that it had failed, whiched had caused the spiral but the gyro continued to control the ail, rud and elevator.

[JayCee]

Was able to get two of these before they went Backorder again.

As the weather has been so good for flying I have decided to wait for a rainy day before experimenting.

However, there is still a lack of information from HK on this second generation unit, on request they keep pointing me in the direction of the old PDF file for the 1st generation unit which is considerably different.

I noticed that Erfolg suggested a dedicated thread for the setting up and experimentation on this unit which seemed a good idea, has one started?

JC

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Posted by JayCee on 11/08/2012 07:07:05:

I noticed that Erfolg suggested a dedicated thread for the setting up and experimentation on this unit which seemed a good idea, has one started?

JC

Yep HERE

Chris

[JayCee]

OK have installed the HK Axis unit in my SebArt Sokhi and I'm at the testing stage.

The first thing that I noticed was that the stabiliser unit has no indication (arrow) to indicate forward flight. I was told that gain controls to the front and servo contacts to the rear.

However, when I installed it that way the output from the stabiliser in all three outputs Aeliron, Rudder and elevator were the wrong way round. i.e if you held the plane level then tilted it nose up, the elevator which should have moved down moved up! it was the same on the other outputs.

When I reversed the unit everything moved in the correct direction in other words to compensate the movement.

Also noticed that if I used the one Alerion input and two Alerion outputs as marked on the unit the ailerons became 'Flaps' very odd.

So used a 'Y' lead with one input and one output and everything appears to work OK but the unit appears to be very sensitive, even when the aircraft is stationary on the ground there is a notable small jitter from all control services.

Would be helpful if HK supplied these units with some instructions, poor show HK! the only manual on their site relates to the old 1st generation unit which is completely different.

If any of you guys can help out I would be grateful

JC

[Garbo]

Not wishing to double post but this subject seem to have two threads.

Anyway the more advanced/expensive version by Eagle Tree has appeared on the HK website

this morning. I'm still waiting for my orange version Perhaps someone could start a thread on these also. **LINK**

Are they legal to use in competitions?

[Pete B]

Encouraged by the results from the HK I86AP stabiliser which I fitted to my little West Wings Fournier, I went on to buy an Eagle A3 Pro to carry the experimentation a bit further.

As well as the basic rate mode correction, this unit can be switched in and out in the air and has a third, AVCS (heading-hold) option.

For test purposes I've fitted this to my Phoenix Rainbow which is pretty stable anyway but I wanted to see what the unit can do, possibly with a view to improving the Rainbow as a camera platform. The installation is quite straightforward and I have found Velcro fastening to a mount near the C of G position to work for me, rather than the more permanent double-sided tape.

On my DX8, I have used the Flight Mode 3-pos switch; 0 is Rate, 1 is Off and 2 is AVCS. Having programmed flaperons beforehand, it was necessary to revert to a 'Normal' wing and use a 'Y' lead for the ailerons. This means I've lost the differential function bt it doesn't seem to have affected the performance.

I've had half-a-dozen flights today and here's my summary of findings:

My first flights were using the 'off' setting for take-off and then switching-in the rate mode in flight. Results were as expected - a general softening of the flight pattern - and no dramas were experienced. Excellent for more 'scale-like' flight.

When I switched-in the AVCS mode (at a safe altitude) the model immediately pitched nose-up and became difficult to control, wallowing to-and-fro until I switched out of the mode.

Landing the model and switching into the AVCS mode on the ground resulted in up-elevator and right rudder being applied without a stick input. I scratched my head over this for some time until I found the solution at 2 below.

This needed a bit of a re-think and some research on the Net. As a result, I've largely sorted it out and offer the following advice:

1. It is essential to trim out the model before using the unit, ie, make sure that you have straight-and-level flight with all trims at neutral and with no sub-trim set. This involves mechanically adjusting the surfaces until all is well. (I have to confess to a bit of sub-trim being used in many of my models - but I bet I'm not the only one.......).

2. Whilst the rate and off mode both worked well immediately, the AVCS was clearly not working as it should. I found that the solution was to ensure that, on switching on, the unit must be in AVCS mode, which sets the parameters for the subsequent flight. The model should not be disturbed until the procedure is complete and a red light is showing on the unit. After this, the unit can be switched to either of the other modes for take-off. If you switch on with the mode switch in either rate or off, the unit will not function correctly in AVCS.

3. Flying in AVCS mode take some getting used to. At height, I chose a course and then set the AVCS. The model then continued on that course, maintaining heading and altitude without deviation, until I made an input. It was fun to increase the throttle slightly and apply a little up elevator. The model just continued to climb on the same course

Using aileron/elevator to turn resulting in the model 'falling off' the turn, presumably as a result of no rudder input having been made. It was easiest to couple the aileron and rudder to maintain a controlled turn.

4. It's going to take some practice to use AVCS other than at height - it just doesn't seem intuitive and I had to switch out of AVCS to regain control. I've yet to establish the effect of applying trim after the AVCS has been set.

I suspect the AVCS will be of more use to 3D flyers but I'm enjoying playing with it. Watching a model ploughing on a steady course, completely hands-off the Tx, is quite uncanny........

Pete

[Dave Bran]

Hi Pete,

Well done, but have to say, not a Heli pilot then................... AVCS was working as it should, you were not........

As you discovered, and true for far more gyros than not, AVCS/Heading Hold picks up the trim settings at boot up to work out the null setting, usually only if booted up in that mode. Not doing that or altering the trim after that in the air will usually badly upset an AVCS.

Setting up a gyro and trimming the model should usually be done in rate mode, preferably but not essentially in a way which leaves the trims and sub trims on the Tx zero'd at the end. Then and only then add AVCS.

Re 3: There are two types of Heli pilot, those who hang it on the rotor head and flat turn, and those who do it right!!! Opposing rudder in turns is second nature to a smooth pilot, especially with Helis, helping the transition into gyros on a fixed wing. As you found, a gyro system (rather than a stabilisation system) will not auto correct for what is a piloting matter, after all, you "must" be wanting to lose height or side slip, if you don't use rudder in turns.

I have three A3's and one A3 Pro in use now. ( I also have more than 20 Helis, hence the ribald humour above). I'm ex demo team fixed wing, so don't "need" a gyro, yet am thoroughly enjoying flying with one, especially watching onlookers faces when I'm happily flying a sub 250g foamie indoor plane smoothly outdoors in a gusty 10 - 15mph.

Keep going!!!

[Terry Walters]

Yesterday afternoon Pete B arrived at my house armed with lots of chocolate muffins (which he had made himself) and his West Wings RF4 Fournier complete with stabiliser fitted.

After a cup of tea (which I made) and a very nice muffin apiece spirits were up and an attempt was made to fly the RF4 in a very grey sky with blustery wind. Knowing Pete's RF4 from previous occasions when it has proved to be quite mischevious I was looking forward to what was about to take place!

The first attempt lasted about 1 second when Terry helpfully launched the RF4 straight into the ground! The only other spectator, my son, an infantry platoon commander visiting during his end of tour leave from Afghanistan said it reminded him of the launch of a small foamy UAV in that country by another army specialist unit which flew straight into one of his soldiers and promptly fell apart!

A quick fix to a bent motor shaft and a new propeller, gifted by Terry as penance, and another launch was expertly done by Pete B himself into an waiting angry sky.

Result: Amazing - the RF4 performed flawlessly and flew as if on rails and only affected in a minor way by the stronger gusts. Despite Pete's attempts to fly the RF4 into the fully mature trees guarding the approach to my neighbour's smaller field a non destructive landing took place at the 3rd attempt to finish off an impressive flight.

Knowing how twitchy the WW RF4 could be it was a remarkable transformation. Hats off to Pete for the perseverance to work out how to trim out the unwanted aspects of the stabiliser and set it up properly. When he's forgiven me maybe he will let me into the secret!

Terry

Edited By Terry Walters on 27/09/2012 19:05:10

[avtur]

Interesting review of version 2 of the Hobbyking 3 axis stabiliser here ...

It is all about the features and installation ... no flying in this vid.

click here

The airframe engineering is rather interesting ...