VE6AB Technical
APRS RC Sailplane In The Works
In the near future, I will be installing an APRS TNC/transmitter package in this sailplane.
The on-board all up APRS module will communicate with the Kenwood D710 mounted in my mobile parked nearby, digipeating the packets from the sailplane into the APRS Network, and then displaying the flightpath of the sailplane on aprs.fi.
In the photo, I had just finished up with flying my Radian 2 meter sailplane as seen here with the Spektrum transmitter.
This particular sailplane has an electric motor mounted up front that is used initially to launch the sailplane, and once it reaches altitude, I shut the motor off, and a electric brake is applied folding the blades against the fuselage, where they stay unless I apply power to the motor once more.
Once the sailplane has reached soaring altitude, and if there is any rising air, the use of the motor is not required to keep the sailplane in the air.
Telemetry on board the sailplane includes a variometer that keeps me informed as to when the sailplane flies through rising air, and I am able to keep track of whether the sailplane is climbing or sinking based on the announcements from the transmitter that is communicating with the telemetry module on board the sailplane, and relaying vario rise/sink rates via the speaker in the transmitter.
The Kestrel handheld weather station shown allows me to check on the wind conditions on the slopes I'm flying the sailplane from, and from what direction the wind is blowing.
Click on the photo for a closer look.....
