Co-Pilot II™ Infrared Flight Stabilization System Supplemental User Guide for Hard Deck (HD100) Note: Read this user guide carefully before using Hard Deck™. Distributed in the U.S. by FMA Direct 3520 Surgarloaf Parkway, Suite F-03-121 Urbana, MD 21704 Sales: (301) 798-2770 z Technical: (301) 829-5533 www.revolectrix.
Introduction Thank you for purchasing the REVOLECTRIX Hard Deck Module for Co-Pilot II. Hard Deck Module is an accessory to the Co-Pilot II Flight Stabilization System. It incorporates a barometric pressure sensor to determine the altitude of a fixed-wing model aircraft or model helicopter at any given moment.
Package Contents Check the above package contents against what you received. If any parts are missing, contact Revolectrix customer support right away. Look for the correct Customer Support method at the following web page: http://www.revolectrix.com/support_options.htm Familiarize yourself with the various components above or refer back to this page often, as we will refer to these components by name throughout this User’s Guide.
Safety Precautions General Precautions Safety precautions for Co-Pilot II and Hard Deck: Radio controlled models are not toys! Please observe these general safety precautions: Co-Pilot II Flight Stabilization Systems and Accessories are designed for flight stabilization only. They cannot navigate the aircraft. You must control the aircraft’s flight path.
Theory of Operation The Hard Deck Module gives Co-Pilot II the ability to read altitude quickly and accurately with an unbelievable one foot resolution. Believe it or not, the air pressure at your feet is measurably higher than the air pressure at your head. The altitude measurement from this tiny sensor allows the activation of the new Hard Deck Flight Mode on Co-Pilot II. Measuring Pressure There are two types of air pressure at a given altitude. Static Air Pressure is just like it sounds.
Theory of Operation (continued) Hard Deck Recovery on a Fixed-Wing Airplane Altitude Hold on a Helicopter If the angle of attack is down 20 deg or more, CPII will calculate a bounce angle based on the angle that the airplane “hit” the hard deck. If Emergency Recovery is enabled, it will activate when the aircraft hits the user-defined hard deck altitude. The airplane will appear to bounce off the hard deck. If the airplane is inverted, CPII will snap roll the plane to level, then apply up elevator.
Getting Ready for the Installation • The next 3 sections of the User’s Guide are extremely important. Do not skip over them in your haste to install the Hard Deck Module.
4. 5. 6. The reason for the initial statement above is that Hard Deck requires ER, but ER will be disabled if the CPII does not see good 3x120 CCPM data (from the RX via the transmitter). Most notably, once the Hard Deck Module is properly installed (see next bullet point), ER now utilizes collective management, not only in the new “Level in H.Deck” Flight Mode, but also in standard “Level” Flight Mode. Even if you do not use the Hard Deck Module, or you have CPII set to OFF on the remote, V2.
2. Recommended Sequence of Events We recommend that you review the entire contents of this Hard Deck User Guide before attempting to install or operate your new device. There are many different aircraft configurations and each one lends itself to different approaches to installation. This user guide is designed to illustrate alternative approaches to installation, but it can not possibly encompass every different configuration or eventuality.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Fixed-Wing Airplane Preparing the Static Pressure Tube (Part 1) Step 1 - Insert the Static Pressure Tube provided for use in Fixed Wing Airplanes into the end of the 3/32” O.D. brass tubing (not provided in the kit), making sure not to cover the tiny holes drilled into the sides of the Pressure Tube with the brass tubing. Apply CA to the union but don’t get CA into the small holes. Allow the assembly to dry thoroughly.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Fixed-Wing Airplane Step 5 - Mount the Static Pressure Tube on the leading edge outside of the propeller blast so that the prop blast can not affect the static pressure readings. The simplest way to determine the proper positioning of the Static Pressure Tube is to mount the Tube approximately one prop length away from the wing root. Position one tip of your model’s propeller on the wing root mark you made in Step 4.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Fixed-Wing Airplane Step 9 - Use a hobby knife, jig saw or tubing cutter to cut the brass tubing at the second mark you made in Step 8. De-bur the end of the brass tubing just like you did the aluminum tubing in Step 3. Step 10 - Insert one of the 1/2” aluminum “joiners” you prepared in Step 2 half way into the end of the brass tubing away from the Static Pressure Tube and secure the union with CA as shown above.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Fixed-Wing Airplane Step 13 - Use a hobby knife to cut a 2 inch piece off of the supplied 4” of flexible surgical tubing as shown above. Step 14 - Attach the 2 inch section of flexible surgical tubing you just cut in Step 13 to the HD Module’s pressure port, then arc the tubing up and around, and down through the clips on the end of the HD Module’s case as shown above. Step 15 - Next, decide where you want to locate the Hard Deck Module.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Fixed-Wing Airplane Step 17 - Fish the supplied 2 foot polyethylene tubing through the wing between the Static Pressure Tube Assembly and the hole you drilled for the tubing to connect to the Hard Deck Module Port. The wing is positioned with the leading edge down in the above photo. You drilled 2 holes through the wing in Step 16. The hole for the tubing would be the one further from the leading edge in the above photo.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Helicopter Mounting the Hard Deck Module Step 1 - Peel the liner from the double-sided adhesive tape already on the spare sensor mount provided in your Co-Pilot II System Accy Pack, then attach the Hard Deck Module to the sensor mount. Next, attach the sensor mount to the tail boom of your helicopter using a nylon tie as shown above. Be sure the super-bright LED is oriented so that it will be visible from the ground during flight.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Helicopter Beginning with step 5 on the following page, you will start to form the aluminum tubing and mount it between the tail boom supports on your helicopter. In so doing, you will be making 3 bends of approximately 45 degrees and through 2 different “planes”. The objective is to get the static streamer mounted away from the helicopter and down out of the immediate slip stream of the blades.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Helicopter Step 5 - Decide where you will locate the aluminum tube in relation to the Hard Deck Module. The tubing should be mounted to one tail boom support close to the Hard Deck module. Exact location will vary from aircraft-to-aircraft. In our installation, we chose to start the tube run just aft of the Hard Deck Module’s port.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Helicopter Step 9 - Alternatively, if you have chosen to mount the HD Module to a flat surface (such as against the frame of the heli) and/or the HD Module is mounted far away from the aluminum tubing, use the alternative instructions (steps 10 through 13) for interconnecting the aluminum tubing to the port on the HD Module. The final result is shown in the photo above.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Helicopter Preparing and Installing the Static Streamer Step 13- Finally, insert the other end of the short joiner into a longer section of polyethylene tubing, and connect the other end of the polyethylene tubing to the aluminum tubing on the end opposite the static streamer. Temporarily remove the tubing from the Hard Deck port while you secure all tubing unions with a drop of CA.
Installing the Hard Deck Module in a Helicopter Step 17- Test the anti-kink tubing function by bending the assembly as shown above and making sure the tubing always maintains a clean radius without kinking. Step 19- Continue to rotate the static streamer and make sure that it does not touch any part of the helicopter.
Important Recommendations before using Hard Deck on a Helicopter for the First Time 1) We hope you have taken a chance to review the user guide, paying particular attention to the bullet points on page 8. Make sure your heli is truly capable of fast 3D flying.
Automatic ER for Airplane Flying with Hard Deck Module Hard Deck (HD) Emergency Recoveries, or "ER's" may be initiated two ways: 1) Automatically when the auxiliary control is already in the position for Level in H.Deck Flight Mode (otherwise known as Hard Deck Flight Mode) and the aircraft descends down to the programmed Hard Deck Altitude.
• Fly the airplane with the auxiliary control in the OFF position. • When an HD ER is desired, simply flip the remote to enable Hard Deck Flight Mode. • ER will immediately occur. ous high angle or inverted orientation. This new superstabilization prevents the pilot from over-controlling the model immediately following a Recovery, and it alerts him to the fact that Hard Deck Flight Mode is ON and enabled.
resulting in a crash. REVOLECTRIX strongly recommends the remote switch be left in the ON position so the HD ER will occur automatically at the set HD altitude. needs to be within 20 degrees of level to prevent unwanted Hard Deck recoveries. If the helicopter is more than 20 degrees from level, then the helicopter will initiate Emergency Recovery which applies +8 degrees positive collective pitch and this may cause the helicopter to pop back up above the Hard Deck.
