Electric Stunt > New electronic technology

Why Fly-By-Wire exists

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Kim Doherty:
Almost since I flew my first control line model (TD-4) in 1960 I began to understand the need for a better way to teach someone how to fly a control line model. I certainly did not "get it" on my first few flights. (thank god for rubber bands and grass) In fact I did not really learn how to fly in a true controlled manner till I was 9 years old. (1963).

As time wore on and I began to wear out I could see that control line was in trouble. That was a long time ago. At that time I had no idea as to how you could make a really easy to fly trainer that would not crash. One day a few years ago while watching Pat Mackenzie fly a foam F3P model in a gym it came to me. If you were going to build a crash proof trainer you had to tell the pilot of the crashing model to straighten his hand out and level the plane. Of course you would never have enough time to do this so I needed a better solution. Why not just seize control from the pilot before things get really out of hand. There was just one long problem, the pushrod. The pushrod had to go. What to replace it with you ask? Why of course, a servo. And why a servo? Because if the bellcrank and the control surface are not connected mechanically I could seize control and redirect the model back to safety regardless of where the pilot's hand was. And thus was born the idea of control line fly-by-wire.

I have a reasonable idea of how to determine whether the model is right side up or upside down and climbing or diving. I think I can make the model take off under it's own control, climb to say ten feet and then let you "play" inside the hemisphere (or control how much of the hemisphere you can play in) then level off and land.

Having the original post of pictures of a bellcrank moved to an area not connected to electric flight without so much as a heads up from the moderator is rude. I put significant effort into documenting the parts to be able to share with all modelers. Now that effort has been undone.

I must say that the negativity towards the idea and the veiled implication that I might be cheating if I used such a model and put in a very good flight has left me questioning whether any further effort in this regard is warranted. You are certainly entitled to your opinions but not to disparaging my character. Judges and fellow competitors I may fly in front of or with may read these posts and form an opinion not based in fact. It is too late to tell me that that was not the intent as the damage has been done.

If Kim Doherty puts in a great flight with a fly-by-wire model (which I am quite capable of doing without this system) then I must be cheating.


Incredibly disappointed,

Kim.

ChrisSarnowski:
Maybe the moderators are not as skilled as Sparky and could not move just the last part of the thread to the debate-zone.
I would like to see the technical info returned to this section. Sparky can you help?

-Chris

Igor Burger:

--- Quote from: Kim Doherty on August 28, 2013, 05:29:17 PM ---I have a reasonable idea of how to determine whether the model is right side up or upside down and climbing or diving. I think I can make the model take off under it's own control, climb to say ten feet and then let you "play" inside the hemisphere (or control how much of the hemisphere you can play in) then level off and land.

--- End quote ---

So do it Kim, we will certainly applaud you. The biggest trouble here is that you take all too personal. It is not about YOU, not about "cheating Kim", it is and always was about RULES for stunt. The problem is that RULES cannot prevent anyone using FBW from cheating. And it is clear that anyone having well working FBW system vill see how to push it further. Now you described your autopilot, Doug wrote about gyro, I wrote about quadcopter robotics, it is eavrything doable with existing technology. We simply 1/ are not able define what is and what is not cheating and 2/ cannot inspect and verify if that defined cheating is or is not used. That is reason why I think the controlls IN OUR ACTUAL STUNT should be mechanic.

As I wrote - I will be happy and I will enjoy some "open class" with all allowed ("all" because we cannot define what exactly), but I am sure that it will be constest of 3 or 4 persons on planet, and I simply want my old friends fly with me longer.

Crist Rigotti:
Well said Igor.

Mike Anderson:
As for moving the thread - the original thread had nothing to do with electric power for models.  It had to do with control systems ...

as does this one.

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