FlushVision
Premium Pilot
Ii recon it's more of a tick box exercise to satisfy insurance companies and mitigating against litigation. "look, it's been serviced...here's the completed form to prove it".
Can you Trust your Typhoon H
- Thread starter KEITH KUHN
- Start date
-
- Tags
- drift upon landing
Yep like the MOT. Once you driven away it's not valid, only at time of testing.
FlushVision
Premium Pilot
At the risk of drifting off topic I remember once having a motorbike MOT'd and it passed with flying colours. No advisories...nothing. But I thought there was something amiss with it. It just didn't feel right. So at my earliest opportunity I went to a dealer telling them that I was interested in buying a new motorbike. I looked at a new bike (it happened to be a Suzuki GSFSAK9) and said "I want that...what will you give me in part-ex for mine?" knowing full well that he would inspect mine so as to give me a figure. He inspected it and found that the rear wheel swing arm was about to drop off. If that had happened the entire rear of the motorbike would have broken loose and if that had happened at speed I could easily have been killed. It should never have passed an MOT. It was dangerous. The tester should have picked up on it and didn't. He probably just did a tick box jobby and used his time saved to have a cup of tea and chat up the receptionist.
Although I was offered peanuts on the part-ex I bought myself a GSFSAK9 that day (I still have it) and the next day I reported the MOT test station to the authorities...whether the ministry took action I don't know but I never went back to that station again.
Bottom line is that even at the exact time it's being MOT'd and passed doesn't mean it's safe. I don't trust anything with moving parts 100%
Ultimately, the bottom line is that the H (or any other drone) is as trustworthy as the skills of the pilot operating it... unless there are some outside circumstances influencing the outcome. The recent crashes of 787s would be a good example... even the pilot's skills could not overcome the programming of their anti-stall sub-routines.
PatR
Premium Pilot
That’s a procedure some of us have suggested for a long time. The aircraft does not land any differently but by putting the nose into the wind the type of different control inputs needed to keep the aircraft stabilized are easier for the pilot to deal with. Those inputs are more attuned with actions the pilot has learned well enough they no longer have to think about what needs to be done. Instead they react automatically.
Into the wind also aligns the landing gear with the flight path, setting down on two skids instead of one. We should remember that if any wind is present during a hover the aircraft is “tilted” some amount into the wind to maintain hover position. When the aircraft touches down that tilt affects how the gear legs touch down. Ideally we want both legs to make ground contact at the same time. If the aircraft is broadside to the wind it will always touch down on one side, one skid first and the pilot needs to continue controlling the aircraft in a manner that prevents the aircraft from suddenly dropping onto the elevated gear leg. If landing on uneven ground broadside to the wind that is even more critical.
Landing nose into the wind makes for a landing where pitch control is the primary position control input. Broadside to the wind requires a complex, constantly changing mix of pitch, roll, and at times yaw to maintain a balanced aircraft.
Those that can input control offsets intuitively have fewer problems landing than people that fly reactively. The distinction is obtained with lots of flight experience.
Into the wind also aligns the landing gear with the flight path, setting down on two skids instead of one. We should remember that if any wind is present during a hover the aircraft is “tilted” some amount into the wind to maintain hover position. When the aircraft touches down that tilt affects how the gear legs touch down. Ideally we want both legs to make ground contact at the same time. If the aircraft is broadside to the wind it will always touch down on one side, one skid first and the pilot needs to continue controlling the aircraft in a manner that prevents the aircraft from suddenly dropping onto the elevated gear leg. If landing on uneven ground broadside to the wind that is even more critical.
Landing nose into the wind makes for a landing where pitch control is the primary position control input. Broadside to the wind requires a complex, constantly changing mix of pitch, roll, and at times yaw to maintain a balanced aircraft.
Those that can input control offsets intuitively have fewer problems landing than people that fly reactively. The distinction is obtained with lots of flight experience.
Last edited:
This thread contains a wealth of information. Glad I found it as it, may save me grief in the future.
rdonson
Premium Pilot
“A man’s gotta know his limitations” - Harry Callahan
“A man’s gotta know his drone’s limitations” - anonymous drone pilot
“A man’s gotta know his drone’s limitations” - anonymous drone pilot
DCH
Dr. FrankenPhoon
This is sound advice! Reading and understanding the manual beforehand is paramount to safe operation and successful missions. And this forum is an excellent place to clear up anything you do not understand in the manual. What puzzles me is how many new owners have never read the manual when most times they had shipping wait time that could have been spent studying. My favorite question -and a dead giveaway- is "Where do I put the SD card" This should be grounds for immediate confiscation!
I had a Typhoon H for two and a half years and a Typhoon H Plus for over a year and I trust both. I believe many problems occur from a lack of familiarity with operations and or a lack of diligence in preparations and/or preflight, post-flight and maintenance.
Early on I had a few tip overs with the 480 until I figured out that upon landing, the Rate Slider needed to be on High, or Fast. Once I learned the proper technique it was never a problem again.
By the same token we know there are instances where Typhoons have had failures of some sort, enough to cause a crash that was not the pilot's fault but these are component failures and are very rare. Every crash is NOT the drones fault.Could one of us have a drone that at some point will go nuts with no hope of stopping it? Yes. But what are you going to do, quit flying??
The other day I was on a job and upon take off the Plus set about on a 5 MPH drift to its right, . . . right towards some trees. I was able to stop the movement and quickly diagnosed that this was likely to be dirty pot - it was. I was able to bring it back to me and hand catch without issue. The point here is that; because I do not assume things will not go wrong or; will always go right, and by reading this forum on a regular basis I was able to understand what was happening and why which; allowed me avoid any issues.
The simple fact is these are complex systems made with cheap parts that can, and will fail, and it is up to us to be; up-to-speed enough about these issues to recognize and diagnose a problem and then execute a solution.
So as an operator of this type of system IMHO, its best to have an attitude that goes like this - It's not the drone I don't trust - it's me.
I agree to a certain extent.
One person said expect the unexpected.
Keith
I like the Red Button method also
Keith
PatR
Premium Pilot
99% of landing problems are not due to the aircraft or flight controller. They are induced by pilots that (a) don’t know how to land (b) have to think about what they do before they recognize what needs to be done (c) apply the wrong control inputs (d) fail to understand if the drone touches down on an uneven surface they must continue ti control the drone until both gear are firmly on the ground (e) apply some amount of yaw or roll input after the gears legs are planted but before the motors achieve idle.
There are more reasons but the short version is they have yet to gain the skill from experience to do what needs be done when it needs be done. There’s also recognizing that any amount of stick deflection induces a reaction from the aircraft when the auto pilot is armed for flight.
But it’s pretty convenient and easier on the ego to blame the aircraft. It takes time to develop skills.
There are more reasons but the short version is they have yet to gain the skill from experience to do what needs be done when it needs be done. There’s also recognizing that any amount of stick deflection induces a reaction from the aircraft when the auto pilot is armed for flight.
But it’s pretty convenient and easier on the ego to blame the aircraft. It takes time to develop skills.
I've had a few incidents where a dog has appeared from nowhere and want to assist me in a quick landing. The one was very persistent and would wait behind a tree, as soon as I got down to 6ft it would come bounding out and jump up to catch it.
After 2 attempts I managed to shoo it off, then the owner appeared from somewhere and took the dog, I wonder if it was done deliberately.
After 2 attempts I managed to shoo it off, then the owner appeared from somewhere and took the dog, I wonder if it was done deliberately.
FlushVision
Premium Pilot
I sometimes have to shoo them off from peeing on it when it's on the ground. Once I'd just finished a job and took my high vis off and placed it on the ground while I was packing up. A dog promptly trotted over and sh'it on my high vis...bast'ard
I had a Typhoon H for two and a half years and a Typhoon H Plus for over a year and I trust both. I believe many problems occur from a lack of familiarity with operations and or a lack of diligence in preparations and/or preflight, post-flight and maintenance.
Early on I had a few tip overs with the 480 until I figured out that upon landing, the Rate Slider needed to be on High, or Fast. Once I learned the proper technique it was never a problem again.
By the same token we know there are instances where Typhoons have had failures of some sort, enough to cause a crash that was not the pilot's fault but these are component failures and are very rare. Every crash is NOT the drones fault.
The other day I was on a job and upon take off the Plus set about on a 5 MPH drift to its right, . . . right towards some trees. I was able to stop the movement and quickly diagnosed that this was likely to be dirty pot - it was. I was able to bring it back to me and hand catch without issue. The point here is that; because I do not assume things will not go wrong or; will always go right, and by reading this forum on a regular basis I was able to understand what was happening and why which; allowed me avoid any issues.
The simple fact is these are complex systems made with cheap parts that can, and will fail, and it is up to us to be; up-to-speed enough about these issues to recognize and diagnose a problem and then execute a solution.
So as an operator of this type of system IMHO, its best to have an attitude that goes like this - It's not the drone I don't trust - it's me.
I agree.
We must check check and double check
Keith
LOL
WOW
I'm curious how you derived 99%, is it based on a dataset or did you just make it up? I agree with your common sense piloting advice, however I disagree with your speculation. The issue I have with the H is that the position hold is too strong and slow precision flying is like trying to gently pull a speaker magnet off a refrigerator. Ty Pilot stepped up and shared his broken line TX channel curves, however it was just a good faith attempt at a workaround and doesn't address the root cause. Turning off the GPS before landing eliminates the position hold and makes it possible for an experienced pilot to maneuver the H with precision. I would also turn off the altitude hold before landing, if that was possible. I know when the H has touched down, I do not trust that the flight controller does.
PatR
Premium Pilot
I pulled the number out of my backside but I’m certain it’s pretty close to on the money.
Those that have flown many different types of aircraft over a ling period of time learn that each type of aircraft have their own specific idiosyncrasies based upon their general design, thrust angles, wing loading, center of gravity, and power to weight ratio.
The ST-16 is not terribly sensitive, although people with heavy thumbs might think so. The H itself does not need to be overly stable in hover as the drift that does occur is relatively slow. People with talent have the ability to deal with it, both in their speed of response and the level of response.
I’m not trying to insult anybody, just state facts; without an autopilot and GPS a very large percentage of multirotor fliers could not fly. They are being carried by a stabilization system. Without GPS they could not fly a straight line from one end to the other. Lacking GPS they prolly can’t keep the aircraft hovering within a 20’ circle if any wind is blowing. Some people think they are hard to fly but the truth is they are designed to make it possible for the most ham handed and inexperienced to fly them.
Think I’m full of it? No problem. Ask Ty for his opinion of flight skills with most multirotor pilots. Personally, I can fly any fixed wing aircraft or multirotor and not crash. So can Ty, and Phaedrus. We, and others like us, share common ground in having a considerable amount of RC experience flying much more difficult to control aircraft than consumer drones. Multirotors, specifically consumer drones, are the easiest to fly and most boring aircraft you can get your hands on.
If you want to know how good you are, turn off the GPS and Smart mode and fly two 50’-75’ long figure 8’s in opposite directions, fly back to the take off point, rotate the aircraft 180* and repeat the two figure 8’s backwards. Maintaining reversed orientation, fly back to the take off point and execute a spot landing “tail in” on a 2’ square mat. For each figure 8 maintain the front and back of the aircraft in line with the intended flight path.
Hopefully you have a 5-8mph wind to “help you out” like I did during my flight test for a line inspection job, using several different aircraft I had never flown before that day.
Those that have flown many different types of aircraft over a ling period of time learn that each type of aircraft have their own specific idiosyncrasies based upon their general design, thrust angles, wing loading, center of gravity, and power to weight ratio.
The ST-16 is not terribly sensitive, although people with heavy thumbs might think so. The H itself does not need to be overly stable in hover as the drift that does occur is relatively slow. People with talent have the ability to deal with it, both in their speed of response and the level of response.
I’m not trying to insult anybody, just state facts; without an autopilot and GPS a very large percentage of multirotor fliers could not fly. They are being carried by a stabilization system. Without GPS they could not fly a straight line from one end to the other. Lacking GPS they prolly can’t keep the aircraft hovering within a 20’ circle if any wind is blowing. Some people think they are hard to fly but the truth is they are designed to make it possible for the most ham handed and inexperienced to fly them.
Think I’m full of it? No problem. Ask Ty for his opinion of flight skills with most multirotor pilots. Personally, I can fly any fixed wing aircraft or multirotor and not crash. So can Ty, and Phaedrus. We, and others like us, share common ground in having a considerable amount of RC experience flying much more difficult to control aircraft than consumer drones. Multirotors, specifically consumer drones, are the easiest to fly and most boring aircraft you can get your hands on.
If you want to know how good you are, turn off the GPS and Smart mode and fly two 50’-75’ long figure 8’s in opposite directions, fly back to the take off point, rotate the aircraft 180* and repeat the two figure 8’s backwards. Maintaining reversed orientation, fly back to the take off point and execute a spot landing “tail in” on a 2’ square mat. For each figure 8 maintain the front and back of the aircraft in line with the intended flight path.
Hopefully you have a 5-8mph wind to “help you out” like I did during my flight test for a line inspection job, using several different aircraft I had never flown before that day.
Similar threads
