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Hi guys I see Im not alone but can anyone help please with my H drifting when I land, I have recalibrated everything but still cant put this bird down where I want to.
H just keeps on drifting
- Thread starter Bpwants2ski
- Start date
Check the sticks in the Hardware Monitor. Do they follow your movements both fast and slow without lagging? Do they return to the null position when you let go?
If that is working okay, then when bringing the TH in to land position the AC over your intended landing zone at about 10 to 15 feet altitude and let it stabilize its position. Once it settles, bring the TH down in a steady descent and hold the left stick down until the props go to idle and then use B1 to disable the motors.
If you are just a few feet above the ground the TH is a little squirrelly from the prop wash.
If that is working okay, then when bringing the TH in to land position the AC over your intended landing zone at about 10 to 15 feet altitude and let it stabilize its position. Once it settles, bring the TH down in a steady descent and hold the left stick down until the props go to idle and then use B1 to disable the motors.
If you are just a few feet above the ground the TH is a little squirrelly from the prop wash.
You need to look at what the lights are telling you when it's doing this. If you are getting orange flashes, that means you are struggling to maintain GPS, so you should gain height, above all the obstacles around you, and then stop doing directional input and wait for it to re-establish a position lock, which should leave it still in the air, and not drifting. If you then only move the throttle, then it should stay straight all the way down.
If you don't get orange lights, and things stay purple, then the chances are your drift is being caused by stick problems. Have you checked those in the hardware monitor to make sure that the Roll control is working reliably ?
If you don't get orange lights, and things stay purple, then the chances are your drift is being caused by stick problems. Have you checked those in the hardware monitor to make sure that the Roll control is working reliably ?
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- Joined
- Jan 13, 2018
- Messages
- 42
- Reaction score
- 5
- Age
- 67
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2018
- Messages
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- Reaction score
- 5
- Age
- 67
How far off the ground do you mean? You mention landing, Is that a few feet off the ground before touchdown, then it can be a little unstable and wander from the draughts from the props on the ground, or is this higher up. The description is vague.
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Here's a suggestion. Make sure you are landing nose into the wind facing away from you. What cleaner are you suing to clean the sticks?
CRC QD Electronic Cleaner. You can pick this up at Home Depot
Are you comfortable hand catching the H?
Hand-catching is a good half of the answer to solving this problem because if the H is doing epic drifting it is a waste of time and effort trying to land it in one specific spot - it's nearly impossible. But unless your GPS module is seriously failing (or otherwise compromised by the environment), that drift should stop within seconds of you releasing the controls. Sure this means you don't choose the exact landing spot, and if it's suitable you could just land it there. But often, where it stops is not suitable.
But, if you are always careful to fly with a big wide open space around you, so that you have the freedom and lack of obstacles to just watch it drift without having to fight it all the time, you can just wait for it to position-lock, then walk to it, drop throttle (without any directional input) and hand catch it if the ground underneath it is unsuitable for landing. This has never failed for me ; every time I have had landing time drift this technique has saved me and the craft.
If it doesn't stop drifting shortly after you release the controls then you should fight it back with the roll stick to the opposite side of the space from the direction it is drifting, then let it go and try for position lock again. If it just won't find that position lock, then the last course of action is to raise its altitude to 3 ft above your head height, position yourself in its way and catch it as it drifts past, timing your motor cut carefully so that it turns off in your hand in the shortest possible time after you are touching it. If you catch it with a relatively firm grip at the top of the landing gear, and keep your arm held high, you minimize any danger to yourself if there is a small delay between catch and motors off in which the craft may try to fight you. If it does, hold on tighter - you can win that battle.
But, if you are always careful to fly with a big wide open space around you, so that you have the freedom and lack of obstacles to just watch it drift without having to fight it all the time, you can just wait for it to position-lock, then walk to it, drop throttle (without any directional input) and hand catch it if the ground underneath it is unsuitable for landing. This has never failed for me ; every time I have had landing time drift this technique has saved me and the craft.
If it doesn't stop drifting shortly after you release the controls then you should fight it back with the roll stick to the opposite side of the space from the direction it is drifting, then let it go and try for position lock again. If it just won't find that position lock, then the last course of action is to raise its altitude to 3 ft above your head height, position yourself in its way and catch it as it drifts past, timing your motor cut carefully so that it turns off in your hand in the shortest possible time after you are touching it. If you catch it with a relatively firm grip at the top of the landing gear, and keep your arm held high, you minimize any danger to yourself if there is a small delay between catch and motors off in which the craft may try to fight you. If it does, hold on tighter - you can win that battle.
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FlushVision
Premium Pilot
The Typhoon H is a very capable sUAS but as mentioned above, care must be given to the good maintenance of the sticks since they can be a bit prone to oxidization on the pots. But the main cause of drift when landing is from ground effects from prop-wash. Also, you can see some strange things happen if your battery power is low and you are landing at first warning (14.3v). If your hardware monitor shows no problems with the sticks, then the likely cause is the ground effects or low battery.
Again, as mentioned above, GPS could be an issue...particularly if there are tall structures nearby (GPS Mask), so try to land in a place free from nearby structures including trees. Hand catching is another way to land your aircraft...I hand catch about 50% of the time.
Here is an example of a pretty good landing...
Again, as mentioned above, GPS could be an issue...particularly if there are tall structures nearby (GPS Mask), so try to land in a place free from nearby structures including trees. Hand catching is another way to land your aircraft...I hand catch about 50% of the time.
Here is an example of a pretty good landing...
'Pretty good' is too modest - that's a perfect landing, with no drift issues in sight, and the softest kiss on the grass as it goes down
FlushVision
Premium Pilot
Thank you @AeroJ , but I've also had my fair share of bumpy landings too. The above landing is what I always aim for, but don't always achieve.'Pretty good' is too modest - that's a perfect landing, with no drift issues in sight, and the softest kiss on the grass as it goes down
It just dawned on me that you should always face the aircraft into the wind just like a fixed wing or helicopter. The TH is harder to tip over front to back, than side to side in the wind.
I do this without even thinking and sometimes overlook what I call the simple things when dealing with other people, because I have been an aviation fan since I was a kid.
I do this without even thinking and sometimes overlook what I call the simple things when dealing with other people, because I have been an aviation fan since I was a kid.
Hi @AeroJ!
I thought orange is indicative of a compass error. Loss of GPS gives us a buzz/on screen warning, does it not?
@FlushVision: nice video. Counterpoint: “all landings a crash landings. A good landing is one where the pilot walks away in good shape. A great landing is when the aircraft can be used again!”
Heard that from more than one pilot.
Jeff
FlushVision
Premium Pilot
Agree. I see orange as compass error. I also like your counterpoint.
Yes I think you're right there. Occasionally I have had both at the same time, hence the possible confusion. But thanks for the correction.
I don't know about the rest of you guys, but my TH's both drift badly when they get into the prop wash nearing a landing. This isn't an every time occurrence but it's frequent enough that when it doesn't happen I'm mildly surprised.
But.... with the TH we have a simple solution. It's the little red button. Get your TH in position just a foot above the landing location, wait for a reasonably steady moment, then hit the kill switch and hold it down. Your TH will settle comfortably onto earth and shut down quickly avoiding the teetering toppling prop wrecking slow roll tip-overs it enjoys doing so much.
Just my 0.02
But.... with the TH we have a simple solution. It's the little red button. Get your TH in position just a foot above the landing location, wait for a reasonably steady moment, then hit the kill switch and hold it down. Your TH will settle comfortably onto earth and shut down quickly avoiding the teetering toppling prop wrecking slow roll tip-overs it enjoys doing so much.
Just my 0.02
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