Why should the military have all the fun? The ArduPilot Flight Kit contains just about everything you need to convert an ordinary radio controlled model plane into a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) just like on the late night news.
Quite why you’d want to be flying something like this around your neighbourhood is your own business, good luck with the local cops though. Anyhoo, you’ll probably want to take a look at the DIY Drones site as well, while you’re at it. Have fun. £189.99.
This is a kit of some of the main parts that you will need to convert an existing RC aircraft for unmanned / autonomous flight. Please note, this IS NOT a ‘plug and play’ kit. You may need to do soldering, and you probably will have to reprogram the autopilot firmware. Most of the changes needed to make an operational unit are very small, or straightforward to carry out. There is a large amount of support for the Ardupilot system on the internet.
Saw this on the forums, it's apparently what to look for in an all-in-one kit: c/p:
Mission Planning:
———————-
– Real Time UAV Tracking/Logging on a map
– Update Route Plan Information at any time, or Return Home command
– Ability to switch to Manual Control
(
FlightGear with Matlab / Simulink (JSBSim SFunction)
EageEyes FPV Station
MatrixPilot
FlightGear with Oooark library ( http://palsim.net/index.php?option=com_remository…. )
)
Control Viewing on Ground
—————————————
– Record Video
– Track UAV Signal
– Use Goggles / Head Tracker to move UAV camera
{
FPVSystems' Magtrack V2 – Head Tracker
Hobby Wireless VISION DELUXE Goggles
Hobby Wireless Heavy Duty Pan and Tilt Antenna Tracking Station + Antenna Tracker
}
On-Board The Plane:
——————————
– Pan / Tilt Day & Night Vision Camera
(
RC-TECH's TX61 Camera Set
autopilot.alicom.pl's Pan-Tilt Camera Head VH-4
DPC-480A OSD Camera
)
– Video Transmitter (FPV)
(
RangeVideo's DX201 DPS / KX191 color and night mode CCD camera
FPVSystems' FPV191 / FPV291
HobbyWireless' FPV524
FPVSystems' Fat Shark RCV922 Aviator Edition Full FPV KIT 2010 revB
Fatshark Long Range with 500mW transmitter
RangeVideo's Aerial Video System 2.4GHz 1000mW
)
– OSD on/off (speed, altitude, battery)
(
Eagletree Telemetry OSD Pro
RangeVideo OSD
CYCLOPS OSD V5.0
FlyingDream OSD
FPVSystems' BSII OSD GPS
)
– AutoPilot (GPS, IMU) with Stabilization and Collision Object Detection/Avoidance
(
SparkFun's 3-axis IMU / 3 LISY300AL gyros + GS407 U-Blox5 GPS 4Hz
FPVFlying's FY 3ZT
MicroPilot's MP2028
TechnoPups's Paparazzi (Infared Thermopiles)
autopilot.alicom.pl's FCS-2
atuav.net's FY3-ZT
HobbyWireless' Complete OSD PRO-100A 10Hz GPS and Auto-Pilot system w/ connectors
)
Aircraft
———–
– Smallest Electric Capable of Carrying Above Load
(
Hobby/Lobby, Banana Hobby's 4 CH PREDATOR UAV Radio Remote Control Electric RC Spy Airplane RTF
PTERYX UAV
STYX – mini UAV
)
Radio
———
???