I got a hand-me-down GWS Slow Flyer from a South African friend before he left for home. This plane is amazingly slow and stable to fly when there is no wind.

It has a substantial wing area and is very light with a 800 mAH Lipo pack.

I had quite a bit of fun with it and then I thought why not use the Slow Flyer as a trainer for FPV.

Next weekend, if weather permits, I am going to try FPV using the micro camera / Video Tx that were used in the ECO Coaxial Heli project.

The video Tx is rated 25mW and the range is not more than 100m LOS. Even if I get half the range, the Slow Flyer could be made to fly quite easily in a 50m radius. In case of a mishap, no problems. The Slow Flyer can take a lot of beating.

More next time.

Tuned in.

As I require optical correction, I did a lot of research on available goggles and finally settled for the Head Play unit. These goggles have a very nice built-in vision correction system and the display is noticeably better than the Fatshark. The IPD (distance between the eye pupils) is also convenient to adjust.

They are cumbersome as one has to carry the Liberator module which has an un-famous cable connector.

Skysailor wrote:


Considering the numerous comments on the head play goggles, their image is better than Fatshark but they aren't suited to outdoor use. There have been instances of them shutting down when used in direct sunlight (which is not uncommon in FPV) and this is problematic as far as FPV is concerned. The infamously fragile connector aside, there are software issues which also make it unsuitable for any BVR FPV. They are also very finicky as far as exact placement of eye is concerned relative to the lens.

If you are only going to fly close, can risk the video feed blacking out and are adamant about using goggles, headplay will do but please be very careful. Depending on your eyesight, Fatshark does have corrective lenses available.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend goggles to anyone having eyesight issues. An LCD, while being less immersive, is still the recommended solution in such situations.

Just my 2 paisas...

Tried FPV on the Slow Flyer.

The camera/goggles worked fine but it will be difficult to get used to the concept. Pan is perhaps not necessary but tilt to determine the horizon is a must.

I had Adnan as my caller but gave up the flight due to heavy airborne traffic. Then had some spirited flying without the FPV.

Do I have a long and steep learning curve ahead?

It takes some time and effort in getting used to the different perspective. Keep at it and please keep us updated.

For my first flight, I had mounted the camera/Tx on top of the wing. The forward view was obstructed by the 800mAH Lipo for the motor installed in front.

I made a balsa box on top of the battery bay and mounted the camera/Tx on it with velcro and cable ties. The 1S video battery remains fitted on top of the wing.

The camera points slightly downward to give an indication of the horizon.

Hope for a clearer view on my next flight.

If it flies level with a nose-high attitude, take care to adjust the camera angle accordingly. Taking the level flight angle as 0 degrees, the camera should point about 20 degrees down for a sufficient view of both; the ground and the sky.

Thank you. I have prepared balsa sticks of various thicknesses that I shall insert under the back of the camera for a good view.

Will try it out next weekend.

Nice stuff this is my dear Skysailor...

There is few platform that you could try out your FPV stuff on, namely SHort Skyvan for example. A friend of mine in Saudi Arabia is using his to do FPV.

Another one that seem to be good for that is either "The Squale V1" or the newest version of the FPV from Mickey's RC which is a slow flying Bipe of a funny shape.

Here is the picture:



It is a stable flyier, can carry quite a bunch of battery and the prop is safely mounted for belly landing which is always good.

Yes RCS we will sure try it... it is different and looking interesting. BTW my last MickyRc plane was crashed last sunday !! , it was too much windy and I even flew it in that wind, additionally there were some other problems like elevator looks smaller compare to the airframe, there was more up thrust due to motor mount. !! Anyways it is history. will post its pictures in my MASK thread soon.

Skysailor sorry for contaminating your thread... Thanks

@RCS
Thanks. I will look up the thread. For starters I will probably go for the standard Mikey's plane that you made. It is very stable.

@ZR
No problems. Keep contributing. Sorry to hear about your crash. In windy weather, one should always be prepared to hit down elevator when the plane balloons up. I know it is going against one's instincts.
Secondly, the plane should always be kept upwind and facing the wind till one gets familiar with its handling.

I think it will be a very good platform for FPV the V1, as it was originally build for it by Will from Mickey's RC.
You know that as you flew it at NAS...

Looking forward to see your gear in hand on the field, maybe I could have a go at it just to have a taste of FPV prior I go myself for the goodies

Progress on this endeavor?

I tried flying the Slo-flyer last Friday. Everything worked well except the pilot (me)!!

After launching I put on the goggles and the view was generally fine. But it will take to get used to it. Anyway flew around for a minute and then while in a nose down attitude, I heard calls for evasive action in Punjabi, Urdu, English and Arabic.

The end result was that the plane hit the ground and the motor mount broke. Everything else is OK.

Moral of the story:

Have only one caller and shoo away the rest!
The caller should assume control by taking the Tx instead of yelling in your ear.