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Let's talk about "skippy" landings

PatR

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I've been reading a few posts from people that have been experiencing H landings where is skips across the ground, and for some rolls over and becomes damaged. I even had a landing that skipped a bit of my own last week. I have tow H's, one of the originals and one shipped in December/January. Both have firmware about two versions below whet is now released.

Back to landings. Today was finally sunny with fairly light winds so I thought I'd shoot some stills and get some practice in. During all that I went thought a few batteries and the landings required for each one. Along the way I decided to play with landings to see what it took to make the H skip. Just to let ya'll know, I've been flying these things for quite some time and developed a landing technique that works quite well for me. It's nothing complex, just descend straight down after arriving at the landing site and allowing the aircraft to hover for a few moments, facing into the wind, just above the ground (~1') to disperse the vertical energy/velocity of the descent. It always works, wind or no wind.

During the numerous landings executed I was only able to cause the H to start skipping after touchdown three different ways. One was to perform a continuous descent all the way to the ground without slowing the descent to bleed off energy. The H would bounce like a bucking bronc every time. Another was to try to land the H with some forward or lateral motion. If the H was moving relative to the ground it would start skipping upon touch down. Every time. The last was touching down, and before the motors had reduced prop speed, while holding any control input other than minimum throttle. If I let go of the throttle before the prop speed reached idle the H would respond to every control input it was being given. A little or a lot of input didn't matter, it would respond to the extent the input was given. When it did it would either start skipping or lean and try to roll.

So after about 12-15 attempts to make the H do mean and nasty things, not once did the H become uncontrollable. It did at times become fairly unhappy but with every instance where the H began to bounce, skip, or roll, quickly advancing the throttle provided a brisk and controllable lift off, clearing the ground before things got out of control. I've read suggestions that the landing should always be performed at Turtle speed. I hope that isn't true because I always land with the speed slider all the way up, but I do control the descent speed with my left thumb, regardless of the flight mode used. After a few hundred landings the H has only skipped on me a few times, and I fully believe each was my fault. I even land and take off from somewhat angled ground, but do so cautiously, using control inputs to offset the slope. If the slope is to the left I'll hold a little right roll as the H takes off and lands. If the wind is blowing pretty good I hold a little forward stick (nose into the wind) to prevent backwards drift at touchdown. Airplanes and helicopters land into the wind and I don't figure our multirotors are all that much different from their big brothers.

I am not saying that some have not experienced an uncontrollable H but I do think that most of the landing incidents we read about are induced by people that stop flying the aircraft before it has stopped flying, or that have yet to learn how to plan and execute a landing. Until the props have stopped we should remain on the sticks and not become distracted with other activities or conversations until afterwards. If the H gets shaky, abort the landing and get back in the air. Never fully commit to a landing, be prepared for them to go wrong and respond appropriately. We've all read that altitude is your friend and most crashes happen at ground level. Get up and away from the ground and give the landing another go.

Have fun and fly safe.
 
I've been reading a few posts from people that have been experiencing H landings where is skips across the ground, and for some rolls over and becomes damaged. I even had a landing that skipped a bit of my own last week. I have tow H's, one of the originals and one shipped in December/January. Both have firmware about two versions below whet is now released.

Back to landings. Today was finally sunny with fairly light winds so I thought I'd shoot some stills and get some practice in. During all that I went thought a few batteries and the landings required for each one. Along the way I decided to play with landings to see what it took to make the H skip. Just to let ya'll know, I've been flying these things for quite some time and developed a landing technique that works quite well for me. It's nothing complex, just descend straight down after arriving at the landing site and allowing the aircraft to hover for a few moments, facing into the wind, just above the ground (~1') to disperse the vertical energy/velocity of the descent. It always works, wind or no wind.

During the numerous landings executed I was only able to cause the H to start skipping after touchdown three different ways. One was to perform a continuous descent all the way to the ground without slowing the descent to bleed off energy. The H would bounce like a bucking bronc every time. Another was to try to land the H with some forward or lateral motion. If the H was moving relative to the ground it would start skipping upon touch down. Every time. The last was touching down, and before the motors had reduced prop speed, while holding any control input other than minimum throttle. If I let go of the throttle before the prop speed reached idle the H would respond to every control input it was being given. A little or a lot of input didn't matter, it would respond to the extent the input was given. When it did it would either start skipping or lean and try to roll.

So after about 12-15 attempts to make the H do mean and nasty things, not once did the H become uncontrollable. It did at times become fairly unhappy but with every instance where the H began to bounce, skip, or roll, quickly advancing the throttle provided a brisk and controllable lift off, clearing the ground before things got out of control. I've read suggestions that the landing should always be performed at Turtle speed. I hope that isn't true because I always land with the speed slider all the way up, but I do control the descent speed with my left thumb, regardless of the flight mode used. After a few hundred landings the H has only skipped on me a few times, and I fully believe each was my fault. I even land and take off from somewhat angled ground, but do so cautiously, using control inputs to offset the slope. If the slope is to the left I'll hold a little right roll as the H takes off and lands. If the wind is blowing pretty good I hold a little forward stick (nose into the wind) to prevent backwards drift at touchdown. Airplanes and helicopters land into the wind and I don't figure our multirotors are all that much different from their big brothers.

I am not saying that some have not experienced an uncontrollable H but I do think that most of the landing incidents we read about are induced by people that stop flying the aircraft before it has stopped flying, or that have yet to learn how to plan and execute a landing. Until the props have stopped we should remain on the sticks and not become distracted with other activities or conversations until afterwards. If the H gets shaky, abort the landing and get back in the air. Never fully commit to a landing, be prepared for them to go wrong and respond appropriately. We've all read that altitude is your friend and most crashes happen at ground level. Get up and away from the ground and give the landing another go.

Have fun and fly safe.

I new to the H and my first landing I let go of the throttle before shutting the motors down - the H skipped. Now every time I land i do exactly as PatR does, come in to landing area, hover 1 - 2' above the site, then gentle bring the H down. Once the H has landed I pull the throttle all the way down then shut the motors off. Works every time. Skipping / hopping is caused by either landing to fast and it bounces up or letting go / touching controls after landing prior to motor shut off.

Happy and safe landings.
 
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Reactions: Rayray
It's pleasing to hear someone actually tried what was suggested and benefited from it:)
 

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