Road to introduction of micro drone for beginners ~ 2nd radio control mode and drone flight mode | VIDEO SALON

Sentence ● Yusuke Aoyama / Composition ● Editorial department / Shooting cooperation ● Arole Hachioji drone field, valley +1.

Lecturer ● Tetsuya Tagawa / A drone engineer whose main job is to design the IPEX connector, which is also used for drones. About six years ago, when he still called drones "multicopters," he started making aerial drones. He has also been involved in the production of racing drones since 2014. He is the founder and administrator of the Facebook group "U199 Drone Club". 2016 Dubai International Tournament Japan National Team He is an engineer. Currently the DMM RAIDEN RACING team he is an engineer.

Not limited to micro drones, drones use two radio (controller) sticks to move the aircraft up and down, back and forth, left and right, and rotate left and right. We assign these movements to the vertical and horizontal movements of the stick, and there are four maneuvering modes (styles). Expressed as "mode + number", most people use modes 1 and 2. In Japan, when radio-controlled airplanes and helicopters were born, the radio-controlled aircraft were diverted, beginners could not operate without direct guidance from veterans, and the radio-controlled aircraft needed to be modified to change modes. As a result, Mode 1 was inherited and occupies the mainstream. On the other hand, there are many Mode 2 users worldwide, and recently in Japan, the number of people choosing Mode 2 is increasing. However, whether it is easy to maneuver depending on the mode is a matter of familiarity and does not make a big difference.

Flight mode with different control methods

Speaking of modes, micro drones, freestyle aircraft, and racer aircraft have three flight modes generally called "angle", "horizon", and "acro (manual)". Whereas the maneuvering mode is "how to operate the drone", the flight mode defines the "control method of the drone". So to speak, the former is the difference between the left and right steering wheels of the car, while the latter is the difference between an automatic transmission car and a manual car.

Acro mode that requires countersteering

Angle mode and Horizon mode are recommended for beginners of micro drones because the aircraft automatically returns to horizontal when the stick is returned and stops moving in the front-back and left-right directions. On the other hand, in the acro mode, it is necessary to operate the "countersteering" accurately to stop the aircraft that has started moving in the front-back and left-right directions, and it is very difficult to hover on the spot, which is for advanced users. ..

In terms of shooting, the angle mode is suitable when you need to move slowly indoors or move closer to the subject. On the other hand, if you want to express dynamic movements including flips (somersaults) unique to drones, you will need the Horizon Acro mode, which allows you to change the attitude of the aircraft significantly. However, in detail, the acro mode is superior to the horizon mode in that it automatically maintains its tilted position when it is tilted. This is because in Horizon mode you have to keep operating the stick to maintain that position.

Flight mode that suits your purpose

In racing and freestyle, if you are an advanced player, you may choose the acro mode. However, with micro drones, even advanced users who can fly in acro mode are increasing the number of people who dare to choose angle mode. Furthermore, in terms of taking images, it can be said that the angle mode is more suitable in terms of automatically keeping the level and hovering easily. Therefore, when using a micro drone for shooting, it is a good idea to select the flight mode according to the aim of the cut and the subject.

Drone rudder and radio control mode

Affordable radios are available from the 20,000 yen range, while some are expensive, close to 200,000 yen. High-end machines have more channels and switches that can be used, and many operations and functions can be assigned to them, as well as a convenient touch panel display. In addition, the higher the quality of the stick, the higher the resolution of the stick, and the more delicate movements of the fingers can be instructed to the aircraft, so Mr. Tagawa is using Futaba's top model, the T18SZ.

It cannot be said unconditionally which is the best control mode for the radio. Choose a method that you find easy to use. Mode 1 is a maneuvering mode mainly used for Japanese radio-controlled models and industrial drones. Mode 2 is widely used in the world including Europe and the United States. Mode 3 is the left and right of mode 2 and mode 4 is the left and right of mode 1, but it is rarely used.

Angle mode

It is the same as Horizon mode in that when the stick returns to the center by the action of the gyro sensor of the aircraft, the attitude of the aircraft automatically returns to the horizontal posture, but even if you keep tilting the stick back and forth and left and right, it tilts like Horizon mode. As the meaning of "angle = angle", the aircraft does not tilt more than the angle set in advance by software, "mode with angle limitation". It is easy to handle because the aircraft does not flip, but the speed does not come out due to the angle limitation.

Horizon mode

As the meaning of "horizon = horizon", if you do not operate the stick, that is, if the stick is in the center, the gyro sensor will automatically try to keep the aircraft horizontal. As long as you keep tilting the stick, you can make the aircraft somersault in the same way as in the acro mode in that it keeps tilting the aircraft at an angular velocity according to the amount of operation. In principle, you only need to return the stick to the center to stop the movement of the aircraft that is moving back and forth and left and right.

Acro (manual) mode

Tilt the aircraft at an angular velocity according to the amount of operation of the stick is the same as in Horizon mode, but when the stick is returned to the center, it tries to maintain the attitude of the aircraft at that time. In order to stop the aircraft that has begun to move back and forth and left and right, it is necessary to operate the countersteering in the exact same direction as the angle of the aircraft, and hovering is difficult. On the contrary, since it can maintain a certain angle, it is suitable for high-speed movement where the aircraft is tilted greatly, and it is often used in races and acrobatic flight.

Organize each flight mode in a table

The table on the right summarizes the characteristics of the three modes for stick operation. The presence or absence of angle restriction is different from the automatic return of the horizontal posture.

Mr. Tagawa, the instructor, made a video explaining the difference in flight modes. If you watch the video, you can see the difference between each flight mode at a glance, so please take a look at it together with the magazine.

A new product equipped with an HD camera that supports 1080 / 60p shooting has appeared from the popular BETAFPV that can use Futaba's radio. Until now, HD shooting with a micro drone required self-made or modified, but it is a welcome move that a compatible machine has appeared from the manufacturer. The weight of the aircraft is 58g. The battery is compatible with 2S to 4S lipo batteries and is sold separately.

BETAFPV Beta85X $ 199.99 (Manufacturer direct sales price)

Shinichi Katogi of CTS Co., Ltd., which operates the Arole Hachioji drone field. Arole Hachioji is a soccer practice field, and on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, a part of the facility will be opened as a drone field for the general public. It can be used for 2000 yen a day. We have an indoor course for micro drones and an outdoor course using mountain roads. Only corporations can use 4 tennis courts on weekdays (reservation required). For details, visit the CTS website https://www.e-cts.jp/drone/.

● Reprinted from the March 2019 issue of Video SALON