Hard Deck Function

[jdd1]

Originally Posted by Cailid

So it uses a barometric altimeter?

I thought those had a lag time in sudden altitude changes.

Hi Cailid,
No the altimeter gives instant altitude changes to the CoPilotII.
Jack

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

The math is simple..
100MPH nose dive or tail slide..
50 feet seems a safe window to recover the bird.
As I stated...
If your doing smack 3 feet off the deck this isn't your piece of hardware.
But if you want to learn 3D and notworry about rekitting your helicopter in the process I see this as a great learning tool
.

I guess I would make it configurable. I often fly less than 50 feet up but I fly my big helis like glass slippers. I seldom end up doing 100 mph nose dives or tail slides. My crashes are typically less dramatic than that.

[jdd1]

Originally Posted by rdlohr

Well, it would not have to be all that complex to set up boundaries. Have a "learn" mode where you fly the heli along the limits of where you want it to stay. It keeps the gps coordinates for future control. This would not account for birds or other things that move into your defined area, but I wouldn't call that much of a limitation. It could be as easy as flying some circuits. I would enforce setting an area where all the trees and such are outside the area.

Hi rdlohr,
The problem we encounter attempting to do this is the GPS delay. It is about two seconds and the aircraft can move a long way in that time.
Jack

[jdd1]

Originally Posted by stevehof

I don't understand this point. If the recovery is supposed be automatic without thought from the pilot, why the requirement to move the throttle/pitch lever?

Hi stevehof,
When the helicopter is placed in the upright position and control is returned to the pilot, if the throttle/collective pitch lever is still in the negative position the helicopter will be forced down into the hard deck again and that would initiate an emergency recovery again.
Jack

[Azlum]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

The math is simple..
100MPH nose dive or tail slide..
50 feet seems a safe window to recover the bird.
As I stated...
If your doing smack 3 feet off the deck this isn't your piece of hardware.
But if you want to learn 3D and notworry about rekitting your helicopter in the process I see this as a great learning tool
.

I don't see any math there.

What if I'm doing smack 20 ft up? 30 ft? 40?

I don't see many people doing smack at twice the height of an average house.

I can turn your earlier statement around and say I find it disappointing that some people will so strongly defend a product they have never seen operate at the field.

No offense intended. Just saying there is nothing wrong with people coming in here and offering their opinions whether they are negative or positive. If you have a problem with that then you shouldn't have posted it on a forum for people to openly discuss.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Heli Maine]

I’m certainly not an advanced pilot and seldom get above 50’ (maybe for about a 1/3rd of each battery). Part of that is probably because I only fly a 450 size machine - maybe someone with a larger machine that flies at higher altitudes would find it useful. However if the technology is aimed at newer pilots (majority likely starting with a 450 size) then I think there may be an issue.
Once again I’m not trying to downplay the technology – just pointing out one of the reasons I personally wouldn’t chose the option.

[sutty]

I've been waiting for this module. I even equipped my 600 with the CPII specifically for this, and then just waited. Works incredibly as it is at ER, but I have to flick the switch. If HD can do this for me at a prescribed height, just as fast as it does now, with control of collective too, then how good is that. I mean, how good is that! I don't care if it isn't GPS, and doesn't have RTH, I can fly well enough to bring a heli back anyway, especially if and when it has just recovered from a mistake and is just sitting there in a nice stabalised hover, waiting for me to just turn it around.

Cannot wait to get my hands on one. If Jerry is getting numbers 1 through 6, I want to be number 7, lol, and if it is as described, I will soon be wanting a whole bunch more.

Really, cannot wait.

Cheers

Sutty

[Crash71]

Not on the iPhone ... Goes to the screen, but the dialogue box is empty. Is there a release date?

[jfluegel]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

I think all the people who are condemning this hardware will see the advantages one the videos are posted as a positive training tool
As to the minimum height, even with my tired old eyes 50 feet is easy to see, if your at the point that you can do smack 3 feet off the deck , there is no point for you to use this hardware.

I do have to say this..

I am completely and utterly amazed and disappointed that so many would put down such a piece of technology with out ever even having seen it operate in the field.

I'm glad I was taught to follow a different path with this hobby and in life in general..

I have to agree with you night. I am absolutely astonished at the number of snobes on here that are condeming this technology it just blows my mind. All this whining about "too many sensors" or "its another piece of electronics to fail" or "it's going to make newbies even more dangerous". Give me a break. I have only been at this a short time but I find it hard to believe anyone enjoys crashing. I understand that all of you who pioneered this hobby went thourgh an unbeliveable amount of trouble to fly the early helicopeters and I take my hat to you for being so dedicated. But just because new technology has come along to make things easier to learn this is not a legitimate reason to hate it. If it's not something you want to use, fine don't use but why try to denigrate it? This is how capitalism works..a company sees a need that they think they can fill so they develop products to fill that need. If they are wrong and there is no market for it, or if it doesn't work as advertise it will fail on its own.

[jdd1]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

Lets look at that a moment...

Example..
A pilot decides he wants to attempt doing a pyro flip...

Same in both cases..
Takes his machine up say 60 feet and 50 feet away..
With out the HD ..
Starts to go inverted and begins the pyro, and loses his/hers orientation 3/4 way through the move.
Result .. the bird more than likely starts to head earth bound, and the pilot is now struggling with the stick to regain position.

With the HD..

The helicopter will breach the HD, the system will engage, recover the helicopter and return it back up to the predetermined altitude.

How and where do you find this to be a danger?

If you believe this to dangerous or that someone will be putting them selves or others in danger..
There are some people who thought that mounting firearms on RC helicopters is a great idea and a lot of fun..

I'm sorry I do not see your point.. other than you really disapprove of this technology.

This is a tool to be used for practice and training...
When used correctly can be a great aid in helping pilots.

There is a saying I grew up with.." God loves angles and fools because he made so many of them...."

Will some do foolish things with this hardware.. most likely, but do not blame it hardware.

Just a note regarding this comment. "The helicopter will breach the HD, the system will engage, recover the helicopter and return it back up to the predetermined altitude." The hard deck module will not return the aircraft to the predetermined altitude when set up in the Hard Deck mode. It just get the aircraft upright and stable an then returns control to the pilot. You may in fact be several feet below the hard deck. At this time the CoPilot is still stabilizing the aircraft and will continue to do so until the aircraft ascends to a altitude above the hard deck. As long as the aircraft is below the hard deck it is stabilized and CPII will not allow it to be roll or flipped upside down. This prevents the pilot from fighting the CoPilot to the point the pilot forces the aircraft into the ground, especially if the stick priority is set very high. What will happen if the pilot attempts to roll or flip the aircraft below the hard deck is: as the attitude of the aircraft reaches approximately 30 degrees then CoPilot momentarily takes over bringing the aircraft level. If the pilot continues holding extreme cyclic then the process will continue to reoccur. From the ground you will see the aircraft bobble 1) indicating the aircraft is below the hard deck and 2) prevents the pilot from forcing the aircraft into a crash.
Jack

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by Azlum

I don't see any math there.

What if I'm doing smack 20 ft up? 30 ft? 40?

I don't see many people doing smack at twice the height of an average house.

I can turn your earlier statement around and say I find it disappointing that some people will so strongly defend a product they have never seen operate at the field.

No offense intended. Just saying there is nothing wrong with people coming in here and offering their opinions whether they are negative or positive. If you have a problem with that then you shouldn't have posted it on a forum for people to openly discuss.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I have no issue with someone posting an opinion based on fact, not based on something they have never seen in action.
And no offense
You know exactly what my experience is with this platform???

[Mixmaster Pilot]

I would use the technology if the deck was 20 feet, but 50 feet may or may not be useful to me. I'll reserve judgement for now.

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by jdd1

Just a note regarding this comment. "The helicopter will breach the HD, the system will engage, recover the helicopter and return it back up to the predetermined altitude." The hard deck module will not return the aircraft to the predetermined altitude when set up in the Hard Deck mode. It just get the aircraft upright and stable an then returns control to the pilot. You may in fact be several feet below the hard deck. At this time the CoPilot is still stabilizing the aircraft and will continue to do so until the aircraft ascends to a altitude above the hard deck. As long as the aircraft is below the hard deck it is stabilized and CPII will not allow it to be roll or flipped upside down. This prevents the pilot from fighting the CoPilot to the point the pilot forces the aircraft into the ground, especially if the stick priority is set very high. What will happen if the pilot attempts to roll or flip the aircraft below the hard deck is: as the attitude of the aircraft reaches approximately 30 degrees then CoPilot momentarily takes over bringing the aircraft level. If the pilot continues holding extreme cyclic then the process will continue to reoccur. From the ground you will see the aircraft bobble 1) indicating the aircraft is below the hard deck and 2) prevents the pilot from forcing the aircraft into a crash.
Jack

Thank you Jack
Readers digest version often leaves out the finer point

[jdd1]

Originally Posted by Lighty

The price of heli's and parts will shoot up, as you will never crash.

Hi Lightly,
Or aircraft become easier and safer to fly resulting in increased sales making the price of parts and kits cheaper.
Just a thought,
Jack

[Adventurer]

Originally Posted by Crash71

Not on the iPhone ... Goes to the screen, but the dialogue box is empty. Is there a release date?

I believe that Flash does not work on iPhone. The date is Summer 2012, nothing more specific than that.

[Azlum]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

And you know exactly what my experience is with this platform???

Be very careful where you care to take this

Do you know mine? How about everyone else in the thread? You made an insulting blanket statement basically saying it's not ok for people to have a negative opinion about this product.

This is a discussion forum and all opinions are valid.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Heli Maine]

Originally Posted by jfluegel

This is how capitalism works..a company sees a need that they think they can fill so they develop products to fill that need. If they are wrong and there is no market for it, or if it doesn't work as advertise it will fail on its own.

Personally if I were the developers I would want to hear constructive criticism prior to mass producing something. I think the 50’ boundary, among other concerns, are legitimate. What the developers decide to do with those concerns is up to them – just as consumers we can decide to either buy or not buy the end product.

[FLAME747]

When are we going to get to see a pic of the module, dimensions,

I've got 4 new planes thats waiting for this system, and possibly a new heli

FCA

[jdd1]

Originally Posted by Heli Maine

I agree with a couple of others – 50’ just seems too high to be of much use to most people. Wouldn’t the vast majority of pilots be in constant recovery mode????

Hi Heli Maine,
I also agree, we would like to get this number lower and as beta testing continues we may be able to do just that. However, it may not be a lot lower. Time will tell.

Right again, highly advanced 3D pilots that constantly fly low will not be able to make use of the Hard Deck mode except possibly to learn more new and advanced moves with some degree of safety to their aircraft. Some pilots may choose to have a second aircraft setup solely for this purpose alone. I do in fact use this approach.

I find it much like flying a simulator that allows us to attempt new things without it costing us dollars and repair time. I personally can't force myself to practice fly on a simulator. I always intend to but never do. The hard deck mode allows me to do the type of thing I would do on a simulator but in real life flying and enjoying a lot, lot more.
Jack

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by Azlum

Do you know mine? How about everyone else in the thread? You made an insulting blanket statement basically saying it's not ok for people to have a negative opinion about this product.

This is a discussion forum and all opinions are valid.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Your quite correct..
And everyone is entitled to their opinion here, But I base mine on facts.
But I do know this..
None of you have flown this unit.