Good morning all!... As some of you may know, I recently (last Tuesday) bought a Phantom v.1.1.1 from a fellow user here on the forum. His name is "360glitch", here's the for sale thread (viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16207) and the transaction went nice and smooth... He packaged the Phantom up just as if it were new and placed it in another box with tons of bubble wrap... So very pleased with the wrapping 
First flight went down this morning a few hours ago and was great. Before the flight I had a chance to "nerd out" for a while and attempt to satisfy my pilot side... I created a "Flight Log" which I am going to use to catalog every single flight I put on this little guy. Please let me know what you think of the fields and if there are any more that YOU would add if you were doing it (I want to add "Post-Flight Motor Temps" but I don't have an IR Thermometer)...
Here is a "view" link to the Google Doc:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing
I also weighed the phantom in it's current flight profile (bare) and here are some weight results:
- Phantom 1.1.1 self tightening props = 9g each
- 2200mAh Phantom battery = 171g
- Phantom v1.1.1 (Prop guards installed) = 666g
- Phantom v1.1.1 (Props + Prop guards installed) = 702g
- Phantom v1.1.1 (Props + Prop Guards + Battery installed) = 873g
- Phantom Vision props = 11.5g
By weighing things BEFORE I put them on the Phantom, and keeping a record of everything and it's weight, I should be able to quickly calculate take off weights as I change configurations in the future. Hopefully this will assist me in compensating (when possible) for one of the most important factors in rotary-winged flight - Aircraft Gross Weight
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** Aerodynamics lesson for the day - VORTEX RING STATE (Settling with power) **
As a US Army Aviator (AH-64d Longbow Apache) and FAA rated Commercial Helicopter Pilot, I would like to bring some of my knowledge over (when it applies) and help RC Pilots understand flight characteristics of their machines... Today I wanted to briefly chat about a very serious phenomenon which all Rotary-winged pilots MUST take into effect during flight. I am talking about Vortex Ring State... The basic gist of what this is and when you as RC pilots will most likely encounter this will be covered below.
What is Vortex Ring State?: - Basically Vortex Ring state is when a second vortex develops around the inner portion of the rotor system / prop due to upward rushing air. The result is less of the rotor / prop surface is able to produce lift as it turns. ADDING POWER ONLY MAKES THE VORTEXES LARGER AND DOES NOT PRODUCE ADEQUATE THRUST TO RECOVER...
Causes of Vortex Ring State - "Settling with power": - High Gross Weights, High Density Altitudes, High Rates of Decent and Low Forward Airspeed
When does it matter to me as a Phantom Pilot and WHY should I care?: - As Phantom pilots, we are most likely to encounter this during a vertical decent. Some of you probably already have experienced this or seen videos online. Usually someone will have the Phantom in a near vertical decent at a relatively high rate of decent. When they attempt to arrest the decent (with power), the Phantom wobbles all over the place and little to no recovery is actually achieved... Why should you care? Because you are a PILOT. Ultimately responsible for your craft and the safety of personnel and property beneath you. Not to mention, it's your $1,000+ up in the air...
How to PROPERLY avoid "Settling with Power" in a DJI Phantom and suggested recovery techniques: -
The only way to safely recover in a helicopter is to Reduce power(collective) and apply forward cyclic in an attempt to "fly out of the vortexes"... The best thing to do is to avoid a situation that gets you into it in the first place...
My personal tips:
1.) Always maintain some forward airspeed during a decent if possible.
2.) If a Vertical Decent is unavoidable, Descend at a slow rate... Be prepared / oriented in a direction "fly out of it".
** As stated above, the more you weigh, the hotter the day, or higher you are - the easier it will be to induce a Vortex Ring State... In the end, be cognoscente of your surroundings and environmental conditions when you fly **
For more information / better description of Vortex Ring State, please feel free to "Wikipedia" it... They have a pretty good write up on there. However, one of the best write ups I have seen (looks just like our study material at Flight School) is located at the link below... Highly recommended (and relatively short read WITH pictures!) that everyone glances at it...
http://www.copters.com/aero/settling.html
Fly Safe!
First flight went down this morning a few hours ago and was great. Before the flight I had a chance to "nerd out" for a while and attempt to satisfy my pilot side... I created a "Flight Log" which I am going to use to catalog every single flight I put on this little guy. Please let me know what you think of the fields and if there are any more that YOU would add if you were doing it (I want to add "Post-Flight Motor Temps" but I don't have an IR Thermometer)...
Here is a "view" link to the Google Doc:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing
I also weighed the phantom in it's current flight profile (bare) and here are some weight results:
- Phantom 1.1.1 self tightening props = 9g each
- 2200mAh Phantom battery = 171g
- Phantom v1.1.1 (Prop guards installed) = 666g
- Phantom v1.1.1 (Props + Prop guards installed) = 702g
- Phantom v1.1.1 (Props + Prop Guards + Battery installed) = 873g
- Phantom Vision props = 11.5g
By weighing things BEFORE I put them on the Phantom, and keeping a record of everything and it's weight, I should be able to quickly calculate take off weights as I change configurations in the future. Hopefully this will assist me in compensating (when possible) for one of the most important factors in rotary-winged flight - Aircraft Gross Weight
----------------------------------------------------------
** Aerodynamics lesson for the day - VORTEX RING STATE (Settling with power) **
As a US Army Aviator (AH-64d Longbow Apache) and FAA rated Commercial Helicopter Pilot, I would like to bring some of my knowledge over (when it applies) and help RC Pilots understand flight characteristics of their machines... Today I wanted to briefly chat about a very serious phenomenon which all Rotary-winged pilots MUST take into effect during flight. I am talking about Vortex Ring State... The basic gist of what this is and when you as RC pilots will most likely encounter this will be covered below.
What is Vortex Ring State?: - Basically Vortex Ring state is when a second vortex develops around the inner portion of the rotor system / prop due to upward rushing air. The result is less of the rotor / prop surface is able to produce lift as it turns. ADDING POWER ONLY MAKES THE VORTEXES LARGER AND DOES NOT PRODUCE ADEQUATE THRUST TO RECOVER...
Causes of Vortex Ring State - "Settling with power": - High Gross Weights, High Density Altitudes, High Rates of Decent and Low Forward Airspeed
When does it matter to me as a Phantom Pilot and WHY should I care?: - As Phantom pilots, we are most likely to encounter this during a vertical decent. Some of you probably already have experienced this or seen videos online. Usually someone will have the Phantom in a near vertical decent at a relatively high rate of decent. When they attempt to arrest the decent (with power), the Phantom wobbles all over the place and little to no recovery is actually achieved... Why should you care? Because you are a PILOT. Ultimately responsible for your craft and the safety of personnel and property beneath you. Not to mention, it's your $1,000+ up in the air...
How to PROPERLY avoid "Settling with Power" in a DJI Phantom and suggested recovery techniques: -
The only way to safely recover in a helicopter is to Reduce power(collective) and apply forward cyclic in an attempt to "fly out of the vortexes"... The best thing to do is to avoid a situation that gets you into it in the first place...
My personal tips:
1.) Always maintain some forward airspeed during a decent if possible.
2.) If a Vertical Decent is unavoidable, Descend at a slow rate... Be prepared / oriented in a direction "fly out of it".
** As stated above, the more you weigh, the hotter the day, or higher you are - the easier it will be to induce a Vortex Ring State... In the end, be cognoscente of your surroundings and environmental conditions when you fly **
For more information / better description of Vortex Ring State, please feel free to "Wikipedia" it... They have a pretty good write up on there. However, one of the best write ups I have seen (looks just like our study material at Flight School) is located at the link below... Highly recommended (and relatively short read WITH pictures!) that everyone glances at it...
http://www.copters.com/aero/settling.html
Fly Safe!
