First flight of Condor!
The lockdown is finally over, there is so much to test out with our new Condor prototype!
Condor weighs 7kg without payload (accepting up to 8kg thereof). Even without a payload, the paramotor remains within the wing’s mass range which is exactly the kind of flexibility we were aiming for with this new design.
Our first flight with Condor is a success! Usually, when you design a drone, you expect all kinds of problems to occur during the first experiments (a component failure, an unexpected reboot of your controller… the possibilities are endless). What a bliss to have none of these issues and simply appreciate a smooth flight!
This first flight tells us a lot about this prototype’s dynamics. Yes, it flew, but we could notice major discrepancies with our lightweight Goose prototype. Condor tends to sway for a little while after a sharp turn, and takes a long time to recover. Although this lateral mode was expected, its actual amplitude proved to be higher than we thought. We also have a slower response time when activating one of the brakes. Studying this mode carefully and finding ways to damp it (hardware-wise or control-wise) would be beneficial.
(Do not reproduce this at home) To catch a 7kg drone flying steadily towards you, you better be in good shape! 