Velos UAV, the ultimate heli?

[Moosewax]

So been eyeing this thing for a couple months; UAV Specs - Velos UAV

Looks amazing, only big heli I know of that has multiple redundancies of major flight critical components. Makes me want to go all out to learn how to fly collective pitch helis, the holy grail of VTOL

Anyone have any ideas what Flight Controller(s) (FC) could be paired with this thing? As far as I know they only supply the frame and drivetrain. They have not responded to my requests for what FCs their clients have used successfully.

Anyways been drooling about it, thought I would share....

Here is a video of the 3D competition version skip to 1min 30sec to see the action;

So yeah if that thing can slam around in 3D I feel better thinking just flying boring old lidar would be no sweat.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[BigAl07]

Thoughts? WoW! When you hear him kick in Throttle Hold (hear the motor spool up but aircraft stays still) you know it's about to get REAL!!

That's a sweet aircraft but I'd say the "Flight Controller" is the HomoSapian on the transmitter sticks. There's probably some sweet channel mixing etc in the Transmitter but in terms of a Flight Controller I'd bet there isn't one. Flight Controllers are for automation etc and that beast is 100% Hands On and stick yanking. No need (or desire) for automation with a fully 3D single rotor aircraft.

I had to watch it again LOL.

 

[John Decker]

Beautiful looking bird and an amazing pilot!

 

[Mike Flys]

So been eyeing this thing for a couple months; UAV Specs - Velos UAV

Looks amazing, only big heli I know of that has multiple redundancies of major flight critical components. Makes me want to go all out to learn how to fly collective pitch helis, the holy grail of VTOL

Anyone have any ideas what Flight Controller(s) (FC) could be paired with this thing? As far as I know they only supply the frame and drivetrain. They have not responded to my requests for what FCs their clients have used successfully.

Anyways been drooling about it, thought I would share....

So yeah if that thing can slam around in 3D I feel better thinking just flying boring old lidar would be no sweat.

Thoughts anyone?

Generally RC helis like this don't come with a Transmitter or a receiver. So you buy whatever you like and install it.
In the video they are flying with a Jeti Jeti USA 1.508.JetiUSA (1.508.538.4872).
When I started flying nitro RC helicopters I had a Futaba, a few years ago I switched to Spekrum
Spektrum - The Leader in Spread Spectrum Technology

If you have only flown drones and want to get into Helicopters I highly recommend you start off with a sim that uses an RC controller for muscle memory.
Go to an AMA RC field and find a heli guy to train you. Generally great people who love to help out.
Learn to hover on the sim before trying to Hover your RC heli.

I started with a nitro Thunder Tiger 50 which had a 48 inch rotor nearly 20 years ago. couple tips from my experience.

• nitro is messy, heli gets coated with it when you fly, and it's an extra system you have to take care. I recommended sticking to electric helicopters.
• Bigger is more stable. start with a good sized copter, not a small one.
• Big RC helicopters are serious, not that your drone prop can't take a finger, but a 48 inch rotor blade spinning at 1800 RPM has a tip speed of about 250 mph and it can take your head.
• Velos Cool carbon fiber heli. looks very expensive. probaly very expensive to repair after a crash as well. First crash of my Thunder Tiger 50 was flight #35. Repair bill was $150
  
  At the local field I learned to fly at in Henderson NV (Las Vegas) we had a young kid that could really rock and he won world champ.
  Alan Szabo jr
  
  
  Here is a video of him flying a Thunder Tiger 90 back in 2007 at the field I used to fly at when I lived in Vegas. Don't get bored at the long inverted hover near the beginning and leave, he was just waiting for a plane to land... the good stuff is coming.
  

being over 10 years ago the tech has really improved since then.
Here is Alan flying electric at last years Las Vegas Funfly held every year at the field I learned to fly at

 

[Mike Flys]

I have just been flying my drones for the past several years and only have a couple small helicopters.
I have been feeling the urge to fly helis again and have been looking at the Blade 230 S V2 as a good way to get back into it.

Will have to think about it some more.

 

[John Decker]

...being over 10 years ago the tech has really improved since then.
Here is Alan flying electric at last years Las Vegas Funfly held every year at the field I learned to fly at

I'm several years behind technology (on a good day). This guy looks like he's about 10 years ahead! Amazing skills.

 

[Mike Flys]

I'm several years behind technology (on a good day). This guy looks like he's about 10 years ahead! Amazing skills.

The same guy taught us both to fly RC helis, but I never picked up the 3d. Alan on the other hand surpassed our mentor.

Alan learned when he was 12.... I learned in my 30s.

If I get back into Helis I would like to work on my 3d skills.
RC helicopter skills really help flying drones (multi-rotors).

 

[R.Perry]

Interesting, I've never flown RC aircraft or helo, one thing I wonder, can he fly straight and level, lol. Too unrealistic for me. I'll stick with drones.

 

[Mike Flys]

Interesting, I've never flown RC aircraft or helo, one thing I wonder, can he fly straight and level, lol. Too unrealistic for me. I'll stick with drones.

Generally tail in hover is the first thing an RC helicopter pilots learns. Can be tough for some of us... took me hours. then tons and tons of hover practice before forward flight. Nose in hover, left hover, right hover,.... then flying vertical and horizontal boxes... much more work than a drone. also while fun to fly helicopters are nearly a stable a camera platform as a drone.

When I got and flew my first Phantom (Phantom-1) after a decade of flying RC helicopters I couldn't believe how easy it was to fly.... hell you can set the controller down and forget about it. couldn't do that with RC helicopters.