Fixed Wing and Planes 101: Stabiliser or flight controller?
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- In this video I take a look at modern fixed wing and aeroplane stabilisers and also compare them to flight controllers that I've used in fixed wing models too.
This video is aimed at those fixed wing pilots who may not be familiar with stabilisers or flight controllers and are looking for an introduction and overview.
Eagle A3-L V2: bit.ly/EagleA3L
Eagle A3 Pro6: bit.ly/EagleA3Pro6
Eagle A3 Super3: bit.ly/EagleA3Super3
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Happy flying!
Wow, that was fast! This answers so many questions for me. Thank you!
You’re very welcome. I was about to make the intro video and your question made an excellent addition! Happy flying!
As a newbie I found this a fantastic video. Your channel is exactly what I need with just "plain speak".Many thanks.
This video was a godsend. I have used an AS3X receiver in an FPV wing for a while now, mainly just to alleviate the jello cam caused by inherent pitch instability. I had alway thought of flight controllers as purely a multirotor thing, but this video makes me consider getting one... An OSD seems like a rather nice addition
Another fantastic production, great insights shared, much appreciated 👍
I've found the Bigaole BGL-6G-AP to be the best all round fixed wing flight controller. I've tried several types over the years but I've now a BGL in almost all my planes and gliders, even my 6 meter FPV scale glider. The BGL are the simplest to use and install, they're also light weight and cheap for what it is. They're a 6 axis stabiliser with RTH and work exceptionally well, I've not had one fail or let me down yet.
Thank you! Great vid! Coming from quads...it answers many questions I had regarding setting up a fixed wing in the traditional manner vs. using a FC. Much to learn, but given my desire to do both LOS and FPV fixed wing, I think i'm leaning towards a FC for all the features, particularly the OSD & telemetry for FPV.
Check out the playlist that is an introduction to fixed wing for quad copter pilots. Includes lots of things like this. Hope it helps.
Thank you for the education on these devices. I just ordered the AR 900 wing and am new to these types of fixed wing AC but I want to have a good first experience with it. It is going to be so much different than flying my quads but I do have fixed wing experience as well.
See my video on useful fixed wing playlist links for lots of useful info for the new pilot.. best of luck
Nice video Lee. I highly recommend the basic A3-L. Often on sale for around $20 and is my favorite low-cost solution to park flyers and windy days. I have used a lot of stabilizers and found that one is the easiest to set up, has gain control at the transmitter (very important), doesn't require SBUS (so can use a basic receiver), still allows acrobatics, and is an excellent value. Looking forward to your video on this topic.
It has SBUS, you just don't have to use it.
Size is rarely an issue in airplanes and I have many receivers, 5 and 6 channel that do not have SBUS. By all means, use it if you want. I like be able to do do both.
Thanks for very good professional explanations !!!
Great video. Thank you for posting.
Been watching your videos for years.... in wishing mode. but recently, I have been flying my XK A1200 plane with gyro. It is really great for somebody like me that over reacts. I have been trying to wean myself from 6D mode by switching into 3d mode. When things get out of hand, an plane goes squirrely, then I switch back into "oh shit" mode. Amazing how fast the plane settles down and I get control. I have a few Flight controllers here that I would like to build into my new builds that are still safely in their boxes. Thanks for the clarity and the video.
A great summary to de mystify this vital part of the hobby. For many years I have run a hybrid system for many of my FPV planes based on the Hobbyeagle A3S2 and S3 stabilisers, with these I run a gps OSD, (Skylark or Ez OSD) for all the vitals, including battery and a home direction arrow. I find this system to be by far the most reliable and most rewarding to fly, never letting GPS monkeys into the pilot's seat.. I've pretty much given up on Inav from a trust perspective. Anyway, thanks for posting another great video, cheers.
Thanks for the feedback, I agree - a few tutorials aimed at fixed wing pilots with little experience with stabilisers could be of value..
Have you ever tried Arduplane on an original Pixhawk? It would change your mind.
I’m loving all of these different options and experiences in the comments for this video. I’ll talk about this in the next video - this is a cool hobby ! :)
I have several Vectors, f4's a pitlab and the hybrids mentioned, a company here in au are selling the ezosd,s for less than an f4 with gps, I had skylarks since long before inav came along. I just prefer the way the A3 stabiliser flies over FC's, although I am doing another build with an f405 and Arduplane, with high hopes.
Excellent Sir.
Thanks for the very useful info. Peace & Love.
i just made a post asking the same question on Reddit the other day. thank you for the video!
I hope it made things a little more simple for you :)
It definitely did. Thank you again sir. Always a pleasure watching your videos
Thank you for laying it all out so that I can understand it without reading a bunch of books! :)
I needed this video!!
The Eagletree Guardian was not mentioned but it preceded the A3 product line and it offers an excellent GUI for setup and tuning including remote gain gain adjustment.
This video doesn’t mention loads of stabilisers as it’s intended as a broad intro to the differences. Happy flying!
Thanks for the video.
Thank you for posting all these videos they've helped me figure out what components I would like to complete a project I started. I'm taking one of my 1/3 scale Decathlon with a DA 70 twin gas engine and setting it up for GPS autonomous flight. Trying the Dragonlink V3 on it while im at it. Will use long range VTX along with a Connex HD Downlink system just cause its sitting around not getting used. Likely will setup antenna tracking too. It's confusing and takes a lot of work trying to figure out which components are compatible and are best. I still can't decide if I want to use Pixhawk Cube with pitot tube, Eagle tree vector, Matek Systems F722 or 405 oh well I'll figure it out.
Thank you again! And if you're around New Orleans Louisiana watch out for out-of-control giant scale airplanes : )
FCC Ham KI5CJS
I will do! Happy flying!
Exellent!
Thanks a bunch.
Fascinating! I've begun to wonder if a stabilizer or controller would be helpful in RC Sailboats. Ardupilot has a point to start and discussion. Fun to think about!!!
There is Arduboat!? :D
@@Painless360 And just like that, I head down another rabbit hole! lol
Such a fascinating hobby!
Thanks this helped me lots
Really nice, Lee! Thanks a lot! 😊
BTW, yesterday I did my 2 first flights with my 2.5 inch quad. Pretty short, because we had to come back... But anyway, the first one ended abruptly because I crashed into a tree. (And I have absolutely no idea from where the tree come from. O.o) The second flight I went higher, but I got confused because I couldn't control it! Only latter I remembered: I was in angle mode! Didn't switched to acro! 😂
Great video Lee, you covered everything 👍 But I would recommend, never use a gyro in a plane your skill level will never increase, however if you really want one I would suggest learning how to fly without one first and then if you decide to put one in at a later time which you probably won't, at least if it fails you will be competent enough to keep flying and land your model. Just like learning to fly a Quad it's best to start in acro.
I understand where you're coming from, the only thing I'd add is that stabilisers aren't just for training wheels for new pilots - they can do a lot more. Not all fixed wing models are easy to fly and forgiving (EDF jets with little wings for example) so a stabiliser can make them a lot more capable and fun to fly.
I find that subjects like this are very much personal preference and there are lots of dearly held beliefs - some quad pilots see ANGLE and HORIZON mode as cheating for new pilots learning to fly quadcopters.
I like fixed wing models that are designed well enough to not need something extra to make it fly well (apart from FPV planes!), for me - I take the view that if it helps you enjoy the hobby (and it's not hurting anyone) then it's all good :D
It depends on if you want to spend time flying your plane, or crashing and fixing it. :)
But seriously, never having a stabilizer will force you to become a better pilot - every mistake will be costly. Some people want that.
Others of us just want to fly around and take some video, not become expert pilots, and not spend thousands of dollars, nor spend 10X as much time fixing planes as flying them.
You are probably a better pilot than I am. You probably spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours more than I did.
It's personal preference.
i've chosen, in my opinion best flight controller, bigaole 6g-ap with gps ( RTH ). SUPER EASY to set and solid. never failed me.
I mostly use Hobbyeagle S2 A2 and A3 as I use 2 independent elevator channels (L and R), because I design and fly my own parkjets. Does bigaole support 2 elev channels? Interesting to have RTH. Thanks in advance mate.
there is one elevator plug but you can use Y- cable
Hey, thx. Well done. :)
Great video learned so much! Do you know if the AtomRC Swordfish has all those features you listed for flight controller? I got the RTH/FPV one but pretty lost. Watching more of your videos to learn 🙏👍
ua-cam.com/video/WoU1LaOWfLo/v-deo.html may help.. best of luck
Thank you so much for your videos. I am a beginner and still learning about RC planes and I've learned so much from your videos. Quick question, when you talk about stabilizers do you mean gyros? or are gyros a type of stabilizer? Thank you so much.
They are. Happy flying!
This is a great video with perfect explanations. Thanks! But I have a question for you: would the HobbyEagle A3 Super II works with combination of power box set used on the big airplane with petrol 50ccm engine? I cannot find any information on this. Thanks in advance !
Miroslav
Not sure, I've not tried that. Best of luck
Thanks
🙏
Hey everyone! I have the A3 Pro Gyro. It's super good for windy days, keeping the plane(FMS Super EZ v4) stable while i test FPV setups. My only problem / project is that I want to be able to add a GPS for at least Return to home. I do not need self land or waypoints, Its just for in case my FPV feed cuts out at a long distance. Is there any way to add a gps to the A3 pro so that i can have return to home? I do not need OSD but a failsafe when i can't see it would make my RC setup perfect. Hopefully you have an idea or any tips. THanks in advance!! great video also
Would you cover the Furions FPV F-35 FC in more detail now that Inav 2.0 is out maybe talk about setting up a stabilizer or FC on a 3 channel plane like rudder, elevator and throttle and also 3 channel plane ailerons, elevator, throttle. Your presentations are so nicely done I look forward to your future videos with much anticipation. Thank You
I have setup videos for the F35 already - check them out.. I’ll be showing the setup of these stabilisers in the next videos. Happy flying!
I would also like to see setting up cross compatibility with Frsky receivers and stabilizers . 🙏
See my series on the S6R. I'm not a fan of the Frsky stabilisers..
Lee - where is the matek405 fixed wing in your thinking ? A few months ago it was all the rage on youtube but now appears to have dropped of the radar
So which self leveling/ trainer mode receiver for a glow engine balsa trainer
Excellent video!!! I have a very fast and short fixed-wing plane "Durafly (PNF) Goblin Racer 820mm EPO".
Do you recommend binding a stand-alone stabilizer with a receiver or getting a receiver with a built-in stabilizer? And which receiver would you recommend for TX16S radio? I was thinking about SxR FrSky. but I can not find any test flight with SxR mounted on a fixed short wingspan plane.... they are mostly mounted on gliders which are relatively more stable by nature...
Thanks for taking the time to reply. 🙏🏼
I've used both and I'm not a fan of SxR receivers from FrSky.It was a good idea but the implementation was terrible. I use things like the KoPilot or the HobbyEagle stuff..
Very good video!
But one thing was wrong from my perspective: Nowadays one can perform automatic landing of a plane with almost every FC which allows autonumous flying. In iNav one just has to evaluate the stall speed of your plane and then define proper waypoints including height and speed for your plane and then land with stall speed at the desired landing point. But even with a $17 OmnibusF4 Pro V3 you can just flash Ardupilot plane firmware on the Omnibus and the take advantage of all the possiblities the Pixhawk has.... That makes auto-landing much easier...
Please remember this is a beginners intro video. If you know that level of detail then you’re almost certainly not one of the pilots this was made for :D A level of abstraction and simplification is always called for in a beginners video like this.. happy flying!
ok, happy flying as well!
Thank you Lee, I got all my aircraft with Inav thanks to you, using omnibus F4 pro V2 and V3, I even repair them when is not power from computer to the usb or not power or movement on the servos due to no power or signal to the servos. For me Inav is been bullet proof. I told people, if you crash my plane, you got a big problems with your hands, because they flight by them self.
Although some regard them as being heretical, I'm quite fond of stabilisers. And not just to save my planes when I mess up (not infrequent) Mostly I use them when the weather decides to change suddenly and the wind rises as they allow me to get lighter planes down safely.
_Although I'm quite used to picking up bits of planes I'd rather not do it_
There is a little bit of snobbery about stabilisers but they can transform some models and my favourite FPV models all have one (or a full flight controller).. my view on this is - if it helps you have fun in the hobby, then go for it! :)
maybe dumb question but can i do fpv without flight controller? i have ar wing pro and stabiliser, tbs crossfire tx micro v2 and tbs rx nano, and will buy tbs unify pro32 hv, and goggles ev800dm, i need fc?
You don't need a flight controller for FPV. See my video on how to add FPV to a model easily.. Best of luck
great video! do you know if it is possible to re-flash older boards such as KK2, MultiWii, etc.. with adhoc firmware to perform stabilization ? I'd be happy to give a second life to those boards
KK2 works quite well as an airplane stabilizer. It even can accommodate servo passthrough so you can control flaps, landing gear, etc. There is a lot of documentation available for how to set it up. A bit complex, but a cheap solution to airplane stabilization.
As Marty already said, KK boards had firmware out quickly for fixed wing stabilisation. Modern stabiliser are cheap and easy to setup so it's a personal thing..
My question is not RC related but it's parallel subject. I'm wanting to implement a glass panel with AHRS and autopilot on my fixed wing amateur built experimental aircraft, a Pulsar XP with a Rotax 912 engine. There are open source solutions and many out of the box solutions but I wondered if a Flight Controller couldn't be used as the heart of an Attitude Heading Reference System with other information available on screen such as vertical speed indication, and a whole host of other useful information. My plane has very sensitive aileron and elevator controls so two simple servos coupled to the push pull tubes via springs that can be manually over ridden to remove all liability involved in an actual aircraft application. Any thoughts on which FC could be used or do you have suggested videos that would be helpful?
Without knowing a lot more about what it is you are trying to do I'm not sure. All FC software can provide AHRS and an OSD and telemetry... Best of luck
I have crashed my fixed wings too many times installing everything from f3 to f7 flight controllers. Due to the current lack of support given by sellers of flight controllers and the complexity involved in tuning flight controllers I have to strongly suggest gyro stabilizer installation. Painless360 and a few other awesome instructors on UA-cam are a very helpful source but even they can only help so much against those unfortunate gotchas that cause nose drives that destroy your planes and ruin your day at the flying field. I took out a f411 wing after a nose drive crash when all I did was switch to acro mode, destroyed my AR Wing completely. I am done with FCs, done!.
When looking into situations like, in every case I've found that the setup missed one or more vital steps. Sorry to hear you've given up but my build series on the channel show the way I get them to work every time. Best of luck!
@@Painless360 ok ok you've talked me back into it 🤣😂🤣. I'll try one more time using your tutorials . Thanks!
Great idea. Being in a wind prone zone it can really help on the takeoff).
I presume you'll include using the programming card as I found to my cost that lugging your PC around is not much fun :-)
*On an unrelated (and rather cheeky note) any chance you could 'up' the contrast on your new background, as I find it a little pale on my 'old codger' eyes (what's the emoticon for crossed eyes :D)*
What new background? Everything is the same as it has been for the last three years..
I really meant the thumbnails in the video lists where they've gone sort of pastel
If you have any suggestions for a unique, eye-catching thumbnail that's still easy to read, still contains useful text (not click-bait!)and isn't the same as everyone else's then I'm all ears! :D thanks for the feedback..
Of you experience which flight control for drons is better from :
Program
Easy install
Repair
Price
Fast control ( give more power than naza v2 )
Please advise
See my kit picks video from August for my recommendations.. Happy flying!
Hey do you know anything about radiolink at9s pro transmitter setup with r9ds receiver? With hobby eagle a3pro?
I have a video on the Hobbyeagke stabs. Check it out... Happy flying
Good day Lee, Not sure if this is something you can answer, can any of the controllers or stabilizers work with the out put from a 72 MHZ receivers out put. I am using several early 90s Airtronics radio and receivers and sure like the idea of some of the options you mention in the video. Ya my planes are all from early 90s as well. Thanks in advance. Jeff
another question, for setting up either a stabilizer or a flight controller, can a Mac be used or only a PC?
A few will still support PWM style input... Best of luck
@@Painless360 Thank you for the quick response. I guess if they say they support PWM I should have a good chance to make it work and be able to make all setup changes with a PC and the manual reversing switches in my TX.
Hi. I have just purchased the ZOHD kopilot lite. I am using Futaba radio gear. Can I use the SBus connectivity system between the ZOHD controller and my receiver without using SBus comparable digital servos????
Yes - see my series on the KoPilot..
can you give me a recommendation on a cheap unit that is up-to-date (today's standards) that would work with a FlySky receiver (6 or 10 channel)? and what is the difference between the 3-axis and the 6-axis gyros? thanks for the video my brother !!!
The one I'm most impressed with at the moment is the ZOHD KoPilot - see my series on it..
@@Painless360 -- ok, little more expensive, but I want to go by your recommendations, as you seem very on top of these products. i'll take a look at your series on this. thanks a ton sir!!
Got my Recruit in the mail today put fpv gear in it and set it up in under 2 hours. First ever fixed wing flight went out to a mile. Plan on learning with the stabilizer and putting a F405 and gps I have out of a quad in it when I get better at flying.
What has to be considered connecting a stabilizer on a wing with two servos mixed on the tranmitter for elevator and aileron? 🤔
Most stabilisers support various fixed wing types - flying wing, traditional and V-Tail.. See the setup videos for them on the channel.. Best of luck!
I have a question for you I have a Nirvana radio when I connected to open TX tells me that is not connected also tells me to go over zadig when I go everything looks good but the radio still tells me that is not connected do you have a video on UA-cam to show me what to do? I believe I have a driver problem but don't know how to fix it
I’ll be making more videos on this when the UndergroundFPV firmware is finally released..
With my health, I need a stabilization system in my planes. I talked to many older gents at the air field that said they would be forced to retire from the hobby if it were not for the Stabilizer. Smaller planes are inherently squirrely and benifit from it. All my mini planes have it. Where I live, wind is a constant issue. We get about an hour at sun up and sunset where the wind does die down enough to fly with no wind. Its really hard to set up a new plane while fighting wind.
We should all fly what we enjoy; there are no right and wrong choices in the hobby if we're having fun and not breaking the law. Wings, quads, air-planes, VTOL, FPV, LOS, cars, trucks, racing, soaring, control line, electric, gliders, IC, glow... whatever it takes to enjoy your time at the field - that's the right answer for you. I've always found that an open mind in the hobby will always let you find new things to try and new experiences to share. Happy flying!
RC Hobbyist Extreme You must be in Kansas. 😅
Can someone suggest a flight controller capable of building a vtol? Just like the v22 osprey
Several of these have vertical setting so u can select vertical stability I planed to use this for vtol on small wings like armini
hiya lee is the Eagle stabiliser ok I just purchased one for my volantex lastweek
Not sure which one you mean.. what is it’s full name?
+Painless360 it's a A3 v2 with 6 Axis lee and I'm sure it's the hobby eagle one it looks like the one at the start of your video and thought it's maybe a good one if you have it in a review video lol hopefully
Hey - it might be a stupid question but it bothers me.
Gyro = stabilizer ?
Can gyro and flight controller be separated from receiver ?
The gyro is a sensor that derects rotational movement. It's one of the sensors that all flight controllers and stabilisers use to detect the movement of the model. It's usually a chip on the PCB so part of the device.. Happy flying
is there a way to center my pan and tilt from a switch ?
Yep. Special functions. Set up one to override the pan channel with 0 (middle value). Best of luck
I tried the A3-L as a budget version of eagletree guardian, it was not very good, did nothing for the model in flight and i feel it was money wasted, but live and learn
I agree. I replaced the A3-L V2 in my build as the stabilisation is very basic with just removal of non commanded movement from the wind and a little help with approaches and take-offs. Much prefer the more advanced stabilisers..
What are differences between those three HobbyEagle stabilizers?
I'll cover that in the setup videos. Tempted to start with the most basic one first and move up to more complex ones..
The HobbyEagle site is pretty good at explaining the features, although it does seem to have 'tweaked' the names of some feaures which can leave you scratching your head. I'm sure Lee will de-mystify these terms.
Hi, can a flying wing fly without a stabilizer?
Yep
While it is possible to do, one reason that 99% of full-sized planes aren't flying wings / blended wing bodies is that wings are not naturally stable. They are hard to fly without electronic stabilization.
Of course, some planes that modelers call flying wings aren't technically flying wings at all.
Would a flight controller gyro be better and if not which gyro would you prefer and why?
Kopilot. It also has GPS RTH..
@@Painless360 Koplit is a flight controller? is it compatible with my spektrum radios?
Check out my Kopilot Playlist ;) Even a video on Spektrum too
@@Painless360 Thanks a lot for your help. I am brand new caveman trying to make space rockets right now and having some success. I watched some educational stuff you made about gyros too so I may ask more questions about it later. Does the kopilot system allow for specific gyro settings? I don't want limited pitch and roll I just want to be able to knife edge and probably ignore unwanted inputs. Also I would like to know if you know anything about rotating wing gyros?
Can you possibly help me to get crossfire setup right on these as simple as it should be, I've just been banging my head.... Thanks andrew
See my Crossfire series where I setup everything. Best of luck
@@Painless360 ty soo much ur a life saver.... I get so scured n it's like all the stress taken right away your the man I'm so thankful
And I have been will continue.. ;p
Please, do you have a link for that Spitfire? Thank you!
I've reviewed two and both are Hobbyking models. See my fixed wing or reviews playlist. Best of luck
@@Painless360 Thank you. That small beautifull one is not available anymore :( (Ultra Micro Spitfire Mk IX BNF)
This is the first time Ive ever seen your face!!!
I’ve been appearing in videos since 6th August when the channel passed the 100k mark. Please make sure you’ve subscribed and click that bell so you don’t miss anything.. happy flying!