Any news on FMA's new co-pilot system?

[Howard Matos]

Originally Posted by Joey.S

Thank You Sir,

I have one other question for you, The cp2 will be installed on Predator NX with the torpedo muffler. The manual says you should have the vertical sensor 12in from the engine and muffler. The torpedo is a big muffler and I wanted to mount the vertical sensor on the tail boom mount oposite side of the muffler approx 4in away. Will this be a problem?

I dont know where else to mount the vertical sensor so it has a clear up and down view.
Thanks
Joe

Hi,

The sensors have a 120 degree viewing angle. You can imagine this as cones coming out of the ends of the sensors. So long as the muffler is not within the area of the cones, then you should be fine. The main sensor is more critical than the vertical sensor with regard to the heat signature of the muffler. Try to mount the main sensor as far away as possible from the muffler and try to keep the muffler from obscuring the view of any of the main sensor's windows; otherwise, you will get trim changes during flight.

[Joey.S]

Originally Posted by Howard Matos

Hi,

The sensors have a 120 degree viewing angle. You can imagine this as cones coming out of the ends of the sensors. So long as the muffler is not within the area of the cones, then you should be fine. The main sensor is more critical than the vertical sensor with regard to the heat signature of the muffler. Try to mount the main sensor as far away as possible from the muffler and try to keep the muffler from obscuring the view of any of the main sensor's windows; otherwise, you will get trim changes during flight.

thank you.

[232323]

Interesting product...might be just the thing for a first time flyer. Any thoughts?

[vanguy]

I would suggest you learn to hover without any flight stablization aid. Once you can hover and do basic flight then get the copilot 2. I think going through a few crashes initiatially was good because it taught me the workings and set up of the heli. Once you accomplished hovering and basic flying, most of your crashes will be from lost orientation which the copliot 2 can help greatly.

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by 232323

Interesting product...might be just the thing for a first time flyer. Any thoughts?

Anything and everything you would need to know or want to know about how the CPII works and performs is covered through out this forum.

Pretty much any question you could come up with most likely as be asked and answered.


nightflyr

[vanguy]

Nighflyr, you seem to be an expert on copilot. I have a few questions:

On the pitch and roll gain which at default is at 70% and 50%, what are the effects if you were to increase or decrease them?

If you go inverted but the copilot is set at level flight, what happens if you just let go of the stick?

During the preflight check up, it shows pitch and roll degrees, just what do they mean?

Thanks.

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by vanguy

Nighflyr, you seem to be an expert on copilot. I have a few questions:

On the pitch and roll gain which at default is at 70% and 50%, what are the effects if you were to increase or decrease them?

If you go inverted but the copilot is set at level flight, what happens if you just let go of the stick?

During the preflight check up, it shows pitch and roll degrees, just what do they mean?

Thanks.

On the pitch and roll gain which at default is at 70% and 50%, what are the effects if you were to increase or decrease them?

Gain determines how far Co-Pilot II moves the servos for a given
deviation from level flight. When gain is set high, the servos
move a lot. When gain is set low, the servos move a little.

If you go inverted but the copilot is set at level flight, what happens if you just let go of the stick?

If you have recovery set up on the CPII it will snap the aircraft over into a level attitude

During the preflight check up, it shows pitch and roll degrees, just what do they mean?

If I remember correctly, these are what the CPII adjust to for level flight.

nightflyr

[vanguy]

Night, thanks but still not clear on the pitch and roll gain. I understand the part that the servo move a lot or little but what does that mean in flight terms. Say I set them both to zero, what impact to the flight behavior?

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by vanguy

Night, thanks but still not clear on the pitch and roll gain. I understand the part that the servo move a lot or little but what does that mean in flight terms. Say I set them both to zero, what impact to the flight behavior?

If you set gains @ 0 the servo's will not move to correct back to level flight..

If say, you have the gains set at defaults. If your flight angle is say 30 degrees from level the CPII will correct back to level in about 3 seconds, if you increase the gains with the same off level angle it will correct back to level flight faster by causing the servo's to travel further thus increasing the correcting angle.

nightflyr

[vanguy]

OK thanks. what gain values do you have? Should I just leave it at default?

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by vanguy

OK thanks. what gain values do you have? Should I just leave it at default?

If your just starting out go with the default settings and see how they work for you, you can always change them later on with the programmer to suit your needs.

nightflyr

[Dingo]

Hey Vanguy. Apparantly there is no need to concern yourself with pitch and roll during preflight check.

[Donald Dicharry]

At the embarrasment of sounding like too much of a simpleton, I've got to ask how to use the 3 way switching capability of the CPII once airborn. How many channels do you need on your radio, and how do you manage switching between the 3 flight modes?
Do you need a 7 or 8 channel radio ? How about a slider switch? Never have seen one.
I read that you can use the gear or gain channel on a 6 channel such as my existing 6EXP as a switch, but isn't that only a two way or off and on switch, and how do you set it up so that the gyro is still powered up?
Too many questions, but I was hoping not to have to buy a new radio.
Thanks,
Don

[Philup]

I'm a tad confused as to your reference of "3 way switching"?
You either turn it off or on....simple as that.
I have it set up with a DX7 although I believe it can be used with a 6 channel.
I simply use my Aux. 2 switch to either turn it off or on. That's about all there is to it except for the settings that you can implement on the computer.

~Phil~

[nightflyr]

A 3 way switch will allow the level flight function, inverted flight and off

[n6nev]

http://www.fmadirect.com/support_docs/item_1284.pdf

http://www.fmadirect.com/support_docs/item_1283.pdf

it work just great- same a flying a cx3- just let go of the stick and Bingo, you are in level flight, I tryed and tryed to confuse the bird by moving the stick front, back, side to side, and always the same result Level Flight I love it No more fear of the 400. and it works in my front yard with cars, houses, trees. Lary

[Donald Dicharry]

Regarding the 3 way switching, please read the last paragraph right column of the manual, page 22. Here's my question: Does anyone know what has to be done to set up 3 way switching on a transmitter ? I don't doubt that it is based on the same principle as gyro gain < 1.5ms is rate mode , 1.5ms is 50% and > 1.5ms is HH mode.
Not sure I would want to try switching modes while flying. I would be paranoid about looking at my TX to make adjustments while flying.
Maybe there is another way to handle the switching which only requires the flip of a switch(s) i.e. Channel 7 switch off and on in normal (not idle up) mode. Then channel 7 switch OFF/ON in idle up mode?
I guess it's obvious that I'm confused. Maybe someone can tell me that in flight mode level flight, the CP II will recover to normal flight when sticks return to normal, no matter what crazy attitude or position I'm in while trying a 3D manuver.
Anyway, speaking of switches, I thought some electronically inclined member might find a use for a switch such as this one:
http://www.rk2trade.com/rk2trade/pro...roducts_id=176
Thanks,
Don