It lives...and flies

[Col_M]

I finally got my quad finished and up in the air today, well when I say up in the air it was too dark to go outside and I wasn';t confident in my flying skills having never touched a RC...well anything before I thought I';d better keep it tethered so it didn';t head for me and chop my head off.
I';m aware that flying close to a surface isn';t the best as my own prop wash will cause me problems but it was just to familiarise myself with the controls.

I';m so chuffed, it was in self-level mode so kind of cheating but all seemed to work well. I can';t wait to get out and practice :)

http://youtu.be/w4BrunPKaK8

[Biffa]

Good job

It';s a great feeling when you make something that flies

[fruitsalad]

great stuff 

[guest325]

Well done, welcome to the fraternity!     

[Col_M]

Thanks guys, it';s great fun isn';t it, now I can see why it';s so addictive lol 

I just played around hovering and got to the end of my first battery, well not 100% to the end, my Turnigy voltage detector started doing the beep to indicate that each cell is 3.25-3.4V but my multimeter says that the pack is 11.3V, so 3.7V per cell. That seems pretty inaccurate to me, though it';s on the cautious side of inaccurate so at least damage won';t be done. Is this normal or have I got a poop voltage alarm?

edit: OK, the reason was the jumper had fallen off the 3S pins and was on my bed, that';s not good, I';ll just have to tape it on to secure it I think.

[Gaza07]

Looking good be sure to let us see a video when you get it out side 

[Col_M]

WOW!!!! I took it outside, I didn';t really get outside a 5x5m box in front of me but it was so fun. The quad hovers dead steady with no twitchyness or oscillation, if it wasn';t for a slight breeze I could have taken my thumbs off the sticks (once I managed to keep it at a certain height). Although I was up in the air for quite a while it was more getting my transmitter setup how I like it rather than moving the quad about.

I';ve already learnt so much in the first real flight. I';d seen lots of people recommend adding 50% expo on the pitch and roll, I really hated that, it felt so wooly, however 20% felt good to me. I also found it hard to keep the quad at a stable height bouncing up and down and couldn';t find the point where it would just hover, I was adjusting the throttle travel adjustment but I kept on having to adjust my trim until I got to the endpoint and it wouldn';t go any further which didn';t seem right, turns out you can change the travel adjustment of the upper AND lower travel, I had the throttle stick at the bottom and was changing the lower limit and getting confused why I couldn';t arm the controller again  soon worked out that I leave the lower limit as it is and change the upper limit 

Next time should be all about the getting used to flying now my transmitter is feeling better and comfortable 

[Allanm]

Sounds like a good start. My first flight outside, away from the garden, was on a really windy day. Too scared to do anything but keep it tail in, but I had a great time.  You get more adventurous the more you fly, and your confidence grows.
I have a narrow end of a field at the bottom of my garden, reached through trees and a very high pole with all my weather station gear on. I took mine for a flight up the garden and into the field a few days ago. It was a bit windy, getting dark, and I had no way to enter the field quickly if something went wrong.
It was a heart thumping moment guiding it back into the garden, nose in, but it all went well.
A great sense of achievement and cause for a cold Budweiser!
Good luck with your next flight. Keep it high!
Allan

[Col_M]

Sounds like a good start. My first flight outside, away from the garden, was on a really windy day. Too scared to do anything but keep it tail in, but I had a great time.  You get more adventurous the more you fly, and your confidence grows.
I have a narrow end of a field at the bottom of my garden, reached through trees and a very high pole with all my weather station gear on. I took mine for a flight up the garden and into the field a few days ago. It was a bit windy, getting dark, and I had no way to enter the field quickly if something went wrong.
It was a heart thumping moment guiding it back into the garden, nose in, but it all went well.
A great sense of achievement and cause for a cold Budweiser!
Good luck with your next flight. Keep it high!
Allan

Absolutely! I can see getting cocky and trying too much too fast will just end in a broken quad. I';ll just aim at having fun and try new stuff one thing at a time when I feel I can give it a go, skill and control will soon come I';m sure. I';m in no rush