Plane 3.8.2beta1 released

I have just released plane 3.8.2beta1.

This is a minor release, with a few small fixes and one important crash bug fix.

The crash bug is in the Septentrio (SBF) GPS driver. Anyone flying with an SBF GPS should update to this release. The driver had a bug that could cause a in-flight crash under some circumstances.

Other changes in this release are:

  • support takeoff in GUIDED mode for quadplanes

  • support changing target altitude while hovering in GUIDED mode for quadplanes

  • improved descent rate control in QRTL and QLAND modes. This fixes an issue with higher than configured descent rates, and smoothes out the change in descent rate for the change to the final landing stage

  • smooth out the transition to QLOITER or QLAND when transitioning from fixed wing mode. This prevents the sudden nose up when changing to QLOITER or QLAND mode while flying at high speed.

Please test this release and reply to this posting with test results. Thanks!

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I just gave the beta a try and it went well. But my Skywalker X8 quadplane probably isn’t the best test bed as it has a few issues. I tried flying a grid survey again and it just circles around the first waypoint.

The RTL oscillated quite a bit when it got to the return point and hung. As in flapping up and down. Once it began it’s decent that disappeared at ~30mtrs and then the landing was quite smooth.

I’ll be bringing the plane down to Canberra tomorrow if you want to have a first hand look. I really need to solve why it’s only turning left when I can turn right just fine in FBWA. Here’s a link to the log of the flight I just did. I’ll be at the field for another couple of hours if you want me to try anything.

Cheers.

I think that is a partial log? Did the upload not complete?

I did hear the ‘no i/o thread’ error while flying. I’ll upload a few more when I get home. Did about four flights and it’s not tracking at all. Have a stern word with it tomorrow

Here are two more flights from today. I was changing the parameter NAV_LM1 between 12 -20 to see if it would help with tracking along with different WP_Radius values.

Increasing the Servo range on the Elevons and improving the COG of the plane greatly improved the flight characteristics. I also replaced the motor mount which was bent.

Hi, here is the Log of the test flight. Transitioning from FBW to Loiter is initially smoother but when plane comes to a complete stop, pitches up and is pulled back very strongly (probably to the point where loiter mode was engaged).
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_wpxSTfTc2cMDJtQ0J4UEVUd2c

This is instead the log of another test flight i made with my own mod on the code, transitions seems to be better (not pushed back strongly).
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_wpxSTfTc2cTjNTaXBTVGRldlU

Kind regards

can you give me a link to the code change?
I’m considering another change to transition for 3.8.3, but I’d be very interested to see your approach to compare.

Hi Andrew, sure, I have just sent the link through PM.
Kind regards

Hi, I have made some more testing with my mod, on a different kind of plane (bit more critical compared to the previous one), here is the log:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_wpxSTfTc2ccFBWeWFZb0lVM2s

Transition from FBW-A to QLOITER still going good
Kind Regards

Hello. I hope you are in good health. I am working on a new design of VTOL UAV and i am Aerospace Engineering Student at Institute Of Space Technology. Software that i am using is Mission Planner 1.3.50, ARDUPLANE V3.8.2. While in QSTABILIZE flight mode after aircraft takes off and reaches 10 to 15 ft altitude it starts to lose altitude. To solve this problem i calibrated radio, compass, accelerometer and ESC. But in ESC calibration I need a disarming switch which i cannot use in quad mode because i cannot find any commands for that in Mission Planner. Commands for that like Q_M_SPIN_ARMED and ARMING_RUDDER are available in documentation but they are not available in Mission Planner Software. Can you please help me with that? I don’t know how to tackle that problem. Thank you.