TREX 450XL ccpm     Photo: Crash9

 I always wanted to fly a RC helicopter piloted with FPV after using one for aerial photography (AP). I first practiced using G3 flight simulator in the cockpit view just like I did with RC planes. I have a new TREX 600 still in the box that I purchased for FPV but before I start with it I will practice with my TREX 450XL CCPM. Even though I believe it would probably be easier to use the larger TREX 600, it would be more expensive to repair then my 450XL and I already own a lot of spare parts for it. If your new to FPV and/or RC helicopters it is not recommended to start with a heli and a plane would be a better choice. Helicopters are much more difficult to fly and have been described as an RC balancing act and a plane will be a lot more relaxing as you enter into FPV piloting.  A lot of attention has to be put into a heli because of all the moving parts and adding wireless video to them the same attention to detail must be followed to allow for a safe FPV flight.

Project: FPV Electric Helicopter  (keep checking back for updates)

TREX 600

I used a custom made inline deans connector for powering wireless gear. Usually I would use separate battery but this proved to be very good. 

Bench testing the TREX 450XL 

          Practice flights and checking the CG where successful. photo: Crash9

 Castle Creations ESC was relocated above servos and cooling is better

Stock canopy with windshield removed

Flexible TX Whip antenna is pointed downward when in flight

900mhz Video TX mounted above battery below camera

    Because I added more nose weight with camera gear I moved the tail servo further back on the boom to get the CG

Neighborhood flight

Cockpit view: a wide angle lens works the best.

 This would be fun with FPV . Heli-Chair. photo bergen

When flying a RC helicopter with FPV piloting Safety Must Be First. RC helis are difficult to fly and even a experienced pilot will feel like there a beginner when flying in FPV.  It's recommend that forward flight should be done in a unpopulated area (middle of nowhere) with a spotter and a safe distance. The biggest mistake I kept repeating when first getting the hang of FPV heli is flying the TREX to fast in forward flight which is very easy to do and the result can make it very hard to recover and getting back into a hover can be difficult. I like to keep my turns slow and at a large radius for now and avoid snapping the tail around like I might do in normal view. Programming some D/R (dual rate 60%) keeps my maneuvers a little more tamer and under control. Nothing is worse then trying to maintain flight watching a blurred screen from a FPV heli doing abrupt fast moves.   

 

 It's a good idea to use a durable helicopter and my TREX 450XL is already hopped up with aluminum metal parts and a AON 3600KV brushless motor along with spare parts like main shafts, tail booms, belts, 325 blades, rotor blades and the list goes on. I also like the fact that  replacement/upgrade parts are a lot cheaper then other RC helis. My first FPV flights with a heli reminded me of when I was learning how to fly one a few years back and most flights ended in crashes so be ready with the check book. 

Now that I have a lot of FPV flights with the TREX I'm not crashing as much and I'm having more fun with it. I still land the heli in regular view (hood-up) and recommend landing this way, as trying FPV landings cost me a lot of main blades and tail rotor strikes.

  

 When mounting the camera in a fix position I like to tilt it back about 3-5 degrees and  use a wide angle lens so if the heli starts to drift backwards I might be able to see it due to more sky in the lens view. Also with a heli you will find yourself looking at objects on the ground more then if your flying a plane to help keep orientation.  In the testing stage I tried dampening the camera but it wobbled more so I mounted the camera tight to the airframe using double sided tape. I then wrapped a zip tie around the camera to keep it secure and this proved to be better.

FPV heli set-up so far:

Align T-Rex 450XL CDE

Aluminum upgraded parts

Sho-Gun heavier fly bar paddles

Thunder Power 2100mha Lipo batt.

Custom T6 aluminum battery carrier 

AON 3600kv Brushless Motor

Castle Creations Phoenix 35 amp ESC 

Futaba 401 Gyro w/ S9650 Digital servo

HS-65HB servos

Spectrum DX7 2.4 with AR6100 RX

High Resolution camera (KX-151) with Wide Angle Lens

900 MHz wireless video equipment with PH3 mic

 

Testing the gear and piloting from a monitor inside the house. The view of the helicopters windscreen in front of the camera and the shape of the house helped with VFR (keeping level). Running the wireless video power from the main battery didn't seem to affect the picture quality.  Video of part 2 test and training. First flight without training gear: VIDEO testTREXFPV   

Hovering over my house in FPV mode.  After 26 FPV flights and a lot of nasty crashes and repairs I'm finally getting a handle on it with video goggles on. Since I'm not using a spotter flying over my house is the safest way to practice. Any problem and the heli ends up on my roof as long as I stay low enough. Landings are in normal view for now. TREX is getting beat up a bit but still flies great.               VIDEO Part3FPVpractice 

UP-DATES:

1. I no longer fly with the canopy on since it blocked the view to the ground and I get better orientation without it.

2. Re-located ESC to middle of airframe

3. Re-located 401 Gyro back to Tail Boom from middle of airframe

4. Added a mirror

5. Re-located the camera to under the heli between the skids.

 

 Using a mirror instead of a second camera

  I went to the auto parts store to get mirrors to try out

I first tried a telescoping mechanics mirror to test the results

Hovering over landing pad

TREX with auto parts mirror attached to a carbon fiber tube for extending it out front in camera view and ready for testing

 One night I was imagining how to get a second camera pointed down so I could better tell what the  heli was directly over during a hover or a slow flight. This could also help cut down on drifting (I've trimmed a lot of trees around here) as I approached for landings. This also might make it easier to tell if I'm drifting backward, forward or to either side or not and then I could make corrections if needed.  Second camera would be shown through a picture in picture (PIP) screen in the goggles or monitor. I gave up on the idea since the TREX 450 XL would be carrying a bigger payload, another down link and more camera gear needed to make it happen.

 So there I was looking at the back of a car where the Back-up camera is located thinking to myself how pretty soon the mirrors on autos will soon be replaced with cameras and then it hit me that I needed to go backwards and use a mirror to look down from the heli. It would be far simpler then my second camera with PIP idea. In the security industry mirrors in view of a camera is nothing new and with the off-road racing that I participate in placing a camera so the rearview mirror is in view adds to the entertainment when viewing. So I reached into my tool box and grabbed my mechanics mirror strapped it on for a quick flight test and I was sold. I then purchased a few mirrors at my local auto parts store.  I also tried using 2 mirrors like a periscope type set-up but the resolution through 2 mirrors was very poor so I stayed with one. With one mirror it's easy to see that objects move up-ward in the mirror as you fly forward and downward for backward flight. Side to side is the same as the direction your heading.

 Using a carbon fiber rod for a extension out from the heli  I attached the blind spot mirror to it. I thought I could make a linkage attached to a servo and then I could aim it at another target area if needed (just like the electric mirrors on my truck). I placed the mirror in the same location on the screen where I would have put the PIP screen overlaid.

 Now that I have done 2 flights with the mirror attached I don't know how I did any FPV flights without it. Don't get it wrong though I'm still crashing and repairing my TREX just not as much now...that's why I stay over my roof it's easy to get the downed bird that way and safer to fly.  

 Now keeping mirrors in mind they maybe other uses on FPV aircraft like for rearview or looking at a particular part or something that you may have thought a second camera might do. There also light weight and cheap to replace. Multiple mirrors aimed at different places could be useful to. 

Mirror test video here: TrexFPVtest  (after the video was done I found I had a bent tail shaft that added vibrations to my video)   

In the mirror you can see I'm hovering directly over my house where if you rely on the camera view you won't be able to tell what your over very well Photos: Crash9 video

I like to practice between the 2 roof pitches where I can get better orientation flying in FPV mode

10 Tips for a successful R/C Helicopter FPV flight (Standard Disclaimer applies)

1. Always perform a range test and have a spotter. Be in a wide open place with nobody around (middle of nowhere).

2. It's recommended to do a normal view flight for a couple of minutes before every FPV flight. This will allow you to make any corrections to the heli like trimming before you fly FPV. It's almost impossible to tell that something is wrong in FPV mode until it's to late.

3. Get some altitude, my first flights I stayed close to the ground with training gear but as soon as I could I took it up to a high altitude so I had more time to react before hitting the ground (In the beginning you will hit the ground so have lots of parts).

4. First thing is to try and hover and then move on to slow turns. This is where your experience as a Heli-pilot comes in as you must know what control inputs you need to make to turn with a R/C heli and how to bring it back to a hover (Nothing like turning a plane) along with flying the in front of it rather then behind it (better to plan your moves instead of re-acting to the helis).

5. Not recommended to watch the monitor/goggles and the heli at the same time during forward flight as you are sure to lose orientation and crash. Stick to the monitor/goggles except for when hovering to land.

6. Land in Normal View until you get the hang of FPV piloting. The hardest part about landing in FPV is not striking the tail rotor.

7. Set up the FPV heli like a scale one. Use heavy weighted fly-bar, paddles and program some expo-rates.

8. Keep the heli moving FORWARD as much as possible. If it starts drifting backwards spin the tail into the direction it's drifting. This is the easiest way to recover.

9.  PRACTICE on a simulator in the cockpit view.

10. PRACTICE on a simulator in the cockpit view.

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