UAS

What

Arduino based auto-flight, auto-land drone.

Goals

• Command surfaces.
• Command throttle.
• Demonstrate RTS/preflight.
• Short, straight line flight coupled with "safe" landing.
• Fly an oval retaining a static altitude
• Circle up to altitude, then circle back down and land.
• Circle up to altitude, then dive down and land.
• Perform multiple "Go Around" test landing passes.
• Fly a longer flight plan.
• Test failure modes.
• Bonus: attempt to fly thermals!

Why

Because it interests us.

Of course, this is nothing new. It's all been done before, but not by us.

Design

going to take an arduino, or arduino like system, and have it control a model airplane. This drone will have an on board GPS for position (3D), heading, and speed. Will need the Gyro to know if we are level, or to hold a certain position in a bank or turning maneuver.

See Drone/Design

Bill of Materials (BOM)

Auto Pilot

• Maple Mini as the in craft controller?
• GPS Receiver ~$60.00
• accelerometer or Gyro (3 axis)
• Proximity sensors (for autoland)

Aircraft

• Bixler Looks like a good place to start. Lots of surfaces to control, plenty of room for avionics, and reasonably priced.

Some other fun aircraft:

• HobbyKing SkyFun as the craft
  • Note: make sure to get a redundant craft. I, or my s/w defect, will surely crash and destroy one...
• Servos X 3 (two control surfaces plus throttle)
• Predator Fairly large. Lots of goodness?
  • review great info.
• Reaper cool.

Coms

• XBee PRO 900 XSC? or...?

Misscelaneous

• Camera?

See Also

• INS @ Wikipedia