ElectroMaster

I’ve ordered a few more parts which are needed for phase 1.

EDF Ducted Fan Unit 2.56 inch 6 Blade

This is a fantastic EDF unit, the look, size and specifications are perfect! One problem I see is the motor that I ordered has a shaft of 2.26mm which could pose a problem. But hey, we’ll resolve that problem when we need to.

Hitec HS-55 Micro Servo Motor

Servos will tilt the EDF units, 2 have been ordered. Another component...

Since I've never made anything like this before, choosing these parts was rather hard. I have done as much homework as possible but there is no way to know how well a part is going to work with another until you try it. So here are some details..

Motors: Mystery 5000 Rpm/V Outrunner Brushless Motor D2825-5000

I was rather impressed with the weight a lot lighter than expected and the max current is perfect to allow more air time than orignally thought.

Electronic speed controllers: Mystery 30a ESC

...

After a few solid weeks of being tied up with work, I've managed to get a few hours free, and am going to try and use that time to decide on a Micro Controller.

So since we know most of the requirements it shouldn't be too hard. For the HK to work we need a minimum control over 2 servos, 2 speed controllers, 2 gyros, and about 4 proximity sensors. Other peripherals would be GPS, Bluetooth, and maybe Wi-Fi. We also require the Micro Controller it to be as light as possible. I found a few that meet the listed requirements, there is some really neat stuff out there for this kind of thing.

Qwerk
Features: 340 grams, 32+ IO, 200 MHz ARM9 RISC processor
Pros: Very powerful processor, has Wi-Fi built in.
Cons: Weight and size are an issue.

VEX
Features: 127 grams, 16 IO, PIC18F8520 Processor
Pros: Robust, very powerful processor.
Cons: Weight and size are an issue.

Axon Micro Controller (small...

A big part in this project is choosing the size to build the HK, and also the weight. To figure this out I have been trawling the internet looking for potential motors and batteries that will be suitable. By knowing the thrust of a motor it will allow us to determine the maximum weight that can be supported and then will give us an approximation on how big to built the HK. Also knowing the battery will give us some insight into how long it will be able to sustain flight.

So in my search, I actually came across some great info. It was quite a big learning curve as I never even knew about brushless motors. I was somewhat blown away by their power and efficiency! They are smaller, quieter and more efficient that a normal bushed motor. Excellent! I found one motor which weights 76 grams and can output 1000-1500 grams of thrust. Having two of these would support anything from 2000, to 3000 grams in weight (theoretically). Batteries have also come a long way since I last checked...

I have an idea, a big one. It's going to consume many hours - and annoy the heck out of my girlfriend, but it's going to be awesome! I plan to build an autonomous model air craft based off the Terminator movies, it's call a Hunter Killer, H.K. for short..

Since this is a rather large project I plan on breaking it down into three phases. The first phase will be building the craft (my initial thoughts are to make it approx 50cm long) which will have many hard to accomplish mechanical feats. The first one that comes to mind is solving the power to weight ratio. This will require choosing the correct materials for the hull and also deciding what types of motors, batteries, etc to use which will have enough thrust to lift it off the ground. This first phase is all about building the craft so that it has the engineering to fly.

Phase two, we have the challenge of getting the HK to hover and balancing itself (autonomously). Now, if you search YouTube for "model...