James JAB Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Hi All, These are the maiden flights of my new FPV frame, SpankyJAB. I had already made 3 different designs of my own 240mm quadcopter but I just could not get the weight down enough to the point of excellent performance. The video begins with footage from my first ever FPV flight of the Spanky, I did a quick VLOS test and all seemed AOK and the frame seems very stable. I have not done any tuning of PID's or balanced the props at all as I was just too excited about having a fly. Dartmoor was very windy that day, I found the quad loved going with the wind (down hill) but because it is so light it had troubles flying straight into the wind unless I was at full tilt. After about 5 minutes of flying on the open moor I got bored with no objects around to buzz, so off to my local testing ground to play with the tree's. Best viewed full screen at 1080p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclicscooby Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 That was amazing.. Probabley the best FPV i've seen... ! You must really REALLY know the size of your machine, the way you weave it thru the branches.. WOW.. !! Im not a fan of quads, purely cuz I like scale, but as a camera ship, nothing beats them.. So smooth too.. What fpv gear are you using.? Is that the footage you see, or onboard sd..? Cuz it was also very good. Not a glitch.. Got a right lick on too. As fast as my copter.. Worth a bump, cuz obviously everyone else missed it... Luv Chrisie.. xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu knowles Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Agreed, pretty amazing stuff. I must admit to being surprised that so many of the 'FPV Community' have gone down the road of long distance OOS flights which enrage other modellers and must actually be quite boring. This to me seems to be the essence of what is possible with FPV. In and through confined spaces and gaps, accurate course flying, skilful, exciting and much more interesting. I don't do FPV yet but if and when I do, this is exactly how I would want to go. I also think that if you are that good (and you are), there must be a commercial use for such skills in inspecting inaccessible places. Only a few years ago, this would have been James Bond fantasy..... clever stuff, thanks for posting stu k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Hi James, Welcome to the forum! Nice video with some skilful flying there. Regarding the long-range flying, I think you'll find that the latest CAA exemption is quite specific: 3b) The person in charge is accompanied by a competent observer who maintains direct unaided visual contact with the SUA sufficient to monitor its flight path in relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the purpose of avoiding collisions and advises the person in charge accordingly. To my mind, that makes the use of a telephoto lens to follow progress a no-no, regardless where you are flying, desolate moorland or not ..... Pete Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 19/06/2014 14:32:52 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josip Vrandecic -Mes Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Welcome James, very fun and interesting shoot . FPV modelers in my country (Croatia) much used this pocket miniquad (24), because it is small, light, high maneuverability and relatively inexpensive. I wish you good fun Jo Edited By Josip Vrandecic -Mes on 19/06/2014 11:04:40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James JAB Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Posted by Josip Vrandecic -Mes on 19/06/2014 11:02:36: Welcome James, very fun and interesting shoot . FPV modelers in my country (Croatia) much used this pocket miniquad (24), because it is small, light, high maneuverability and relatively inexpensive. I wish you good fun Jo Edited By Josip Vrandecic -Mes on 19/06/2014 11:04:40 Thank you Jo, you have a very beautiful country and amazing places to fly, I would love to visit one day with a bag full of Lipo's and a few miniQuads to fly around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Very nice James What flight controller are you using? Goggles? motors and ESC? are you bothering with an OSD at all, if so what one? Sorry for all the questions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James JAB Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Posted by Andy Meade on 19/06/2014 12:19:34: Very nice James What flight controller are you using? Goggles? motors and ESC? are you bothering with an OSD at all, if so what one? Sorry for all the questions Hi Andy, more than happy to answer any questions after a nice comment like that Setup is: Real FPV Spanky Mini Quadcopter frame Acro Nase32 flight controller ZMR 2400Kv 1804 motors 5"x3" carbon RCTimer props 12 Amp Afro ESC's 1300mAh 45C 3s Nano-Tech Lipo X8R FrSKY Rx Taranis Tx Fatshark Attitude SD googles Fatshark vTx and vRx both with Skew Planar antenna Sony PZ0420 FPV camera Mobius Wide angle lens I do not use an OSD because I am not normal that far away from myself when flying and if I am then my spotter can help me get home or let me know my location, I have lost complete video link before but my spotter is also a pilot so could talk me into a safe situation that I could take my hands off the controller to whip my goggles off, main key there is don't panic and keep stick movements slow and steady and have confidence in your spotter. On my large quad I am using full telemetry so I get announcements about RSSI, flight battery voltages, speed, distance and timer countdown, so without even looking I am informed about the vital information I need to asses my flight time etc Please don't hesitate to ask any more information you might want to know. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 So James thinks he can ignore the laws or rules if it suits him! It's this sort of attitude from FPV flyers that will bring all aeromodelling into disrepute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devcon1 Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Hi James, Great video. Was that the stone row on the left hand side of the road near Merryvale between Princetown and Tavistock? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James JAB Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Very good spot, it is indeed, so much history here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josip Vrandecic -Mes Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Thanks James , you are welcome .... Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devcon1 Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Hi James, Looks to me as though you know what you're doing and very good at it too. Keep at it. How about a trip round Crazy Well Pool ? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu knowles Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 So is there a camera linked to your goggles equipped with 'head tracking' ?? (forgive me if this not the right term) I am just amazed at how you navigate past obstacles if the only view you get is the one shared by the video camera. stu k kc -let it go (please), we've had that discussion, can we focus on other things this time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclicscooby Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Judging by the velcro, on the still pic of the quad, at the beginning of the vid, i'd say no head tracking, which makes it more impressive.. Dare I ask, for fear of backlash, but with your experience, what power output are you using / would suggest for clear, glitch free video, at say 1km.. I only ask, cuz I once had a cheapy ebay wireless cam, which I mounted on my heli (purely for a feed, not fpv) but 20ft, facing away, it was dead, ditto on an rc car.. barely 2 rooms.. On the otherhand, there are uk legal mW Tx's and megaW US versions, clearly not legal here.. !? Bit boggling. Dont want a glitchy waste of money, but wanna stay safe n legal.. Luv Chrisie.. xx Edited By Cyclicscooby on 20/06/2014 01:44:44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Same as Chrisie - no gimbal there. There usually isn't room on this size of machine anyway. The reason I ask about your power system is that I've modelled up a 250 class frame in SolidWorks, just need to get some carbon plates CNC cut and buy some bits. The 0420 camera seems very popular these days, as does the mobius. I'd sort of designed the front of my little quad to take a GoPro straight in its nose. I think I'll use a lost model alarm though when there's no fallback of a GPS RTH like my bigger Alien! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James JAB Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 @John Milne Cheers for the suggestion, looks a beautiful spot but I recoil at the thought of the depth of that pool lol I have not have much luck with water over the years: So now I try and keep away from the wet stuff but still so tempting lol @Stu K As Andy Meade has said, there is not much room for a gimbal on these lil'250mm quad's but that isn't to say there are not gimbals out there for them, I have seen them for Mobius and they sit on top and are 2-9g servo driven, have a search on youtube for a video about them I know they are there. The FPV camera is just below the view you get in the video from the Mobius, its got a quite large FOV using a 2.8mm lens. Wish I had footage from my goggles to show you what I see, I might invest in a small DVR to record ground footage. @Cyclicscooby are you mad? 'they' might be listening lol. I use the Fat Shark Attitude SD goggles which use the Nextwave video Rx in the goggles, I use the video Tx that came with the Attitudes (quick google will tell you the power output). Your main item you want to get it some Skew Planar antenna, with those you can get a few hundred feet away on a 25mW vTx. Using my vTx I have had 1Km and the signal is so solid the quad might as well be sat on the ground next to me, I have yet to reach its full range Your old cheapy wireless cam from ebay was no doubt using nasty duck (mono/di pole) which are terrible on moving objects. @Andy Meade I like the sound of you making your own frame, good stuff. I did use a GoPro as my FPV camera a few times but found it weird flying but didn't know why...then I watched this video and I decided to fit a board camera instead to get split second reactions... also a lost model alarm is worth its weight in gold, you have reminded me I must get one fitted ASAP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I did not know there was any latency! Live and learn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James JAB Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 A bit late but I managed to get this onto Vimeo... http://vimeo.com/99521555 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Wilson Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Am I the only one that spent the whole original video worrying about somebody coming out of the building or walking round the corner into a mini mincer. I'm not against quads, I have one myself (although I'm nowhere near as skilled as James) perhaps it is just me getting old. Or just that the H&S paranoia at my work is finally getting to me. I loved the footage from the woods though, brilliant flying. I'm not so woried about bumping into trees. They normally win any battles with a propellor. Edited By Kevin Wilson on 30/06/2014 13:58:21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 No one in the car park = empty building at the weekend I'm guessing? But yes they would hurt getting one in the face! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James JAB Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 The section of the video around a building; this building is closed from 5pm Friday until 7:30am Monday morning, cleaners do a week night shift. I was there on a Sunday evening 6pm+, I spoke to a friend that looks after the building on Friday and there would be no one in there all weekend. The building is in a 'no though section' (no access from behind building as its cliffs) There is only two access paths to this carpark, both of which my spotter can see fully and neither did I fly anywhere near or over. To get near the building the person would have to walk for 50meters to enter the carpark (my spotter can see them from the start of that 50m) and then have to walk towards/across me and spotter in plain view to get to the building. So much fun flying around the woods, it was a bit windy to get any speed up but was really enjoyable path finding up high in the canopy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Wilson Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Brilliant flying through the trees James. You clearly have both your flight controller AND your thumbs very well dialed in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James JAB Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 Thank you for your kind comments Kevin these were flight all done in the first 3 days of owning the frame, its still in the testing and tweaking phase, I have yet to even alter any of the PID's on the flight controller (Acro Nase32) so things should (in theory of course) get better over time. After flying in the woods on the 3rd day I decided to hit the open land (hit being a very apt word for it) which ended in me snapping one of the arms... **LINK** I was concentrating on fitting under the tree line in front of me and was not watching the big green stuff getting closer to be from below lol, I have replaced the plate and am back up and flying again thankfully Posted by Kevin Wilson on 30/06/2014 14:50:22: Brilliant flying through the trees James. You clearly have both your flight controller AND your thumbs very well dialed in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josip Vrandecic -Mes Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Hi James , I do not give advice but similar problems were happening to my colleagues (in Croatia). Later they built aluminum legs instead of the CF . Now is greater durability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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