Introduction: Make a Model of Practical Personal Flying Car

By
Hi everyone. Do you want a practical personal flyingcar? I really want it, so i made a cute monster. It's a concept model of flyingcar. Actually the monster had take off and land safely without crash ^_^

I believe human can free flight in this century.  people can easy to dive aircraft as a car(with wheels).
If a aircraft will become a practical flying car. I think it must be have these basic feature:
1. VTOL(vertical take off and landing)
Even most rich place or country in the world, you can't build airport for every family. If a practical family aircraft always take off or landing with airport, it's really not easy to use. it can't became the public transportation.

2. All moving part must be inside shells. 
Many modern city always crowd. The flyingcar must safely fly through between high-rise. And can get some small collision without crash, not such as helicopter.

3. Technology was extreme low-end and structure was extreme simple.
Most often something was more simple means it will more cheap and safely. I hope the flyingcar is cheap, very family can buy it.

4. Fly don't  be dependent on aerodynamics, but dependent on a stupid truth: thrust > gravity.
That's really important. If a aircraft can fly without aerodynamics, means it will easy to made. Everyone can build it.

5. Long distance of flight
World's first manned flight with an electric multicopter was succeeded in Germany.  The multicopter will become practical  flyingcar. But now the battery really don't enough for Long distance's flight. So the flyingcar must can use other engine(eg: jet, piston).

I wasn't a rich guy or celebrity. So i don't have enough money to make real flying car, i just share my idea: SPOFC
If you interesting in this idea, please try make a cute model or tell other one. Let us try build real flying car by everybody.

Step 1: Concept of My Flyingcar

The air has one way in to three way out. Every gas outlet need control flow rate, so there is a 3 point made different force, it can control the flying car movement. One outlet of three can rotate, it can control the flying car's direction.
The control system come from traditional helicopter CCPM system, but not exactly same, need do some fix. You can found more detail in step 10 and 11.

Step 2: Prepare Material for Flying Car

1. downloading cad file and use plywood of thickness was 2mm to laser cut.
2. radio system, number of channel was at least 5.
3. Hex nylon standoffs:
       m3*10.......x 8
       m4*25.......x 4
4. Nylon screw
       m3*8........x 12
       m4*12.......x 12
5. Hex nylon nut
       m3........x 8
       m4........x 12
6. steel screw m2*12 x 8
7. ESC: Platinum-60A-PRO x 1
8. motor: DUALSKY 3548ca-5 850kv x 1 (not recommend, The reason in the following)
9. controller/autopilot: APM2 or MWC(MWC is best)
10. propellers: gws 1045 3-blade x 1
11. battery: 6S 1300mAh x 1
12. servo: springRC SM-S3481M x 3, SM-S3471M x 1
13. epoxy glue, recommend prepare a glue gun
14. Flange bearings 4*7*2.5 x 4

About motor: the 3548ca-5 850kv can't work in 6s cell. I ignore this bug in project beginning, so my all design keep this trouble. Now I no time and money to find new motor and propeller, make whole new design. They need make about 4kg thrust, it's not easy found. But fortunately i have four 3548ca-5 850kv, Now three motor let me go on test flying. Maybe your can found other engine to make it.

Step 3: Reference for the Frame

You should downloading 3d preview file (google sketchUp)
It's very useful to assemble the frame.

Step 4: Air Valve

Step 5: Build Body

Step 6: First Put All Air Valve Into Frame, Then Close It.


Step 7: Wait One Night for Glue Become Most Strong

Step 8: Assemble Servos and Valve's Position Hit

Step 9: Put Motor and ESC Into Frame

Step 10: Control System

We can image Helicopter was 3 point: left, right, rear. Power of these point sometime change smaller, sometime change bigger. But My flyingcar always smaller.

Step 11: Setting With APM or MWC

APM and MWC can control this model.
The key point is change range of servo to half, "neutral" and "max" was same position.

We will discuss APM in there. If you want use MWC, please check this: config MWC for SPOflyingcar

1. Follow manual of APM Heli connect all part. 
Notice!!! Channel 3, you need set to fix value such as 1500, it's not throttle!, your must control throttle by other channel, for example ESC(THR) connect to channel 7 or 8.

2. Connected your APM, Goto "config"-"heli setup". All servo's Trim fix to 2000;

3. Place model a horizontal surface, then all of the valve's position must is 0 degree(neutarl)! You need try your best to let them close to 0 degree!

4. Catch up the model move it and check it's behavior. The action of servo must oppose model movement, that means stabilize itself was work! Example: model roll to left. Action of servo must was right valve turn down. more detail please check "Servo action List "and"Concept of SPOfiyingcar". If you found some servo's action was inverse, please hit "Rev" check box.

5. Move stick on your radio, If you feel pitch or roll was opposite, you can switch reverse on radio, don't modify setting of APM again!.

All be done, you can try to fly

Microcontroller Contest

Participated in the
Microcontroller Contest