I get this question all the time: what's a good plane to turn into a UAV? The answer is that it depends on your needs, your budget and your RC skills. But here are some good electric candidates:
For RC beginners:
The NextStar (see above) is roomy, slow-flying and comes with everything you need (including a RC flight simulator). It even has its own rudimentary flight-stabilization system with a Futaba PA-2 optical co-pilot.
For DIY'ers on a budget:
The $110 SuperStar is a nice-flying four-channel plane with enough room for an autopilot and cameras strapped below. The ARF kit comes with a brushed motor and NiCad batteries, which are enough to get you started. When you're ready, you can upgrade to a brushless motor and LiPos. This is the plane we use for GeoCrawler 2 and will also be the basic platform for our ArduPilot-based UAV. You can hand launch it in a park, or take it off from a runway at an airfield. It's tough and can handle wind. All and all, a really comfortable plane to work with, especially once you upgrade the motor and battery.
For those looking for long flight times:
The Aero-Master is a powered glider with a pusher prop, which means no propellers in the way of your cameras. This is the aircraft used by Marcus UAV.
For those who want to carry heavy, high-resolution cameras, with unobstructed views:
If you're looking for something like the classic Pioneer UAV, with a twin tail and a pusher prop, you might want to consider starting with this Skymaster RTF. Skip the front motor (put your cameras there instead), double the size of the rear one, and you're pretty close. We've got one and the plane looks beautifully made. We haven't flown it yet, but the dimensions are encouraging.
For those who love the EasyStar:
The Multiplex EasyStar is a fantastic plane for almost all purposes, but it doesn't have ailerons so it's not great for autopilots. Its big brother, the EasyGlider, does have ailerons, but the current version has a fiddly attachment for its wings, and they sometimes fall off (!). Good news: Mutiplex is releasing a new version, the EasyGlider Pro, which seems to have fixed the wing problem and now comes with a brushless motor and other goodness. Here's a PDF of their latest catalog, which suggests it will be coming to the US soon. We'll be getting one for sure.
15 Comments
Comment by Chris Anderson on July 12, 2008 at 1:20pm
- They do make a bigger (81") Skymaster. A bit too big for me, but YMMV.
Comment by david albert on July 12, 2008 at 8:20pm
- Electric Kadet Senior is good too. Axi 4120/18 with a 14"x7" prop, 5S lipo of about 5000mAh to 10,000mAh capacity and a good 80amp Esc. I like Castle's HV-85, it doesn't even get warm. :) For similar performance on a smaller scale, the Herr Cloud Ranger is a good choice.
-dave
-dave
Comment by icebear on July 13, 2008 at 1:49am
Interesting list! I would add a motor-glider type airframe if you are going to use an off-the-shelf solution like the Picopilot. I have tried a lot of different airframes and if you want a quick route into testing autonomous flight, a Picopilot -NA and a Miss2 is the way to go...
The SIG LT-25 is available as an ARTF now and looks very suitable, even for the Picpolpilot if you use a mixer for ailerons/rudder.
And this is my latest addition to my hobby UAV's - A Mountain Models Tyro 150, 55" wingspan, 600 sqin winga area and only 42 oz with a 3S-4270 LIPO pack (40 min runtime).
Comment by roksraka 1 day ago- does the SuperStar have a simulator? (I really need it because I can't go out very often so I would liko to try out my autopilot at home...)
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