Posts: 33 Threads: 6 Likes Received: 26 in 15 posts Likes Given: 2 Joined: Jun 2017 Reputation: 0 When flying my helicopters whether it be real RC or simulator program, I always know how to switch my brain back and forth from regular flight to nose on hovering because of the visual aspect of the machine. With a quadcopter, there's no tail boom to give a person visual reference so how does one know which way the quad is pointing in order to control it with the proper inputs since the yaw and roll is reversed in nose on hovering? Do you react simply by the way the machine rolls and yaws when you give it input? I realize its not an issue with FPV flight but when in regular mode (or whatever it's called), how does one know which way it's pointing (especially when it's at the same altitude as your vision) whereas you can't see the LED's. HOVER OBSESSIVELY • Posts: 33 Threads: 6 Likes Received: 26 in 15 posts Likes Given: 2 Joined: Jun 2017 Reputation: 0 I forgot to mention that the pitch is also reversed. HOVER OBSESSIVELY • Posts: 164 Threads: 36 Likes Received: 83 in 46 posts Likes Given: 124 Joined: May 2017 Reputation: 4 The way the quad responds definitely comes into play in helping with orientation but its only a small part. I have good luck with LED's front and rear mounted or just on the front. This helps tremendously with telling front from back. Last you may think of putting something on the rear of your quad. Seeing my antenna on the back is huge for orientation. Even if you don't do FPV think of putting something like a straw or something on the back. I even have a buddy who put a small piece of tape on the straw to look like a flag. Just as long as it doesn't get in the props! Quads: RealACC X6R ; RealACC X210 Pro, Omnifbus F3 FCs; RunCam Swift 2 & Swift 2 Rotor Riot, Emax OG Red Bottoms, Emax RS2205S 2300kv; Fatshark DOM V3 YouTube - Mr.E_fPv Posts: 33 Threads: 6 Likes Received: 26 in 15 posts Likes Given: 2 Joined: Jun 2017 Reputation: 0 Thanks. That definitely makes sense. HOVER OBSESSIVELY • Posts: 1,290 Threads: 67 Likes Received: 711 in 472 posts Likes Given: 1,216 Joined: Mar 2016 Reputation: 23 For me, when flying LOS, I key in on the props....my front and rear are different colors. That only works when the machine is close enough that you can see them well, but for me it helps. "Damn the torpedoes!!! Full speed ahead!!!" Posts: 33 Threads: 6 Likes Received: 26 in 15 posts Likes Given: 2 Joined: Jun 2017 Reputation: 0 Lots of good input. Thanks. HOVER OBSESSIVELY • Posts: 1,773 Threads: 30 Likes Received: 1,199 in 755 posts Likes Given: 714 Joined: Oct 2016 Reputation: 45 Different colored props and LEDs help, but nothing beats good old-fashioned practice. After a while you won't have to consciously think about it, it will become second nature. Kind of like backing up a car Posts: 2,410 Threads: 136 Likes Received: 1,790 in 1,052 posts Likes Given: 3,302 Joined: Jan 2017 Reputation: 50 Most popular method for orientating is different colors front and back. Some will use different colors of electrical tape to cover ESCs and arms as well to help. Posts: 61 Threads: 6 Likes Received: 18 in 12 posts Likes Given: 16 Joined: May 2017 Reputation: 2 (22-Jun-2017, 01:47 PM)Drone0fPrey Wrote: Most popular method for orientating is different colors front and back. Some will use different colors of electrical tape to cover ESCs and arms as well to help. Others tell themselves Los flying isn't important and run from it by going into fpv mode from the start.. <.< ... >.> Posts: 634 Threads: 56 Likes Received: 335 in 196 posts Likes Given: 183 Joined: Mar 2016 Reputation: 15 i've seen two types of LOS pilots, - those who try to orient themselves and think where is the "front" (im in this group) (LEDS, Bright antena cap - great help) - those who flown soooo many times that they only react to "it is flying this way lets move it there" and quads are obeying All the best Grzesiek (Grisha/ Greg) Curently flyable: Nox 5, Minimalist 112 Bench / in progres: fixing Nox 3, Scrap thinking about building: 450 Posts: 2,286 Threads: 38 Likes Received: 1,527 in 995 posts Likes Given: 1,881 Joined: Apr 2016 Reputation: 72 22-Jun-2017, 11:28 PM (This post was last modified: 22-Jun-2017, 11:28 PM by unseen.) Grisha is absolutely right. If you are flying line of sight, there are just two ways to maintain orientation. A visible difference between front and back or left and right helps but a difference in shape helps more as it works better regardless of the light. The best solution is not to stop moving. If you can put your mind's eye in the pilot's seat, there's no doubt about which way you are moving and if you are thinking from the pilot's point of view, the controls work the same way regardless of the actual relationship between the pilot and the craft. If you lose concentration and become unsure about which way the craft is pointing, use your eyes! If you carry on flying and you can't see any change because the craft is too far away, turn right. If the quad moves to your left, you were flying towards yourself. If it turns right, you were flying away from yourself. Either way, you now know which direction you are heading and can steer back onto the correct heading. Flying line of sight is much harder than flying FPV as when you're starting out, you'll often make the mistake of thinking about what to do with the sticks based on your observation of the craft. That means you'll have to think differently depending on a nose in/out or left/right relationship. To fly line of sight confidently means that you have to completely dispense with thinking about what you are doing with the sticks and make the mental leap from the ground to the air. The only way to learn this is to fly, fly, fly and fly! Posts: 634 Threads: 56 Likes Received: 335 in 196 posts Likes Given: 183 Joined: Mar 2016 Reputation: 15 as a person who seen his quad flying away as i was too proud to hit the kill switch... if you are out of orientation... and you don't know... kill it.. do the walk of shame... much cheaper than buying whole new quad All the best Grzesiek (Grisha/ Greg) Curently flyable: Nox 5, Minimalist 112 Bench / in progres: fixing Nox 3, Scrap thinking about building: 450 Posts: 33 Threads: 6 Likes Received: 26 in 15 posts Likes Given: 2 Joined: Jun 2017 Reputation: 0 Lots o' good feedback from everyone. I especially like the straw with flag idea. I'll think of it as my tail rotor. Ha! HOVER OBSESSIVELY Posts: 2,286 Threads: 38 Likes Received: 1,527 in 995 posts Likes Given: 1,881 Joined: Apr 2016 Reputation: 72 (24-Jun-2017, 02:45 PM)gary dahms Wrote: Lots o' good feedback from everyone. I especially like the straw with flag idea. I'll think of it as my tail rotor. Ha! Just stick a big tie wrap on the back of the frame. It won't bend in flight and will give you the perfect visual signal as to where the rear of the craft is. In the end though, you have to develop the skill of being able to deduce orientation from the craft's behaviour. Poor lighting, the wrong background and distance all conspire to make visual cues unreliable. |