/
2024-06-29 Houston 2 First Time Flight Test

2024-06-29 Houston 2 First Time Flight Test

Owned by Yuchen Lin
Last updated: 2024-07-12
7 min read

Admin Preparation

Requested By

@Yuchen Lin

Goal Summary

Houston 2 first-time Flight test

Status?

status:DRAFT / status:SUBMITTED / status:WAITING FOR SUB-TEAM REVIEW / status:APPROVED

Desired Airframe

Pegasus 1

Date(s)

18th May 2024

Testplan

Test 1: Prove basic Flight performance

Procedure

Goals / Objectives

Knockoff Criteria

  1. Battery plugged in

  • Mission planner no pre-arm warning

 

  1. Bring the drone to the flightline

  • toggle safety switch

 

  1. Enable logging

 

 

  1. Take off the drone in Stablize

  • verify drone flight performance

  • Drone unstable

  • unable to establish VLOS

  • Timer threshold:

    • flight time exceeded 5 min.

    VBatt below safety threshold: 10V

    • QLAND immediately, disarm when landed.

    • Recover drone & gather state of batteries

    Lost link

    • Follow lost link procedures. Maintain vlos if possible.

    • Contact necessary local authorities.

  1. Switch Flight mode to Alt Hold

  • verify drone flight performance

  • Drone unstable

  • unable to establish VLOS

  • Timer threshold:

    • flight time exceeded 5 min.

    VBatt below safety threshold: 10V

    • QLAND immediately, disarm when landed.

    • Recover drone & gather state of batteries

    Lost link

    • Follow lost link procedures. Maintain vlos if possible.

    • Contact necessary local authorities.

  1. Switch Flight mode to Loiter

  • verify drone flight performance

  • Drone unstable

  • unable to establish VLOS

  • Timer threshold:

    • flight time exceeded 5 min.

    VBatt below safety threshold: 10V

    • QLAND immediately, disarm when landed.

    • Recover drone & gather state of batteries

    Lost link

    • Follow lost link procedures. Maintain vlos if possible.

    • Contact necessary local authorities.

  1. land the drone

  • disarm the drone, Toggle safety switch

 

Test 1: Tuning

Procedure

Goals / Objectives

Knockoff Criteria

  1. Battery plugged in

  • Mission planner no pre-arm warning

  • make sure autotune is in one of the flight mode

 

  1. Bring the drone to the flightline

  • toggle safety switch

 

  1. Enable logging

 

 

  1. Take off the drone in Loiter

  • verify drone flight performance

  • Drone unstable

  • unable to establish VLOS

  • Timer threshold:

    • flight time exceeded 5 min.

    VBatt below safety threshold: 10V

    • QLAND immediately, disarm when landed.

    • Recover drone & gather state of batteries

    Lost link

    • Follow lost link procedures. Maintain vlos if possible.

    • Contact necessary local authorities.

  1. Engage Autotune

  • one axis at a time

  • Drone unstable

  • unable to establish VLOS

  • Timer threshold:

    • flight time exceeded 5 min.

    VBatt below safety threshold: 10V

    • QLAND immediately, disarm when landed.

    • Recover drone & gather state of batteries

    Lost link

    • Follow lost link procedures. Maintain vlos if possible.

    • Contact necessary local authorities.

  1. Switch Flight mode to Loiter to back to landing area

 

  • Drone unstable

  • unable to establish VLOS

  • Timer threshold:

    • flight time exceeded 5 min.

    VBatt below safety threshold: 10V

    • QLAND immediately, disarm when landed.

    • Recover drone & gather state of batteries

    Lost link

    • Follow lost link procedures. Maintain vlos if possible.

    • Contact necessary local authorities.

  1. Land the drone with autotune mode

  • to permanently save the PID value

  • Drone unstable

  • unable to establish VLOS

  • Timer threshold:

    • flight time exceeded 5 min.

    VBatt below safety threshold: 10V

    • QLAND immediately, disarm when landed.

    • Recover drone & gather state of batteries

    Lost link

    • Follow lost link procedures. Maintain vlos if possible.

    • Contact necessary local authorities.

  1. Disarm the drone

  • disarm the drone, Toggle safety switch

 

Test 1: Test Basic Obstacle Avoidance

Procedure

Goals / Objectives

Knockoff Criteria

  1. Set waypoints

  • Create a simple path for the drone to follow.

 

  1. Run main obstacle avoidance script

  • Ensure no errors.

 

  1. Set up the obstacle in course

 

 

  1. Battery plugged in

  • Mission planner no pre-arm warning

  • make sure AUTO is in one of the flight mode

 

  1. Bring the drone to the flightline

  • toggle safety switch

 

  1. Enable logging

 

 

  1. Arm the drone and set mode to AUTO

 

 

  1. Let drone start flying through waypoints in AUTO

 

  • Drone unstable

  • unable to establish VLOS

  • Timer threshold:

    • flight time exceeded 5 min.

    VBatt below safety threshold: 10V

    • QLAND immediately, disarm when landed.

    • Recover drone & gather state of batteries

    Lost link

    • Follow lost link procedures. Maintain vlos if possible.

    • Contact necessary local authorities.

  1. Wait for drone to approach the obstacle

 

 

  1. Ensure that drone stops and enters LOITER mode

  • Ensure the drone stops ~10m away from obstacle.

  • Ensure drone switches to LOITER mode upon detecting obstacle.

If the drone does not stop within 10m of the person and obstacle:

  • The person holding the obstacle steps out of flight path immediately.

  • Pilot manually intervenes and skips to Step 13 (landing and disarming drone).

  1. Remove the obstacle from the flight path and ensure the drone reenters AUTO mode

  • Ensure the drone resumes its mission.

  • Ensure drone switches to AUTO mode upon obstacle removal.

If drone does not resume to landing waypoint

  • Pilot manually takes over and proceeds to Step 13 (landing and disarming drone).

  1. Drone hovers over the 2nd waypoint (the landing waypoint)

  •  Ensure drone completes the mission.

 

  1. Pilot manually intervenes and lands drone

 

 

  1. Disarm the drone

  • disarm the drone, Toggle safety switch

 

 

 

Necessary Preparation

Explain what capacity you need, what needs to be mounted, etc.

Necessary items:

  • RPI

  • Lidar

Flight characteristics needed:

  • Flight stability

Comms / Support needed:

  •  

Mandatory Attendees

This is a section for all attendees from your subteam which will be present for this flight test. (because they are testing their products, or otherwise)

Name

Phone #

Sub-team

Role

Name

Phone #

Sub-team

Role

@Smile Khatri

8076320853

Mech

 

@Evan Janakievski

206-247-2823

Mech

 

@Yuchen Lin

6474256385

 

 

@Hardy Yu

 

 

 

@Ashish Agrahari

5195898378

Auto

 

@Manasva Katyal

2896985018

EFS

 

@Andrew Shum

6473836886

Auto

Testing obstacle avoidance

@Tong Zhang

2897729826

Auto

 

@Ben Lovegrove

5195917981

Mech

 

Flightline Team

Name

Phone #

Role

Reason

Name

Phone #

Role

Reason

 @Smile Khatri

 

 

 

@Yuchen Lin

 

 

 

@Evan Janakievski

 

 

 

@Hardy Yu

 

 

 

@Smile Khatri

 

 

 

@Manasva Katyal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-Flight Checklists

  • Software configuration correct

  • Compare against latest baselines and verify no params changed, or changes approved by comp-ft-team

  • LTE tested

  • Autopilot Orientation checked

  • Motors tested

  • Prop direction check

  • Sensors outputs healthy & within range

  • Controller input mappings correct

  • Controller input choices correct for pilot preferences

  • Wireless trainer tested & working per pilot preferences.

Hardware (wiring)

  • Wires are not too tight or too loose (comfortable, not strained, not flapping around)

    • No cut/exposed wires

    • Shrouding is neat + presentable

    • Solder joints look good

      • no cracks

      • no corrossion

      • no exposed contacts (unless expected)

    • Specific requirement from @Daniel Puratich

      • no exposed pad without solder on ESC caps

        • i did this on peggy 2

        • someone will need to do with peggy 1

      • ESCs all have a touch of hot glue to secure cap to board

    • Connectors fully plugged in

    • Connectors in good health

Hardware (airframe)

  • Bolts secure (nothing loose)

    • Carbon fiber not cracked

    • 3D prints not failing / crushed / cracked

    • No loose items

Hardware (groundstation)

  • ELRS Gemini tested & Working

    • Logging correct

    • Data looks correct

    • Control tower tested & working

  • Tracking antenna x2 (control + video) (mechanical)

    • Servos secure

    • Hardware (antennas) secure

    • No cracks/bends/chips in polycarb/aluminum

    • Gears / shafts look healthy

    • Grease if necessary

  • Tracking antenna x2 (control + video) (electrical)

    • Electrical components secure

    • Power delivery / signal wires secure, no cracks/corrosion/damage

  • Video System

    • goggles(?)

    • Monitors(?)

    • Video tower tested & working

  • Laptop w/mission planner configured correctly.

    • LTE Link tested working

Flightline Kit

  • Spare motors

  • Spare props

  • Spare tools

    • Metric allen keys

    • Socket set

    • Pliers (flatnose + needle nose)

  • USB-C cable (short & long)

  • Soldering iron + heat shrink + spare cables

  • Power supplies for ground station computer

  • Ground station computer

  • Spare bolts

  • Radio Controllers

  • Mission plan clear

  • flightline roles assigned

  • Communication hierarchy established

  • Incident procedures & roles in-place & briefed to all flightline team members

  • Timeline for day-of clear

  • Battery charging plan, equipment management plan clear.

  • Transportation clear

  • Batteries in safety bag

  • Equipment

    • Zip tie

    • duck tape

    • label maker

    • Type c cable

    • ELRS Gemini

    • Saleae Logic Analyzer

    • charged WARG laptop

    • spare bag for small electronics

    • controller box

      • two controller

      • battery tester

    • VTX box

  • execute

Total 5 main system checked:

  • Power system(battery and connection)

  • Propulsion system(motor and propeller)

  • Controller system(Control links and ground station system)

  • Sensory system(sensors)

  • Video system (VTX)

  • Debrief

  • clean / store equipment if necessary

Flight Test Timeline

 

Date/Time

Action

Notes

Date/Time

Action

Notes

10:00

arrive bay

 

12:30

setup test and get ready to go

 

12:40 ~1:10

wait for the weather

 

1:10

first take off

 

1:20

second takeoff

 

1:30

Fixed the prop

 

1:40

return to service flight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEBRIEF

Flight test debrief report

 

  • Please upload the picture to media digest!!!

    • updated thanks a lot

  • Weather is a huge thing

    • Glad doesn’t risk and fly in heavy rain

    • Next time plan ahead of time

 

  • A prop just break during transportation

    • suspect overtighten issue

    • replace one props

Card 1 Test 1

Flight planning

  • Take-off, full stick deflection, and engage autotune

Flight test card requirements/objectives Performance

 

Control performance & payload situation

  • Control feels OK to @Yuchen Lin in althold and loiter

Identified issue

  • Autotune does not start (drifting)

  • wait for the weather to be clear

    • next time need better planning

Issue need to be RCA

  •  

 

Card 1 Test 1 retry 2

Flight planning

  • Take-off, full stick deflection, and engage autotune

Flight test card requirements/objectives Performance

 

Control performance & payload situation

  • Control feels OK to @Hardy Yu , report drifting a lot issue in loiter (maybe setting and stick center)

Identified issue

  • When attempted landing, one prop break and fly out

    • result: instable in landing and crashed

    • no damage to the system

  • The other two prop are having crack

  • Conclusion replace three props in total

Issue need to be RCA

  •  

 

return to service

Flight planning

  • gentle takeoff and control check

Flight test card requirements/objectives Performance

 

Control performance & payload situation

  • Control feels OK to @Yuchen Lin in loiter

Identified issue

  • Two of the regular nuts for props are loosen in the flight are cause thrust lost

    • result leads to crash

Issue need to be RCA

  •  

 

Did not risk any valuable component and don’t have any issue with the rest of the system

none of the other system got damaged

Haven’t finish any objective for the day

need seperate session for pilot training

flying props are dangerous

Need to respec the props

 

@Evan Janakievski will be available on 27th → next pilot training session time

 

Update on July 12th:

@Smile Khatri Point out during July 6th flight test, The propeller normally come with a black ring at the bottom of the prop. The reason for the prop failure is that the ring was not installed, and when the motor spins, stress accumulates across the injection moulding edge. [need mech clarification]


@Smile Khatri Can you add a photo of the black ring? thanks

 

The second lesson we learned is that Loctile is not suitable for a prop and might damage the prop. Also, it takes a long time to solidify, so if we use Loctile during flight test, it does not have any effect.

 

Related content