Landing Skills

[Dorsal]

I'm sure this is on the forum somewhere, but I've searched and can't find anything, so here goes...

I'm looking for advice on landing skills. I get the hand-landing thing, but I'd like to manage proper ground-landings also. Sometimes it works fine (this is my first-ever flight with m Vision+, perfect landing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke1Qnv27 ... re&index=1), sometimes not-so-much. I can bring it down nice and softly, nice and level, but when it touches ground and I attempt the CSC (Combination Stick Control), it often tips over with the props still spinning. I don't believe surface wind is causing this. I think it's something in the prop spin, or something I'm doing not properly with the two sticks ("down and towards the center at the same time"). Am I not executing the CSC smoothly enough, or is it better to just pull the throttle down and hold, and wait the three seconds for the props to stop?

Any advice welcome!

 

[Killobite]

I will throw my 2 cents in on this one as a new pilot.

I have about 30 safe and sound landings under my belt (not really all that many) without incident. How I do it is get it about a foot above the landing spot and get a feel for the wind, get the horizontal movement to zero as I bring it down to about an inch off the ground then when I am confident there is no horizontal movement cut and hold the throttle all the way back and it eases down the last inch and weights itself on the ground as the props spin down. No bouncing, no blowing over, nothing..

I have let it self land a couple times and that is "scary" to watch, it spends a lot of time 'lite' on the ground just waiting for the wind to knock it over, I don't like that much.

 

[PhantomNoob]

I can bring it down nice and softly, nice and level, but when it touches ground and I attempt the CSC (Combination Stick Control), it often tips over with the props still spinning. I think it's something in the prop spin, or something I'm doing not properly with the two sticks ("down and towards the center at the same time").

I found when I first began, that when I pulled both sticks down and towards the center, the engines would throttle causing the Phantom to lift and tilt. I've found I don't have to pull both sticks, just the left stick down and to the center to kill the engines, this has solved the issue of props in the dirt for me.

 

[Hawkeye 1]

I can bring it down nice and softly, nice and level, but when it touches ground and I attempt the CSC (Combination Stick Control), it often tips over with the props still spinning. I think it's something in the prop spin, or something I'm doing not properly with the two sticks ("down and towards the center at the same time").

I found when I first began, that when I pulled both sticks down and towards the center, the engines would throttle causing the Phantom to lift and tilt. I've found I don't have to pull both sticks, just the left stick down and to the center to kill the engines, this has solved the issue of props in the dirt for me.[/quote


+ 1 on that !

 

[Dorsal]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll shift to the single-stick technique and see if that's better.

I welcome additional feedback. Does the CSC (two sticks down-and-center) work for ANYONE? Yes, it has worked for me, but only sometimes. I'd like a reliable method, other than a hand-landing.

 

[QYV]

Dorsal my first flight I did exactly the same thing! The documentation makes it seem like that's what you should do to kill the engines as well as start them but like the other guys said when you land or catch it just hold down on the left stick for a few seconds.

If you're going to be catching, a lanyard for the RC helps. Since you seem kind of new to rotary wing physics make sure you understand what a vortex ring state is. There's a lot of talk on here about it, happens frequently. basically don't descend STRAIGHT down quickly or you descent into your own disturbed air and lose lift. When you're coming down instead of just straight down make sure you have a little bit of lateral movement as well

cheers

 

[Dalite]

Also, if you hand land, pull the left stick down and tilt the phantom over 70 degrees. THE NAZA will take it from there. You must be in GPS or ATTI ( haven't tested this in manual). Motors will stop immediately on tilting past the 70 degree limit in firmware.

 

[bernardb]

Do not use CSC to stop the motors after touching down...lower the throttle only to minimum for 3 seconds...

 

[4wd]

I've almost always just caught it at shoulder height - from very early on.
Landing sites here are almost all grass or similar and inclined to be wet or muddy for most of the year, even if the grass is short enough not to be a worry itself.
Don't really want it spraying that up especially with a camera on (even more so with vision+)

 

[Dorsal]

Thanks everyone -- this is great feedback. I look forward to fine-tuning my hand-catch, but I'll also give the ground-landing with single-stick stop a try to see how that goes. I'll report back!

 

[Fredski]

Left stick (only) down will solve your troubles! I tipped over every time using the 2-stick method too. You'll be amazed at how in-control you'll be with that simple change.

 

[JamesD]

Great Questions. Great Answers. Thanks everyone.

Jimmy