The General Drone-Related Thread

Fitted a data radio to my S550 hexacopter, its working brilliantly, I can set up to 16 waypoints so it can fly a programmed route while I control the camera and frame the shot, it's all programmed on an iPad.
Takes a bit of getting used to, I had to resist the temptation to take back control and let it do it's thing, although I did bust some props due to a failure with the landing gear, but has nothing to do the autopilot, just tarot not providing long enough skids on landing gear designed to 650 sized aircraft.:(
 
Can I be referred to any Phantom 3s with a now reduced price tag due to the Phantom 4 release please
 
My new hex with the props removed

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It would seem the CAA are in the throws of attempting to preempt EASA and deregulate drones up to 4 kg.

That could lead to disaster in my view.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
It would seem the CAA are in the throws of attempting to preempt EASA and deregulate drones up to 4 kg.

That could lead to disaster in my view.
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I don't think it will, most hobby drones fly with GoPro sized cameras and weigh around 1Kg or less.
The biggest I've built and flown was an 850 size that weighed in at 2.5Kg approx.

and most hobbyists are turning to 250 sized racers for FPV, similar to my mini hex RD290 which weighs in at around 700g approx.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Because I think there are a lot of people currently sensible enough not to fly their phantoms in congested areas. But if the rules are taken away I can imagine them falling into stadia and all manner of public events.
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I'm sure they'll keep the common sense rules that say do not fly over people or events like stadiums.
 
Rob 80386 said:
I'm sure they'll keep the common sense rules that say do not fly over people or events like stadiums.
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The reason I said this could lead to disaster is that total deregulation for sub 4kg drones is being considered.
 
The CAA are naturally risk averse, but in recent years have been taking a much more pragmatic evidence-based approach to aviation safety. It is nearly a decade since they deregulated sub 115kg microlights in terms of airworthiness requirements, and more recently this has been further relaxed to allow most other single seat microlights out of regulation up to 300kg mass. Pilot qualification and restrictions on airspace still apply but the fact that there are no longer requirements for design consideration and continued airworthiness says a lot about how far the CAA have come.

In the absence of significant evidence of incidents involving hobby drones it might therefore seem perverse for the CAA to continue to regulate a kilograms worth of plastic and lipo battery buzzing around at tree height.

To stop the numpties going mad in the face of potential CAA deregulation for drones, perhaps it would be much more appropriate to use existing privacy and anti-social / nuisance legislation to prevent their misuse.
 
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Ricardodaforce said:
The reason I said this could lead to disaster is that total deregulation for sub 4kg drones is being considered.
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I have to admit I'd read it as the EASA int to deregulate them, but the CAA is opting out and leaving them regulated. But only had a quick read.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
It would seem the CAA are in the throws of attempting to preempt EASA and deregulate drones up to 4 kg.

That could lead to disaster in my view.
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Do you have a link to this as a cursory such has not thown up anything pertinent
 
MWHCVT said:
Do you have a link to this as a cursory such has not thown up anything pertinent
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I'm a member of ARPAS and its being discussed by the association. They have representation at a high level with the CAA so I am assuming it has some credence.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
I'm a member of ARPAS and its being discussed by the association. They have representation at a high level with the CAA so I am assuming it has some credence.
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So there's nothing official right now then, will be interesting to watch the development of this situation
 
Ricardodaforce said:
The reason I said this could lead to disaster is that total deregulation for sub 4kg drones is being considered.
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I know its last year's paper on the subject https://www.easa.europa.eu/system/files/dfu/204696_EASA_concept_drone_brochure_web.pdf

but I think an open category for drones would be great, they're not removing the regulations, just relaxing them a bit for hobbyists.

the problem with any kind of regulation is that its a paradox, those that are flying dangerously/illegally are ignoring the regulations anyway, so tightening them up doesn't make any difference, it just affects those doing things properly and safely, better policing of current regulations is what's needed.
 
Drone operators are not helping themselves one iota. A drone (or part of it) hit the Flying Scotsman at the weekend, fortunately the locomotive wasn't damaged and nobody was hurt. It shouldn't of been flown within 50 meters of it. People are clueless of the regulations and many choose to ignore them.
 
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Blank_Canvas said:
Drone operators are not helping themselves one iota. A drone (or part of it) hit the Flying Scotsman at the weekend, fortunately the locomotive wasn't damaged and nobody was hurt. It shouldn't of been flown within 50 meters of it. People are clueless of the regulations and many choose to ignore them.
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Looks like the police have identified the idiot.

TRANSPORT police are investigating after part of drone collided with the Flying Scotsman on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The device was flying next to the steam train as it passed between Grosmont and Pickering on Sunday when its camera became dislodged after the device struck a tree.

British Transport Police has warned people to keep drones at least 50 metres away from trains or they could face prosecution.

Inspector Bob Moody of British Transport Police said: "While no damage was caused to the train, we would like to point out that the use of drones, or any other small unmanned aircrafts, within 50 metres of a train is prohibited and is an offence due to the fact that they can cause an obstruction and endanger the safety of the train.

“We have identified the person responsible and officers will be speaking to them in due course."
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http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14351263.Drone_hits_Flying_Scotsman_on_North_Yorkshire_Moors/
 
Dave1 said:
Looks like the police have identified the idiot.
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Some perspective though. A train vs a camera this size of a go pro. I'm actually surprised they even noticed. :police:
 
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boyfalldown said:
Some perspective though. A train vs a camera this size of a go pro. I'm actually surprised they even noticed. :police:
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But someone did notice. What do you think this would do to the face of the driver or fireman if they were leaning out of the cab and it struck them ?

Seriously, is it really worth getting a Criminal Record over ? That's the perspective idiots need to consider !
 
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Blank_Canvas said:
But someone did notice. What do you think this would do to the face of the driver or fireman if they were leaning out of the cab and it struck them ?

!
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Did that happen then?

75g of go pro vs 100t of train. I imagine it had them worried for their safety :)

I agree some people do them selves no favours.
 
There was far more danger of chipped paint or having someone's eye out in the camera scrum at every station.
Someone even fell on the tracks in front of it.

Incidentally the camera is not even half the weight of gopro as the recording gubbins is onboard (assuming it was a phantom or similar) It is only a lightweight case and plastic lens with sensor inside.
Restricting or better banning golf and any other ball sports which have horrific accident stats including innocent passers by would achieve far more.

There is the most peculiar rabid hatred, fear and loathing mostly generated by Daily Mail et al.
No imagined danger from tiny camera or plastic blade can be too exaggerated.
Most likely the real reason for the hate is that high hedges no longer afford privacy for those with things to hide.

This is practically the only realistic assessment I've seen
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33008257
 
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Just decided to get myself a new drone, had a phantom 1 a year ago and decided to get a 4 today. ,Should be here in a few days but I'm away for another week before I get my hands on it.
 
Saw a brief clip of a Hydrogen cell powered drone. Now that COULD make a decent sized bang if it was flown into! Missed most of the drone racing in (?)Dubai - what I did see looked like a video game.
 
I've ordered a P3 Advanced, not only does it have camera control from the ground, its smaller than my hex, making it easier to transport to the shooting location.
 
I've still got a few contacts in the aerospace world. One of them tells me that engineers and pilots are equally unhappy with any possibility of drones being sucked into an engine. As he put it: "If someone's daft enough to operate near a jet they're daft enough to have something heavy and hard on the bloody thing." (his expletive)
 
Anyone any recommendations for a back pack style bag for the phantom 3?

Just something, I can put the phantom in and put in the boot, of the car. Don't expect, I'll be hiking with it, so doesn't need to be too robust.

Or is it a better idea to just re-purpose a camera style backpack?
 
This question goes out to the P3 owners, have you noticed any cracking of the arms where the motor mounts are?
 
Rob 80386 said:
This question goes out to the P3 owners, have you noticed any cracking of the arms where the motor mounts are?
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Mine is one of the first units and no sign of it doing it, but there seems to be a lot of reports that they have cracked around the screw holes.
I get the impression far more cracks are reported from the US than here - though of course they have sold far more there....(temperature extremes?)
I don't think it's as big a problem as those complaining suggest, and they strengthened the shell design late last year so newer ones should be less prone.

The arms do cope with tremendous forces and you can minimise the risk by ensuring props are balanced and avoiding over-exuberant flying - it is after all primarily a camera platform not a stunt quad..
 
An article for the "drones are too small and light to do damage" brigade to consider.

Drone smashes through office window, hits man

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Cape Town - David Perel was sitting at his desk on the fifth floor of a Cape Town building when a drone smashed through his window and hit him in the head.

Perel decribed the unexpected incident on YouTube, saying: “While sitting at my desk I head what sounded like a missile followed by a huge bang and glass all over me. Turns out someone lost control of their DJ drone. Lucky to be uninjured!”

He also tweeted: “Fair to say I thought a bomb had gone off under my desk or something of the sort!”
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http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afr...mashes-through-office-window-hits-man-2006991
 
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Amazing, it only broke one prop, and the motors stopped immediately so we could here the comments inside - how did that work?
Looks like a fake to me.
You definitely wouldn't be able to fly one through a typical UK double glazed unit.
It might break a single glass pane, like a football could do.
 
I also think that's a fake just by the lack of glass fragmentation and distribution I would certainly expect to see fragments of glass covering the desk where the drone had landed.

What's more concerning is the linked video of the drone striking the tip of the port side wing which breaks off as the aircraft flys right overview the city. The very easily could of got sucked into the engine or damaged a rudder.
 
4wd said:
The arms do cope with tremendous forces and you can minimise the risk by ensuring props are balanced and avoiding over-exuberant flying - it is after all primarily a camera platform not a stunt quad..
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Note to self stay out of ATTI mode, not because I can't fly in ATTI mode, it's because I start doing silly things like fast banked turns and YAW sweeps when in ATTI, if it had a full manual mode I'd forget about the gimbal and start flipping and rolling it. :D
 
not sure i need a drone to go a km away though tbh...i do like the dedicated controller and the motor redundency
 
4wd said:
But six rotors presumably means it can fly with one failed.
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Yes it can and I've had that experience too.
In one of my flights three props bust mid-flight, luckily on opposite sides and I was able to land it under manual control without crashing.
 
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