Jan 22, 2023 Flight Test

Owned by Anonymous
Last updated: 2023-01-26 by Hamza Ali
3 min read

 Overview |  Required Persons During Test |  Success criteria |  Pre-Flight Test Checklist |  Flight Test Debrief | Motor discussion post-flight

 Overview

Requested by:

@Anthony Luo | @Conall Kingshott | @Megan Spee | @Daniel Puratich

Required Subteams

Firmware, Mech, Electrical

Requested Date

Jan 22, 2023

Summary & Goals

12s Thrusts testing - Cornflakes

Approved?

Yes

 

 Required Persons During Test

Name

Role

Reason

Name

Role

Reason

 @Sahil Kale

 pilot

This test flight require manual control from the pilot

@Nathan Green

pilot, flight test coordinator

Manual control needed, experienced flying cornflakes

 @Daniel Puratich rep from electrical

 data analyzer

Collect the data on voltages, current draw. etc. (if available)

@Conall Kingshott | rep from mech

observing Flight performance

Fly the fixed wing to get an understanding of Cornflakes flight performance (if available)

@Hardy Yu

Flight test coordinator

Help to setup and maintain the test flight (if available)

@Hamza Ali

Safety, Taking pics

Safety first, pics for soc media

Other attendees

Name

Role

Name

Role

 @navya

 Supporting

@Alison Thompson

Taking pictures; supporting

@Andrew Wright

Supporting

@Darwin Clark

Supporting

 Success criteria

Tests

Success Criteria

Requirements

Outcome

Tests

Success Criteria

Requirements

Outcome

Trust testing

prove that the new 12s motor are powerful enough for Cornflakes.

  • Fully charged batteries and ZP are ready for test

  • collecting the data on voltages, current draw, etc.

  • analysis the flight performance and the electrical data

Produce feedback on the current design

Prove cornflakes is working.

 

 Pre-Flight Test Checklist

Item

Owner

Item

Owner

vehicle books

@Leads

test flight location booked

@Leads

Batteries Charged

@Daniel Puratich @Ethan Abraham

RC_Link Charged

@Daniel Puratich @Ethan Abraham

Cornflakes

@Conall Kingshott @Nathan Green

Props ready

@Conall Kingshott @Nathan Green

@Daniel Puratich @Ethan Abraham

@Sahil Kale

@Flight test coordinator

@Hamza Ali

@Daniel Puratich @Ethan Abraham

@Daniel Puratich @Ethan Abraham

@Nathan Green

 

 

 @Daniel Puratich @Ethan Abraham

@Leads

 pre-Flight Test Brief

  •  

Flight Plans

 

 

SitRep

  • Observed motor #2 not spinning during ground testing

  • Stopped arming process, checked on the motor

  • Pulling the ESC wires caused it to start working again

  • Re-armed and things seemed resolved, original issue seemed to be isolated

  • Situation was fine on the ground, observed no issues, so assumed would be fine on the air

  • Aircraft takes off and flies in a stable manner for a handful seconds

  • Motor #2 pauses slightly, and then continued to spin in the sky

  • Shuddering happened, causing more stress on the airframe

  • Motor stopped spinning for good, caused banking towards the dead motor

  • Pilot banked aircraft to to the right to save and level the aircraft before impact

  • Reduced power to try to maximally preserve the frame

  • Right before the crash, aircraft almost levelled off

  • Hindsight:

    • Move to fixed wing flight on ESC Failure?

 Flight Test Debrief

  • Validated motor thrust, and were able to verify the 12S architecture

    • Motor current was 40A

    • Hovering around 50% throttle

    • Successful in flying in VTOL mode

    • Good control authority with pitch/roll

    • Weather waning feature issued yaw

  • Good safety protocol

    • No one got hurt (apart from cornflakes)

  • Unable to properly test pitch, roll, yaw

  • Unable to test transition

  • Have cutting tools for cleanup

  • Signal wire shorted losing ability to control motor

  • Rushed flight caused an error

  • Is it worth delaying over time fixing?

  • Wiring issue should not try to be fixed on the spot

    • Bring spare parts for ESCs that are wired

    • Always try to keep the option to swap motor and ESCs

  • Better casing for ESCs to prevent cable issues from ever happening

    • Plan out harnessing beforehand

  • Don’t let harness bare stress, and should be on the airframe

    • Ensure things don’t have unnecessary shorts if not required

  • Took off too close to the car

Action Items

  • Pix hawk setup documentation

  • Wiring diagram

  • Solder 2 remaining ESCs, and plan to bring extra motor and ESC

  • Repairing and rebuilding cornflakes

    • Determine timeline and labor

  • Schedule time for lunch/food

  • More walkie talkies for communication

  • Purchase more cutting tools to speed up disassembly?

  • Need better ESC covers and harnessing

  • Superior connectors for wiring

  • Place ESCs farther away from motors

  • Heat shrinking wires from the ESC

  • Make explicit calls for criteria to cancel and UN-cancel a flight test

  • Evaluate timelines for competition sim

  • Require fewer dependencies on people who are off-site

Cautionary Items

  • Getting there: leave directly and arrive at WRESTRC - no detours

  • Add a contact method for everyone attending a flight test

Inventory Recap

  • Lost 1 VTOL motor

  • Frame bent

RCA

Jan 22, 2023 - Cornflakes