AP2000i as a bailout device?

[popome]

Is AP2000i suitable as a bailout device?

I wonder if AP2000i will recover my T-Rex500 particularly when it is inverted and I lose control.

I know Helicommand 3D does the job but I am also checking AP2000i.

Does anyone already use it for the purpose?

Thanks!
Jay

[Ruud Westerhout]

Cannot comment on the AP2000i, but please be aware anyway.
I have the HC and made a mistake to start it of NOT-level. It worked nice, flew around without problems. But when I got into troubles high-up (that's high for me :) ) I had the clever touch to lose the right stick, HC will do the rest. Well yeah f....., it place the heli in the same unlevel position as I started of and I crash through a tree down on earth. My mistake I know, but be aware, do not thrust 100%.

Cheers,
Ruud

[jrohland]

I actually use the FMA Direct CPD4 Copilot. However, the AP2000i can use the same IR sensor as the CPD4. I have tested the copilot extensively as a bailout device. I see no reason the AP2000i would not work in the same basic way.

When inverted, I can activate the copilot and the heli will flip upright and stabilize. If I get far away and am not sure of my orientation, turn it on and move the bird around until I can determine the direction. When I started learning nose in I used it to calm my nerves while taking off and landing nose it. Finally, I used it while learning stall turns. The first few times I tried a stall turn, the heli got in a position I had no experience with. I flip the switch and get stabilized to try again.

Next, I am working on learning backward flight using the copilot. With the copilot on, I can just release the right stick and let the bird level out.

I am learning all this on a sim but, as we all know, the real ones are different from the sim.

I'm sure I could have done these things without the copilot but, it may have saved me a few crashes.

jrohland

[Ruud Westerhout]

While I am sure my HC saved me some too, I am still not so confident it will help me in whatever situation I might get in. No nose-in for me until now, no talking about all those other things :)

Cheers,
Ruud

[popome]

Not trusting 100% is a good piece of advice.

What is the minimum height for a safe recovery from inverted? 20feet?

I try to fly as high as possible when trying something new, but with a bailout device, maybe a littler lower should be ok?

Thanks for sharing your experience Ruud and jrohland!

Jay

[Tonystott]

20 feet? You are joking aren't you? I would be flabbergasted if a heli could flick from inverted to upright and be under control yet only lose 20 feet of altitude. I would have thought at least 50 and maybe more...

Why not just spend more time on the sim instead of expecting miracles? Seriously

[MarkWebber]

As I mentioned before, the AP2000i can flip your heli back over rather quickly. Most importantly, how quick are you going to be on the collective? And when it comes back over, you won't have chosen the orientation.

I started practicing inverted at 60'+. If I timed the bailout right with my collective, I wouldn't lose much altitude at all. It's all in the timing. Theoretically, the AP2000i would be just as capable of performing a stationary flip as your setup allows. Of course, that depends on how well you do your part.

Start higher, fly longer.;)

[popome]

Another crash this morning while trying to invert. I have crashed almost twice every flight while trying something new, and now I am sick of fixing again and again. Sim is also very boring. Can't wait until I give ap2000i a go this week.

Tony, are you flying in Ermington this saturday?

Cheers,
Jay

[Tonystott]

Hi Jay,
I will try and get there next Saturday. Might be with the kite, balloon, scale 450 (Align A109) or my AP Trex - decisions decisions ;D

[jrohland]

The few times I let the copilot flip back from inverted, I was in a stable inverted hover. I activate the CP and tracked altitude with the collective stick. My altitude did vary some but, I doubt it dropped more than a meter or two (3 to 6 feet). Why would you think the heli would drop like a stone? If you are hovering inverted, there is no reason for excessive vertical movement.

MarkWebber is right about the unknown orientation after the bird is righted. You don't know what direction the CP/AP2k is going to go to flip. But, it does not matter as you end up with a stable heli in the end.

Yesterday I was flying on a pretty cloudy day. Sometimes the cloud layer would not let the CP find the horizon. Funny part was I did not know when worked and when it did not. I could only tell when I moved the aileron or elevator hard to see how far the heli moved. As is my wont, I turned it on to pratice nose in. Once, I moved the elevator hard while nose in to fly closer to me. Surprise, the CP was not active. It turned out I was doing nose in much of the time without my cruch. Lesson learned? I know how to fly nose in, I just lack confidence.

jrohland

[robl]

i'm looking into this device for the same thing. I had a copilot so I believe I still have the sensor somewhere. Even without the sensor, if the whole thing costs like 350, still much cheaper than a helicommand. Mostly looking for it on my trex600 to bail me out of mishaps. Obviously I use the sim alot, but its a lot different in real life.

[cogito]

AP2001i works great for bailouts. I use it on a trex600. I could never learn inverted or backward flight (even if I could do it on the sim) until I used the Spartan. I leave one finger on the switch when I try a new and risky maneuver and if I lose control or orientation, I engage the AP2001i and count the money I've saved. I usually, just use it for half a second and switch it right back off, unless I'm using it for AP.

[kaon]

AP2001i works great for bailouts. I use it on a trex600. I could never learn inverted or backward flight (even if I could do it on the sim) until I used the Spartan. I leave one finger on the switch when I try a new and risky maneuver and if I lose control or orientation, I engage the AP2001i and count the money I've saved. I usually, just use it for half a second and switch it right back off, unless I'm using it for AP.
Very interesting.
Are there any videos of the AP2001i recovering bad situations?

[MarkWebber]

I keep thinking I should make a video of it in action but never seem to get around to it. I've demonstrated it many times at funflys but have never had anyone video it.
I wondered if anyone would be happy with the demo w/o a splitscreen showing the tx/heli at the same time. I'm really not interested in going to that length.