The li competition at the Multirotor
Challenge utilized a box with custom
compartments to hold weights.
The inaugural Multirotor Challenge was held in Fallbrook,
California, the weekend of March 23-24. The site for this
event was the Palomar Fliers’ fl ying fi eld, located off of
I-15, roughly an hour from downtown San Diego. It is a nice
fl ying fi eld and the Palomar Fliers were wonderful and gracious
hosts. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome.
The event organizers were Lucien Miller and his team from
lnnov8tive Designs. Lucian introduced his team members,
discussed their responsibilities, and thanked them for their
hard work befor and during the event.
A number of vendors and supporters donated to the event
and the raffl e boasted more than $10,000 worth of items for
the pilots to win. Items including complete multirotor kits and
all of the related goodies were up for grabs. I was one of 63
registered pilots.
Saturday morning started out overcast with a high cloud
cover that burned off by mid-morning. A southwesterly breeze
built throughout the day and it became a factor in the early
afternoon Pylon competition, but was not an issue for the
general fl ying.
Saturday was slated for open fl ying all day with the
exception of the noontime demonstrations. Many pilots took
advantage of the open fl ying and the Roswell Flight Test
Crew that fl ew down from Portland, Oregon, remained busy
videotaping the event from the sky.
The Roswell group posted a video of the event on YouTube
that covers part of the adventure and offers nice aerial shots. The
link is listed in the “Sources” section at the end of the article.
Lifting competitions were Saturday’s fi rst two challenges,
featuring a Dead Lift event and a Controlled Lift competition.
In the Dead Lift, the multirotor had to lift the weight load
selected by the pilot from the ground to at least 5 feet, hold
Innov8tive Designs hosts pilots, designers, and inventors in California by Michael Heer
www.ModelAviation.com JULY 2013 Model Aviation 21
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 21 5/28/13 10:13 AM
Several offerings were on display including two Next Level multirotors from Innov8tive Designs.
The pilots lined up on the runway for a picture at the first Multirotor Challenge.
The Cyclone is an AeroQuad kit. The arms are made from towel bars.
it there for 10 seconds, and then make a controlled landing.
The Controlled Lift involved the multirotor lifting the weight and then flying a controlled Figure 8 with the load and finishing with a controlled landing at the starting point.
Both events had awards for the heaviest load lifted, regardless of the weight of the multirotor. In this competition, battery weight counted as payload.
The second prize was for the heaviest weight lifted, with the battery counting as part of the multirotor’s weight. Lucien supplied the larger aircraft with a special box with compartments for weights, which was tied to the multirotor, although some contestants, including Ben Berry, added battery packs to their multirotors to increase the weight. Ben flew a self-designed Micro Spider to win this part of the competition.
Blue Sky RC sells the kit for this unit made with 1/8-inch plywood. The company calls it the xRotor Spider Quad. The arms are the same size as the fuselage of a Slow Stick airplane and Ben’s were made of wood, but metal can also be used.
It was a fun competition. Pilots tried to lift as much weight as they could and eventually most found the point where they couldn’t lift off. Some tipped when trying to lift heavier loads, resulting in broken propellers.
Pilot demonstrations were performed during lunch on Saturday and three demonstrations stood out in my mind.
One pilot had his multirotor fly an autonomous, programmed flight. He moved the throttle up and then took his hands off of the transmitter, and the multirotor lifted off and flew a complete flight, including a good climb, several maneuvers, and a Figure 8 before coming back and landing close to the takeoff point.
The flight was completely autonomous after the initial throttle-up by the pilot. It was an impressive demonstration, and especially remarkable to some of the spectators who didn’t realize this was possible with “hobby-size” multirotors.
The second demonstration that impressed me was hand-launching a multirotor with propellers that were already spinning to demonstrate how its stabilization system worked to bring the aircraft quickly into a controlled hover.
Ben Berry’s Spider multirotors were equipped with ESCs that could change direction, which made for some impressive moves. He flew more aggressively than many of the other pilots. ROC Battery sponsored an award that pilots and spectators decided by vote and Ben’s flying won.
Saturday afternoon featured two more competitions. The first was the Pylon Race. A good afternoon breeze helped confirm that multirotors are not designed for Pylon Racing.
Many made wide turns when flying with the wind and had trouble turning back into the wind. It seemed that the faster they flew, the wider the turns were.
One pilot tried to race with a little micro multirotor. He couldn’t overcome the wind and landed in “the Jungle,” an overgrown ravine at the edge of the field. Fortunately, the little aircraft was found in working condition.
Walt Ferar competed in several events. He did a nice job
Photos by the author
22
Model Aviation
July 2013
www.ModelAviation.com
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 22 5/20/13 4:47 PM
DWFoamies created a new design for this event: a
foam flying saucer complete with LEDs.
fl ying his aircraft in the Pylon competition. He told me
that he was an experienced RC Pylon competitor,
which showed in his racing. Pilots need to practice
in both calm and windy conditions to learn
how best to fl y their multirotors around the
pylons in a fast, tight pattern. I expect much
improvement by pilots who return to
compete next year.
Autonomous Spot Landing involved
fl ying the multirotors up and out as
Lucien directed, then activating the
aircraft’s return-to-home button so it
SPONSORS
Innov8tive Designs/Next
Level Multirotors
Cobra
Scorpion Power Systems
RC Heli Pilot
Robot Magazine
Fly RC
MultiRotor Racing
Century Helicopter
ROC Battery
Palomar RC Flyers, Inc.
DIY Drones
3D Robotics
Empire Hobby
AeroQuad
San Diego Lindbergh
Chapter of the Association
for Unmanned Vehicle
Systems International
United Service Associates
Inc.
RC Dude Hobbies
Baron Technology
LHM Drones
QuadCopters+
(QuadCoptersPlus.com)
GoProfessional Cases
Parallax
Quadrino
( yingeinstein.com)
RC Sport Flyer
E-Power
PureTech Systems
DWFoamies
Precision Hobbies
XLRC Hobbies
www.ModelAviation.com JULY 2013 Model Aviation 23
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 23 5/28/13 10:15 AM
Several o erings were on display including two
Next Level multirotors from Innov8tive Designs.
Right: Walt Ferar’s RC
Pylon racing experience
was evident in the
competition. He is shown
with the multirotor cra
he flew in the Pylon
competition.
Lawrence Tougas, AMA District X vice president, addresses the
crowd. Lucian Miller, the event organizer, is standing behind
Lawrence.
would return on its
own without pilot
control. The winner
was Jim Donnarbel,
whose DJI Phantom
landed 5 feet, 8
inches from where it
took off.
Equally impressive
was the number of aircraft that came back and landed within
15 feet of the starting point. One came back and hovered
roughly 6 feet above the starting point, and then began to
descend.
Spectators cheered because it appeared to be the sure
winner. At approximately 1 foot off of the ground, it fl ew
sideways and climbed back up to 6-8 feet, stayed in a hover,
and wouldn’t land on its own.
I left for home at 5 p.m. and missed the Occupy the Sky
event that featured a large number of multirotors fl ying
together above the runway. Clips of this are included in the
Roswell Flight Test Crew video.
After dinner, the pilots returned to the fi eld for some night
fl ying. A video of the night fl ying was projected on the side of
a trailer at the fi eld.
It turned out to be a full day of fl ying, with plenty to
observe and buy from the vendors. I was impressed by the
custom carrying cases from Go Professional Cases Inc. in San
Diego. The company can cut to individual requirements and
offers standard cases cut for the DJI Phantom.
DWFoamies attended and brought a special foam UFO,
complete with lights, which can protect a quadcopter and
look good doing so.
I bought parts and propellers from Innov8tive Designs. I
also enjoyed seeing a number of the various designs available
for purchase, including one made with towel bars for arms
from AeroQuad.
Sunday featured the Obstacle Course competition, in
which pilots fl ew above, around, and under PVC pipes that
were set up to form the obstacle course. Flying the course
was hard for some and fl ying it fast was a challenge for many
that led to some broken propellers.
More open fl ying, the spectacular pilots’ raffl e, and the
presentation of handsomely carved glass awards ended the
event on Sunday.
Lucien Miller and his staff
did a great job of organizing
and running the event with
the Palomar Fliers.
The pilots enjoyed
the inaugural Multirotor
Challenge and they are
already looking forward to
coming back for Multirotor
Challenge 2014!
—Michael Heer
[email protected]
SOURCES:
Multirotor Challenge website
www.innov8tivedesigns.com/MR
Roswell Flight Test Crew
http://youtu.be/MYpJKFwWv5s
Watch video highlights from the event in
the tablet app and at www.ModelAviation.com/
multirotorchallenge2013.
24 Model Aviation JULY 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 24 5/28/13 10:17 AM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/07
Page Numbers: 21,22,23,24
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/07
Page Numbers: 21,22,23,24
The li competition at the Multirotor
Challenge utilized a box with custom
compartments to hold weights.
The inaugural Multirotor Challenge was held in Fallbrook,
California, the weekend of March 23-24. The site for this
event was the Palomar Fliers’ fl ying fi eld, located off of
I-15, roughly an hour from downtown San Diego. It is a nice
fl ying fi eld and the Palomar Fliers were wonderful and gracious
hosts. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome.
The event organizers were Lucien Miller and his team from
lnnov8tive Designs. Lucian introduced his team members,
discussed their responsibilities, and thanked them for their
hard work befor and during the event.
A number of vendors and supporters donated to the event
and the raffl e boasted more than $10,000 worth of items for
the pilots to win. Items including complete multirotor kits and
all of the related goodies were up for grabs. I was one of 63
registered pilots.
Saturday morning started out overcast with a high cloud
cover that burned off by mid-morning. A southwesterly breeze
built throughout the day and it became a factor in the early
afternoon Pylon competition, but was not an issue for the
general fl ying.
Saturday was slated for open fl ying all day with the
exception of the noontime demonstrations. Many pilots took
advantage of the open fl ying and the Roswell Flight Test
Crew that fl ew down from Portland, Oregon, remained busy
videotaping the event from the sky.
The Roswell group posted a video of the event on YouTube
that covers part of the adventure and offers nice aerial shots. The
link is listed in the “Sources” section at the end of the article.
Lifting competitions were Saturday’s fi rst two challenges,
featuring a Dead Lift event and a Controlled Lift competition.
In the Dead Lift, the multirotor had to lift the weight load
selected by the pilot from the ground to at least 5 feet, hold
Innov8tive Designs hosts pilots, designers, and inventors in California by Michael Heer
www.ModelAviation.com JULY 2013 Model Aviation 21
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 21 5/28/13 10:13 AM
Several offerings were on display including two Next Level multirotors from Innov8tive Designs.
The pilots lined up on the runway for a picture at the first Multirotor Challenge.
The Cyclone is an AeroQuad kit. The arms are made from towel bars.
it there for 10 seconds, and then make a controlled landing.
The Controlled Lift involved the multirotor lifting the weight and then flying a controlled Figure 8 with the load and finishing with a controlled landing at the starting point.
Both events had awards for the heaviest load lifted, regardless of the weight of the multirotor. In this competition, battery weight counted as payload.
The second prize was for the heaviest weight lifted, with the battery counting as part of the multirotor’s weight. Lucien supplied the larger aircraft with a special box with compartments for weights, which was tied to the multirotor, although some contestants, including Ben Berry, added battery packs to their multirotors to increase the weight. Ben flew a self-designed Micro Spider to win this part of the competition.
Blue Sky RC sells the kit for this unit made with 1/8-inch plywood. The company calls it the xRotor Spider Quad. The arms are the same size as the fuselage of a Slow Stick airplane and Ben’s were made of wood, but metal can also be used.
It was a fun competition. Pilots tried to lift as much weight as they could and eventually most found the point where they couldn’t lift off. Some tipped when trying to lift heavier loads, resulting in broken propellers.
Pilot demonstrations were performed during lunch on Saturday and three demonstrations stood out in my mind.
One pilot had his multirotor fly an autonomous, programmed flight. He moved the throttle up and then took his hands off of the transmitter, and the multirotor lifted off and flew a complete flight, including a good climb, several maneuvers, and a Figure 8 before coming back and landing close to the takeoff point.
The flight was completely autonomous after the initial throttle-up by the pilot. It was an impressive demonstration, and especially remarkable to some of the spectators who didn’t realize this was possible with “hobby-size” multirotors.
The second demonstration that impressed me was hand-launching a multirotor with propellers that were already spinning to demonstrate how its stabilization system worked to bring the aircraft quickly into a controlled hover.
Ben Berry’s Spider multirotors were equipped with ESCs that could change direction, which made for some impressive moves. He flew more aggressively than many of the other pilots. ROC Battery sponsored an award that pilots and spectators decided by vote and Ben’s flying won.
Saturday afternoon featured two more competitions. The first was the Pylon Race. A good afternoon breeze helped confirm that multirotors are not designed for Pylon Racing.
Many made wide turns when flying with the wind and had trouble turning back into the wind. It seemed that the faster they flew, the wider the turns were.
One pilot tried to race with a little micro multirotor. He couldn’t overcome the wind and landed in “the Jungle,” an overgrown ravine at the edge of the field. Fortunately, the little aircraft was found in working condition.
Walt Ferar competed in several events. He did a nice job
Photos by the author
22
Model Aviation
July 2013
www.ModelAviation.com
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 22 5/20/13 4:47 PM
DWFoamies created a new design for this event: a
foam flying saucer complete with LEDs.
fl ying his aircraft in the Pylon competition. He told me
that he was an experienced RC Pylon competitor,
which showed in his racing. Pilots need to practice
in both calm and windy conditions to learn
how best to fl y their multirotors around the
pylons in a fast, tight pattern. I expect much
improvement by pilots who return to
compete next year.
Autonomous Spot Landing involved
fl ying the multirotors up and out as
Lucien directed, then activating the
aircraft’s return-to-home button so it
SPONSORS
Innov8tive Designs/Next
Level Multirotors
Cobra
Scorpion Power Systems
RC Heli Pilot
Robot Magazine
Fly RC
MultiRotor Racing
Century Helicopter
ROC Battery
Palomar RC Flyers, Inc.
DIY Drones
3D Robotics
Empire Hobby
AeroQuad
San Diego Lindbergh
Chapter of the Association
for Unmanned Vehicle
Systems International
United Service Associates
Inc.
RC Dude Hobbies
Baron Technology
LHM Drones
QuadCopters+
(QuadCoptersPlus.com)
GoProfessional Cases
Parallax
Quadrino
( yingeinstein.com)
RC Sport Flyer
E-Power
PureTech Systems
DWFoamies
Precision Hobbies
XLRC Hobbies
www.ModelAviation.com JULY 2013 Model Aviation 23
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 23 5/28/13 10:15 AM
Several o erings were on display including two
Next Level multirotors from Innov8tive Designs.
Right: Walt Ferar’s RC
Pylon racing experience
was evident in the
competition. He is shown
with the multirotor cra
he flew in the Pylon
competition.
Lawrence Tougas, AMA District X vice president, addresses the
crowd. Lucian Miller, the event organizer, is standing behind
Lawrence.
would return on its
own without pilot
control. The winner
was Jim Donnarbel,
whose DJI Phantom
landed 5 feet, 8
inches from where it
took off.
Equally impressive
was the number of aircraft that came back and landed within
15 feet of the starting point. One came back and hovered
roughly 6 feet above the starting point, and then began to
descend.
Spectators cheered because it appeared to be the sure
winner. At approximately 1 foot off of the ground, it fl ew
sideways and climbed back up to 6-8 feet, stayed in a hover,
and wouldn’t land on its own.
I left for home at 5 p.m. and missed the Occupy the Sky
event that featured a large number of multirotors fl ying
together above the runway. Clips of this are included in the
Roswell Flight Test Crew video.
After dinner, the pilots returned to the fi eld for some night
fl ying. A video of the night fl ying was projected on the side of
a trailer at the fi eld.
It turned out to be a full day of fl ying, with plenty to
observe and buy from the vendors. I was impressed by the
custom carrying cases from Go Professional Cases Inc. in San
Diego. The company can cut to individual requirements and
offers standard cases cut for the DJI Phantom.
DWFoamies attended and brought a special foam UFO,
complete with lights, which can protect a quadcopter and
look good doing so.
I bought parts and propellers from Innov8tive Designs. I
also enjoyed seeing a number of the various designs available
for purchase, including one made with towel bars for arms
from AeroQuad.
Sunday featured the Obstacle Course competition, in
which pilots fl ew above, around, and under PVC pipes that
were set up to form the obstacle course. Flying the course
was hard for some and fl ying it fast was a challenge for many
that led to some broken propellers.
More open fl ying, the spectacular pilots’ raffl e, and the
presentation of handsomely carved glass awards ended the
event on Sunday.
Lucien Miller and his staff
did a great job of organizing
and running the event with
the Palomar Fliers.
The pilots enjoyed
the inaugural Multirotor
Challenge and they are
already looking forward to
coming back for Multirotor
Challenge 2014!
—Michael Heer
[email protected]
SOURCES:
Multirotor Challenge website
www.innov8tivedesigns.com/MR
Roswell Flight Test Crew
http://youtu.be/MYpJKFwWv5s
Watch video highlights from the event in
the tablet app and at www.ModelAviation.com/
multirotorchallenge2013.
24 Model Aviation JULY 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 24 5/28/13 10:17 AM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/07
Page Numbers: 21,22,23,24
The li competition at the Multirotor
Challenge utilized a box with custom
compartments to hold weights.
The inaugural Multirotor Challenge was held in Fallbrook,
California, the weekend of March 23-24. The site for this
event was the Palomar Fliers’ fl ying fi eld, located off of
I-15, roughly an hour from downtown San Diego. It is a nice
fl ying fi eld and the Palomar Fliers were wonderful and gracious
hosts. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome.
The event organizers were Lucien Miller and his team from
lnnov8tive Designs. Lucian introduced his team members,
discussed their responsibilities, and thanked them for their
hard work befor and during the event.
A number of vendors and supporters donated to the event
and the raffl e boasted more than $10,000 worth of items for
the pilots to win. Items including complete multirotor kits and
all of the related goodies were up for grabs. I was one of 63
registered pilots.
Saturday morning started out overcast with a high cloud
cover that burned off by mid-morning. A southwesterly breeze
built throughout the day and it became a factor in the early
afternoon Pylon competition, but was not an issue for the
general fl ying.
Saturday was slated for open fl ying all day with the
exception of the noontime demonstrations. Many pilots took
advantage of the open fl ying and the Roswell Flight Test
Crew that fl ew down from Portland, Oregon, remained busy
videotaping the event from the sky.
The Roswell group posted a video of the event on YouTube
that covers part of the adventure and offers nice aerial shots. The
link is listed in the “Sources” section at the end of the article.
Lifting competitions were Saturday’s fi rst two challenges,
featuring a Dead Lift event and a Controlled Lift competition.
In the Dead Lift, the multirotor had to lift the weight load
selected by the pilot from the ground to at least 5 feet, hold
Innov8tive Designs hosts pilots, designers, and inventors in California by Michael Heer
www.ModelAviation.com JULY 2013 Model Aviation 21
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 21 5/28/13 10:13 AM
Several offerings were on display including two Next Level multirotors from Innov8tive Designs.
The pilots lined up on the runway for a picture at the first Multirotor Challenge.
The Cyclone is an AeroQuad kit. The arms are made from towel bars.
it there for 10 seconds, and then make a controlled landing.
The Controlled Lift involved the multirotor lifting the weight and then flying a controlled Figure 8 with the load and finishing with a controlled landing at the starting point.
Both events had awards for the heaviest load lifted, regardless of the weight of the multirotor. In this competition, battery weight counted as payload.
The second prize was for the heaviest weight lifted, with the battery counting as part of the multirotor’s weight. Lucien supplied the larger aircraft with a special box with compartments for weights, which was tied to the multirotor, although some contestants, including Ben Berry, added battery packs to their multirotors to increase the weight. Ben flew a self-designed Micro Spider to win this part of the competition.
Blue Sky RC sells the kit for this unit made with 1/8-inch plywood. The company calls it the xRotor Spider Quad. The arms are the same size as the fuselage of a Slow Stick airplane and Ben’s were made of wood, but metal can also be used.
It was a fun competition. Pilots tried to lift as much weight as they could and eventually most found the point where they couldn’t lift off. Some tipped when trying to lift heavier loads, resulting in broken propellers.
Pilot demonstrations were performed during lunch on Saturday and three demonstrations stood out in my mind.
One pilot had his multirotor fly an autonomous, programmed flight. He moved the throttle up and then took his hands off of the transmitter, and the multirotor lifted off and flew a complete flight, including a good climb, several maneuvers, and a Figure 8 before coming back and landing close to the takeoff point.
The flight was completely autonomous after the initial throttle-up by the pilot. It was an impressive demonstration, and especially remarkable to some of the spectators who didn’t realize this was possible with “hobby-size” multirotors.
The second demonstration that impressed me was hand-launching a multirotor with propellers that were already spinning to demonstrate how its stabilization system worked to bring the aircraft quickly into a controlled hover.
Ben Berry’s Spider multirotors were equipped with ESCs that could change direction, which made for some impressive moves. He flew more aggressively than many of the other pilots. ROC Battery sponsored an award that pilots and spectators decided by vote and Ben’s flying won.
Saturday afternoon featured two more competitions. The first was the Pylon Race. A good afternoon breeze helped confirm that multirotors are not designed for Pylon Racing.
Many made wide turns when flying with the wind and had trouble turning back into the wind. It seemed that the faster they flew, the wider the turns were.
One pilot tried to race with a little micro multirotor. He couldn’t overcome the wind and landed in “the Jungle,” an overgrown ravine at the edge of the field. Fortunately, the little aircraft was found in working condition.
Walt Ferar competed in several events. He did a nice job
Photos by the author
22
Model Aviation
July 2013
www.ModelAviation.com
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 22 5/20/13 4:47 PM
DWFoamies created a new design for this event: a
foam flying saucer complete with LEDs.
fl ying his aircraft in the Pylon competition. He told me
that he was an experienced RC Pylon competitor,
which showed in his racing. Pilots need to practice
in both calm and windy conditions to learn
how best to fl y their multirotors around the
pylons in a fast, tight pattern. I expect much
improvement by pilots who return to
compete next year.
Autonomous Spot Landing involved
fl ying the multirotors up and out as
Lucien directed, then activating the
aircraft’s return-to-home button so it
SPONSORS
Innov8tive Designs/Next
Level Multirotors
Cobra
Scorpion Power Systems
RC Heli Pilot
Robot Magazine
Fly RC
MultiRotor Racing
Century Helicopter
ROC Battery
Palomar RC Flyers, Inc.
DIY Drones
3D Robotics
Empire Hobby
AeroQuad
San Diego Lindbergh
Chapter of the Association
for Unmanned Vehicle
Systems International
United Service Associates
Inc.
RC Dude Hobbies
Baron Technology
LHM Drones
QuadCopters+
(QuadCoptersPlus.com)
GoProfessional Cases
Parallax
Quadrino
( yingeinstein.com)
RC Sport Flyer
E-Power
PureTech Systems
DWFoamies
Precision Hobbies
XLRC Hobbies
www.ModelAviation.com JULY 2013 Model Aviation 23
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 23 5/28/13 10:15 AM
Several o erings were on display including two
Next Level multirotors from Innov8tive Designs.
Right: Walt Ferar’s RC
Pylon racing experience
was evident in the
competition. He is shown
with the multirotor cra
he flew in the Pylon
competition.
Lawrence Tougas, AMA District X vice president, addresses the
crowd. Lucian Miller, the event organizer, is standing behind
Lawrence.
would return on its
own without pilot
control. The winner
was Jim Donnarbel,
whose DJI Phantom
landed 5 feet, 8
inches from where it
took off.
Equally impressive
was the number of aircraft that came back and landed within
15 feet of the starting point. One came back and hovered
roughly 6 feet above the starting point, and then began to
descend.
Spectators cheered because it appeared to be the sure
winner. At approximately 1 foot off of the ground, it fl ew
sideways and climbed back up to 6-8 feet, stayed in a hover,
and wouldn’t land on its own.
I left for home at 5 p.m. and missed the Occupy the Sky
event that featured a large number of multirotors fl ying
together above the runway. Clips of this are included in the
Roswell Flight Test Crew video.
After dinner, the pilots returned to the fi eld for some night
fl ying. A video of the night fl ying was projected on the side of
a trailer at the fi eld.
It turned out to be a full day of fl ying, with plenty to
observe and buy from the vendors. I was impressed by the
custom carrying cases from Go Professional Cases Inc. in San
Diego. The company can cut to individual requirements and
offers standard cases cut for the DJI Phantom.
DWFoamies attended and brought a special foam UFO,
complete with lights, which can protect a quadcopter and
look good doing so.
I bought parts and propellers from Innov8tive Designs. I
also enjoyed seeing a number of the various designs available
for purchase, including one made with towel bars for arms
from AeroQuad.
Sunday featured the Obstacle Course competition, in
which pilots fl ew above, around, and under PVC pipes that
were set up to form the obstacle course. Flying the course
was hard for some and fl ying it fast was a challenge for many
that led to some broken propellers.
More open fl ying, the spectacular pilots’ raffl e, and the
presentation of handsomely carved glass awards ended the
event on Sunday.
Lucien Miller and his staff
did a great job of organizing
and running the event with
the Palomar Fliers.
The pilots enjoyed
the inaugural Multirotor
Challenge and they are
already looking forward to
coming back for Multirotor
Challenge 2014!
—Michael Heer
[email protected]
SOURCES:
Multirotor Challenge website
www.innov8tivedesigns.com/MR
Roswell Flight Test Crew
http://youtu.be/MYpJKFwWv5s
Watch video highlights from the event in
the tablet app and at www.ModelAviation.com/
multirotorchallenge2013.
24 Model Aviation JULY 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 24 5/28/13 10:17 AM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/07
Page Numbers: 21,22,23,24
The li competition at the Multirotor
Challenge utilized a box with custom
compartments to hold weights.
The inaugural Multirotor Challenge was held in Fallbrook,
California, the weekend of March 23-24. The site for this
event was the Palomar Fliers’ fl ying fi eld, located off of
I-15, roughly an hour from downtown San Diego. It is a nice
fl ying fi eld and the Palomar Fliers were wonderful and gracious
hosts. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome.
The event organizers were Lucien Miller and his team from
lnnov8tive Designs. Lucian introduced his team members,
discussed their responsibilities, and thanked them for their
hard work befor and during the event.
A number of vendors and supporters donated to the event
and the raffl e boasted more than $10,000 worth of items for
the pilots to win. Items including complete multirotor kits and
all of the related goodies were up for grabs. I was one of 63
registered pilots.
Saturday morning started out overcast with a high cloud
cover that burned off by mid-morning. A southwesterly breeze
built throughout the day and it became a factor in the early
afternoon Pylon competition, but was not an issue for the
general fl ying.
Saturday was slated for open fl ying all day with the
exception of the noontime demonstrations. Many pilots took
advantage of the open fl ying and the Roswell Flight Test
Crew that fl ew down from Portland, Oregon, remained busy
videotaping the event from the sky.
The Roswell group posted a video of the event on YouTube
that covers part of the adventure and offers nice aerial shots. The
link is listed in the “Sources” section at the end of the article.
Lifting competitions were Saturday’s fi rst two challenges,
featuring a Dead Lift event and a Controlled Lift competition.
In the Dead Lift, the multirotor had to lift the weight load
selected by the pilot from the ground to at least 5 feet, hold
Innov8tive Designs hosts pilots, designers, and inventors in California by Michael Heer
www.ModelAviation.com JULY 2013 Model Aviation 21
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 21 5/28/13 10:13 AM
Several offerings were on display including two Next Level multirotors from Innov8tive Designs.
The pilots lined up on the runway for a picture at the first Multirotor Challenge.
The Cyclone is an AeroQuad kit. The arms are made from towel bars.
it there for 10 seconds, and then make a controlled landing.
The Controlled Lift involved the multirotor lifting the weight and then flying a controlled Figure 8 with the load and finishing with a controlled landing at the starting point.
Both events had awards for the heaviest load lifted, regardless of the weight of the multirotor. In this competition, battery weight counted as payload.
The second prize was for the heaviest weight lifted, with the battery counting as part of the multirotor’s weight. Lucien supplied the larger aircraft with a special box with compartments for weights, which was tied to the multirotor, although some contestants, including Ben Berry, added battery packs to their multirotors to increase the weight. Ben flew a self-designed Micro Spider to win this part of the competition.
Blue Sky RC sells the kit for this unit made with 1/8-inch plywood. The company calls it the xRotor Spider Quad. The arms are the same size as the fuselage of a Slow Stick airplane and Ben’s were made of wood, but metal can also be used.
It was a fun competition. Pilots tried to lift as much weight as they could and eventually most found the point where they couldn’t lift off. Some tipped when trying to lift heavier loads, resulting in broken propellers.
Pilot demonstrations were performed during lunch on Saturday and three demonstrations stood out in my mind.
One pilot had his multirotor fly an autonomous, programmed flight. He moved the throttle up and then took his hands off of the transmitter, and the multirotor lifted off and flew a complete flight, including a good climb, several maneuvers, and a Figure 8 before coming back and landing close to the takeoff point.
The flight was completely autonomous after the initial throttle-up by the pilot. It was an impressive demonstration, and especially remarkable to some of the spectators who didn’t realize this was possible with “hobby-size” multirotors.
The second demonstration that impressed me was hand-launching a multirotor with propellers that were already spinning to demonstrate how its stabilization system worked to bring the aircraft quickly into a controlled hover.
Ben Berry’s Spider multirotors were equipped with ESCs that could change direction, which made for some impressive moves. He flew more aggressively than many of the other pilots. ROC Battery sponsored an award that pilots and spectators decided by vote and Ben’s flying won.
Saturday afternoon featured two more competitions. The first was the Pylon Race. A good afternoon breeze helped confirm that multirotors are not designed for Pylon Racing.
Many made wide turns when flying with the wind and had trouble turning back into the wind. It seemed that the faster they flew, the wider the turns were.
One pilot tried to race with a little micro multirotor. He couldn’t overcome the wind and landed in “the Jungle,” an overgrown ravine at the edge of the field. Fortunately, the little aircraft was found in working condition.
Walt Ferar competed in several events. He did a nice job
Photos by the author
22
Model Aviation
July 2013
www.ModelAviation.com
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 22 5/20/13 4:47 PM
DWFoamies created a new design for this event: a
foam flying saucer complete with LEDs.
fl ying his aircraft in the Pylon competition. He told me
that he was an experienced RC Pylon competitor,
which showed in his racing. Pilots need to practice
in both calm and windy conditions to learn
how best to fl y their multirotors around the
pylons in a fast, tight pattern. I expect much
improvement by pilots who return to
compete next year.
Autonomous Spot Landing involved
fl ying the multirotors up and out as
Lucien directed, then activating the
aircraft’s return-to-home button so it
SPONSORS
Innov8tive Designs/Next
Level Multirotors
Cobra
Scorpion Power Systems
RC Heli Pilot
Robot Magazine
Fly RC
MultiRotor Racing
Century Helicopter
ROC Battery
Palomar RC Flyers, Inc.
DIY Drones
3D Robotics
Empire Hobby
AeroQuad
San Diego Lindbergh
Chapter of the Association
for Unmanned Vehicle
Systems International
United Service Associates
Inc.
RC Dude Hobbies
Baron Technology
LHM Drones
QuadCopters+
(QuadCoptersPlus.com)
GoProfessional Cases
Parallax
Quadrino
( yingeinstein.com)
RC Sport Flyer
E-Power
PureTech Systems
DWFoamies
Precision Hobbies
XLRC Hobbies
www.ModelAviation.com JULY 2013 Model Aviation 23
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 23 5/28/13 10:15 AM
Several o erings were on display including two
Next Level multirotors from Innov8tive Designs.
Right: Walt Ferar’s RC
Pylon racing experience
was evident in the
competition. He is shown
with the multirotor cra
he flew in the Pylon
competition.
Lawrence Tougas, AMA District X vice president, addresses the
crowd. Lucian Miller, the event organizer, is standing behind
Lawrence.
would return on its
own without pilot
control. The winner
was Jim Donnarbel,
whose DJI Phantom
landed 5 feet, 8
inches from where it
took off.
Equally impressive
was the number of aircraft that came back and landed within
15 feet of the starting point. One came back and hovered
roughly 6 feet above the starting point, and then began to
descend.
Spectators cheered because it appeared to be the sure
winner. At approximately 1 foot off of the ground, it fl ew
sideways and climbed back up to 6-8 feet, stayed in a hover,
and wouldn’t land on its own.
I left for home at 5 p.m. and missed the Occupy the Sky
event that featured a large number of multirotors fl ying
together above the runway. Clips of this are included in the
Roswell Flight Test Crew video.
After dinner, the pilots returned to the fi eld for some night
fl ying. A video of the night fl ying was projected on the side of
a trailer at the fi eld.
It turned out to be a full day of fl ying, with plenty to
observe and buy from the vendors. I was impressed by the
custom carrying cases from Go Professional Cases Inc. in San
Diego. The company can cut to individual requirements and
offers standard cases cut for the DJI Phantom.
DWFoamies attended and brought a special foam UFO,
complete with lights, which can protect a quadcopter and
look good doing so.
I bought parts and propellers from Innov8tive Designs. I
also enjoyed seeing a number of the various designs available
for purchase, including one made with towel bars for arms
from AeroQuad.
Sunday featured the Obstacle Course competition, in
which pilots fl ew above, around, and under PVC pipes that
were set up to form the obstacle course. Flying the course
was hard for some and fl ying it fast was a challenge for many
that led to some broken propellers.
More open fl ying, the spectacular pilots’ raffl e, and the
presentation of handsomely carved glass awards ended the
event on Sunday.
Lucien Miller and his staff
did a great job of organizing
and running the event with
the Palomar Fliers.
The pilots enjoyed
the inaugural Multirotor
Challenge and they are
already looking forward to
coming back for Multirotor
Challenge 2014!
—Michael Heer
[email protected]
SOURCES:
Multirotor Challenge website
www.innov8tivedesigns.com/MR
Roswell Flight Test Crew
http://youtu.be/MYpJKFwWv5s
Watch video highlights from the event in
the tablet app and at www.ModelAviation.com/
multirotorchallenge2013.
24 Model Aviation JULY 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
021-024_MA0713_MultirotorChallenge.indd 24 5/28/13 10:17 AM
