Great video from Ardupilot partner Foxtech, introducing the Nimbus 1800 VTOL mapping version. A tilt-rotor design with a 1800mm wingspan including a folding landing gear and a quick detach system for easy transport, it is capable of flying for one hour including vertical takeoff and landing, features the Cube, and can be equipped with the 24MP Map-01 camera, PPK GPS for exceptional centimeter level accuracy, and 900 Mhz 15km range transmitter/receiver telemetry radios.
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It is really good that they offer such a all-in-one system. But I don’t see any credit to the original creator of this VTOL plane config (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBLA1SyYAXw, see his other videos as well…).
It is probably one of the worst plane for VTOL since it is a heavy plane and I suspect a quite little flight time.
With only 3 motors props are not efficient for normal flight.
Indeed, the advertised max flight time is 50 min, but I assume this is without payload. So with payload you would get around 40min. That is easily reachable with a well built quad, so why the hassle with this VTOL. (I know it has a certain wow factor…)
Lucamax and Andras, check the video ;).
As far as efficiency, see also the third propeller aligning with the fuselage in fixed wing mode.
While it’s not clear if it’s with or without the sub-500 grams payload, one hour at 15m/s is roughly 54km. 10A current consumption at 15m/s in fixed wing mode with 6s battery, while not technically impossible, good luck matching this with a multirotor. Wing lift matters and makes a difference!
This does not makes sense. 6S 10Ah battery, 10A consumption, does not mean 1 hour flight time. unless you want to trash a battery at every flight. In addition you need at least 20% left when you start vtol landing to avoid voltage drop. So I still think that one hour flight time is exaggerated.
Just a small quirk, in the video you see 15m/s flight speed and 17m/s ground speed (or vice versa,I cannot read mandarin) and 16A-17A current in a straight flight.
Olivier , I have done my maths time ago for converting the Nimbus to VTOL and I totally agree with Andras.
Considering 10A at 6S as claimed it is 225 watts to fly at 15 m/s is far from efficiency for a plane but at 16A that means 360 watts, huge, since I imagine that the weight is around 3600 grams it is 10 gr/watt , some multirotors do better.
And that is the reason why I aborted the Nimbus VTOL project.
I built 2 years ago a low cost quad that with standard batteries and 250 grams payload had a flight time of 50 minutes.
I understand that Foxtech is a new Ardupilot partner, happy for that , but if a product raise doubts , do we still have the opportunity to express our opinion about it ?
This is Carrie from Foxtech.
Thanks for the conversation regarding Foxtech Nimbus 1800 VTOL Mapping Version.
10A, 15m/s is the flight test data record by Foxtech, 1 hour is a theoretical flight time, while in real flights, it will be infected by wind, by vertical take off etc. We suggest landing within 45 minutes. The currency change is little due to payload.
We did a lot different motors, props efficiency and limitation tests which are shared in Foxtech facebook group.
Thanks for all the questions, Foxtech is glad to share all test results, technologies
