[UAV] 080425 Flight Test

As usual, we had three groups for flight test. Actually, we are ``a'' group with three UAV systems for testing.

The SWAN UAV is the oldest system in use of our lab. It's a fixed-wing UAV made by fiberglass. It had completed beyond-the-vision cross sea flight in 2005. Here is a video about the SWAN.

The second fixed-wing UAV is the SPOONBILL, which has been designed by Chi-seng for longer range autonomous flight. The goal is to fly from Tai-lam (Tainan) to Phenn-ou (Penghu). We all hope this project can be successful. Many tests have been done with a 60% scaled prototype, the SP-X.6. It was also flew on that day. The yellow one in the photo is the SP-X.6.

H-LING is the third system which is an unmanned helicopter project launched in 2006. Since about 2007, I have been the test pilot of H-LING. This project is still under the phase of hovering control test. We have worked hard to try to realize the autonomous hovering, but it's really not an easy task. However, the relevant studies about the H-LING is interesting. At lease, it is true for me. :-)

On that day, unfortunately, we crashed the vehicle of H-LING. Something abnormal happened when the vehicle was flying in automatic rolling control. A sudden pitching down occurred when the pitching cyclic input is still under my control. I ignored the abnormal motion and kept to test the rolling control. Finally, the vehicle lost the control suddenly. I turned off the automatic control but still cannot save the vehicle. It was just totally out of control and crashed down. We all have no idea about the causes. Of course, this was not the first time we crashed vehicles in flight tests... :-p

The autonumous hovering in that day was not successful. Still lots of works to do.