MLB Bat Version 3 User Manual

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MLB

Bat Version 3

User Manual

WARRANTY

The MLB Company guarantees this uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) to be free from defects in both material

and workmanship at the date of purchase. The warranty does not cover any component parts damaged by use

or modification. In no case shall MLB's liability exceed the purchase cost of this system. Further, MLB

reserves the right to change or modify this warranty without notice.

In that MLB has no control over the final assembly or material used for final assembly, no liability shall be

assumed or accepted for any damage resulting from the use by the user of the final user-assembled product. By

the act of operating the user-assembled product, the user accepts all resulting liability.

If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of this product, the buyer is advised

to return this system immediately in new and unused condition to MLB.

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Summary of Contents for MLB Bat Version 3

Page 1 In that MLB has no control over the final assembly or material used for final assembly, no liability shall be assumed or accepted for any damage resulting from the use by the user of the final user-assembled product. By the act of operating the user-assembled product, the user accepts all resulting liability.
Page 2: Table Of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................1 SYSTEM COMPONENTS ......................2 SYSTEM OVERVIEW.......................3 HARDWARE IN-DEPTH PROCEDURES ................4 Fuselage..........................4 Nose Assembly......................4 Airspeed Probe ......................5 Power Switch ......................6 Serial Port ........................6 Access Hatch.......................6 Tail Section..........................7 Tail Surfaces Removal & Attachment................7 Tail Boom Removal & Attachment................8 Tail Inspection......................9 Wings .............................9 To Attach Wings ......................9...
Page 3 Getting Started ........................27 Adding & Calibrating Maps ....................27 To Add and Calibrate a Map..................28 To Recalibrate a Map ....................28 To Remove A Map From the Database ..............29 To Display a Different Map..................29 Creating a Flight Plan......................29 Map...........................30 Adding Waypoints.....................30 Return To Home Mode....................31 Editing Waypoints ........................32 Waypoint Action .......................32 Camera Action......................33...
Page 4 Ground Station Operator .......................59 Aircraft & R/C Operator .......................60 Catapult Operator........................62...
Page 5: Introduction
INTRODUCTION The MLB Bat UAV is a low cost aerial sensor platform that is convenient to deploy and operate. It can be launched by hand or with a catapult, and the groundstation provides an intuitive interface for defining a flight plan or airborne re-tasking with a series of waypoints. In flight, the aircraft transmits telemetry and video to the ground station allowing a single operator to monitor the flight and identify points of interest.
Page 6: System Components
SYSTEM COMPONENTS Bat Version 3 aircraft The groundstation components are stowed in the black Pelican case, and consist of the following items: Laptop computer Video deck (Digital 8 format) Video receiver Video to USB device with cabling Video Antenna Tracking antenna system with tripod...
Page 7: System Overview
SYSTEM OVERVIEW The drawing in Figure 1gives a basic overview of the system’s communication structure. 1) The Bat UAV, with a self-contained flight 4) PC laptop computer with flight data, computer capable of flying aircraft with only moving map display of UAV, and graphic a GPS signal user interface for mission planning and 2) 72 MHz R/C transmitter used for manual...
Page 8: Hardware In-Depth Procedures
This section provides detailed information on how to perform specific tasks related to the Bat UAV hardware. Detailed procedures for using the MLB Groundstation software are provided in the next section. These sections are not a set of operating instructions. A specific set of sequential procedures for operating the Bat is provided in the OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS section.
Page 9: Airspeed Probe
2) Airspeed Probe The airspeed probe is mounted just aft of the nose cone on the left side of the fuselage and extends forward to the front of the nose. To obtain proper airspeed readings the probe needs to be clear of obstruction and properly fitted to the mount, as depicted in Figure 2. Any blockage in the probe can have serious consequences for autonomous flight.
Page 10: Power Switch
This is also how the flight computer and associated electronics are accessed. However, except for battery charging and fuel level inspection, this area should only be accessed by MLB To Open Hatch: •...
Page 11: Tail Section
Figure 4. Access hatch screw Figure 5. Access hatch open Tail Section The Bat’s tail is a composite structure with aluminum booms connecting it to the fuselage. The inverted V tail configuration combines the horizontal stabilizer and elevator functions with the vertical stabilizer and rudder.
Page 12: Tail Boom Removal & Attachment
• Reattachment of the tail surfaces is simply the reverse process of removing the tail. o Be careful to ensure that the servo connectors are properly and securely connected. o Remember to reattach the R/C antenna (Figure 8). 2) Tail Boom Removal & Attachment •...
Page 13: Tail Inspection
3) Tail Inspection • Gently move the elevators/rudders (with the power off) to check that the control surfaces, servo, and linkage move freely. If the control surface is at full deflection, the angle between the linkage and the servo might make it difficult to move the servo via the control surface. If this is the case, do not force it to move.
Page 14: To Detach Wings
connectors and wiring being inserted into the wing root. o Poorly routed wires can keep the wing from properly attaching and a pinched wire could be damaged and cause a failure. • Adjust the wing so that the trailing edge alignment pin inserts into its hole in the wing root.
Page 15: Propulsion
aileron to move. Instead grasp the servo lever and gently rotate the servo toward its center position. • Inspect the servo, linkage, and associated attachments for any loose or damaged parts. • Check the aileron hinge line for tears. • Repeat this process for the flap, but note that it only moves from neutral to down. •...
Page 16: Engine
MLB uses oils from motorcycle dealers (i.e. Honda HP-2, Klotz, etc.), but any 2-stroke oil is acceptable. • To fuel the aircraft: o Attach fuel filler probe to filler port. o Pump fuel and observe fuel line to verify that fuel is going into the aircraft.
Page 17: Tuning
• If the high-speed needle is not set properly, the engine will not produce full power and will reduce the aircraft’s climb performance. MLB recommends that you do not change these settings without first consulting MLB. Flight Computer The FC-2 flight computer is the heart of the autonomous system. It communicates with the...
Page 18: Aircraft Control
Turning on the main power switch on the left side of the plane turns on the flight computer along with all of the other aircraft systems. Caution: Turning on the FC-2 power enables the ignition system, and the engine can be started. 1) Aircraft Control The most crucial role of the flight computer is to fly the plane.
Page 19: Video System
• If damage is suspected or the GPS fails to acquire DO NOT FLY autonomously until the problem is rectified. Contact MLB immediately to troubleshoot GPS problems of this nature. Video System Live video is provided by a one-way link from the aircraft to the ground station.
Page 20 To set up the antenna: • Erect the tracking antenna tripod. • Orient the tripod so that the arrow on the tracking assembly (see Figure 15) is pointed to GEOGRAPHIC North. o If using a magnetic compass to find north, declination must be accounted for.
Page 21: Video Receiver
• Connect the data/power cable (male DB-9 connector) to the tracking antenna’s black box. At the ground station: • Connect the coaxial cable to the video receiver in the ground station case. • Check that the antenna data cable is plugged into the USB/Serial adapter. •...
Page 22: Video Deck
• The receiver is not protected from reverse polarity, so be sure that positive and negative leads of the ground station battery are properly attached prior to connecting the modem or receiver. • Check that the receiver power cable is plugged into the back of the receiver, and that the power connector is attached to its receptacle behind the laptop.
Page 23: Data Modem
Use of the transmitter for MLB aircraft is limited to the two joysticks and the trim slider switches. The joysticks are configured as they are for conventional R/C Airplanes: §...
Page 24: Payload
Depending on desired endurance, the Bat can carry up to 5 pounds of payload. Any integration or addition of payload should be conducted by MLB. The following information is provided for reference only, and it in no way implies that this work should be conducted by anyone other than MLB personnel.
Page 25 o The wing’s main spar provides a secure attachment point. • Lighter objects may be held in place with double sided adhesive, or secured inside a foam package that fits snuggly into the fuselage. The aircraft’s CG is marked on the side of the fuselage slightly below and behind the wings leading edge.
Page 26: Batteries & Power Regulator
o Airspeed, ground speed, heading, and other status indicators should have appropriate values. Use the pull-down menu to select a variety of plots and confirm that they represent any activity that was performed during the test procedure. Batteries & Power Regulator Charging the aircraft and ground station batteries require a 120 V AC supply that may not be available in the field, so advanced preparation is essential.
Page 27: Ground Station
Summary: • A fully charged aircraft battery indicates close to 16 volts. • Land the aircraft immediately if the battery voltage drops below 14 V. • The aircraft battery must be discarded and replaced if it ever drops bellow 10 V. •...
Page 28: Declination Corrections
Declination Corrections Declination compensates for the difference between the Earth’s magnetic and geographic North Poles. To determine the appropriate magnetic bearing for a desired geographic direction, add or subtract the local declination value from the geographic direction. West of the zero line, declination is subtracted, while declination is added East of the line.
Page 29: Software In-Depth Procedures
SOFTWARE IN-DEPTH PROCEDURES The MLB Groundstation is a software program that communicates with the Bat UAV for flight planning, pre-launch programming, in-flight re-tasking, and display of live telemetry. The detailed procedures that follow provide in-depth descriptions of all the Groundstation’s functions, including adding map files to the map database, creating flight plans, and initializing the aircraft's launch sequence.
Page 30: Description Of Aircraft State Information
1) Description of aircraft state information • Camera Zoom controls top the left screen area. • A telemetry wheel next to the camera zoom control spins and changes color every time a telemetry packet is received from the aircraft. • The Video/Plot area can show a live video image from the onboard camera or other selectable data plots.
Page 31: Description Of Map Display
Figure 23. Moving map display Getting Started To launch the groundstation software, click the MLB Groundstation shortcut Icon on the taskbar, or from the Windows Start button select Programs then MLB Groundstation and click on the MLB Groundstation icon. Adding & Calibrating Maps While having a map for the intended area of flight is not essential, a meaningful background is helpful for flight planning and tracking the aircraft’s flight path.
Page 32: To Add And Calibrate A Map
An appropriate map image must be available in a graphics format: JPEG, GIF, or Windows Bitmap (BMP). TopoUSA is included with the standard MLB system to provide reasonably accurate map images, but any image, even a hand drawn sketch, saved in the proper format will work.
Page 33: To Remove A Map From The Database
3) To Remove A Map From the Database • Use the pulldown menu to select Map and click on Delete Map… and select the map you wish to delete. Click on yes when prompted. • The map will be removed from the database but the map image will not be deleted. •...
Page 34: Map
1) Map • The default map displayed when the groundstation is opened may not be the appropriate map for the flight plan desired. o If a map for the appropriate area has already been added, but it is not the current map in the display, the correct map can be opened.
Page 35: Return To Home Mode
o Check that the camera operation has been correctly defined for each leg, and that the durations for the circle or cross patterns are correct (the default is 0 seconds). 3) Return To Home Mode • Enable/Disable Return to Home o Upon loss of signal from the R/C transmitter the aircraft can automatically initiate a return to home.
Page 36: Editing Waypoints
Editing Waypoints Waypoints consist of a geographical position, altitude, airspeed, and actions for the aircraft to execute. The Edit Waypoint window, shown in Figure 25, is used to edit waypoint parameters. It pops up whenever a new waypoint is added. The Edit Waypoint window can also be opened by right clicking on any waypoint.
Page 37: Camera Action
o Fly Through: The aircraft will continue on to the next waypoint after reaching the current waypoint. o Drop: Optionally equipped aircraft will drop deployable sensors or take still photos at the waypoint while the aircraft continues to fly through to the next waypoint. o Circle: The aircraft will circle the waypoint with a fixed radius for a user-specified duration.
Page 38: Altitude
• If the distance is set to 0 the camera will look at the waypoint. For a distant waypoint the camera will initially be aimed close to the horizon, but as the aircraft approaches the waypoint the camera will continue to tilt down until it is looking directly down as the aircraft flies over the waypoint.
Page 39: Using And Editing Existing Flight Plans
o Slope: This is an optional means of setting the altitude of the current waypoint based on a slope angle from the selected point to the current waypoint. • If a slope is specified, the current waypoint’s altitude will automatically updated to meet the slope.
Page 40: Image Mosaic Flight Plan
• Use the functions described in “Creating a Flight Plan” to modify the flight plan as desired. • Before saving, sequentially step through all the waypoints to check their parameters. • Save the new flight plan o Review the flight plan summary to ensure it is appropriate and within the aircraft’s limits. o If not, be sure to make the necessary changes, and resave the flight plan before proceeding.
Page 41: Initializing The Aircraft
During the initialization process, a number of checks need to be performed by the operator to ensure the aircraft’s safety. The MLB flight control system uses many components not specifically designed for aerospace applications to produce small yet very capable aircraft at a relatively low cost.
Page 42 o A Launch Method dialog box will ask whether the launch will be Autonomous. o An autonomous launch requires no pilot involvement. Once the engine is started and the aircraft is ready to go, the R/C transmitter is switched to Autonomous mode, which causes the throttle to automatically advance to full.
Page 43 • Be sure that the flight plan does not contain any altitudes above the max altitude. • Check the Distance from Home window; this displays how far (in miles) the aircraft is from the flight-plan's home location. • Assuming home is defined as where the aircraft is, the distance from home should be less than 0.05 miles.
Page 44: Re-Tasking Aircraft
Re-tasking Aircraft The aircraft may be re-tasked at any time during flight. Individual or multiple waypoints can be edited, the aircraft can be redirected to an out of sequence waypoint, or an entirely new flight plans can be opened. Essentially all of the tools available in creating a flight plan can be used to re-task the aircraft.
Page 45: Reviewing The Aircraft's Course
o If Home is selected, the aircraft will proceed to the home location at 30 mph and 500 ft altitude, and orbit at 500’ feet until redirected. The altitude will change to 500 ft at the aircraft’s fastest rate of climb or descent. Reviewing the Aircraft’s Course The current flight plan that the aircraft is using can be sent from the aircraft to the groundstation.
Page 46: Saving And Loading Flight Data
Figure 32. Shutdown text box Saving and Loading Flight Data The Flight Data displayed on the groundstation is held in memory. When the groundstation program is closed, this data is automatically saved to a text file named "lastflight.csv" in the directory where the ground station is installed.
Page 47: Flight Plan Format
Flight Plan Format The flight plans are simple text files. It is possible to edit them by hand, but not recommended as it is very easy to introduce errors. The following is a line-by-line description of the flight-plan-file: Line Example Description Number 0=Return-to-Home Enabled...
Page 48: Configuration File Format
121.946 Notes: • Usually the map names are the complete path (e.g., "c:\windows\desktop\MLB Groundstation\firstst.jpg") • The lat/lon numbers have been truncated-- usually much more precision is necessary. These changes were made to the example to enhance readability. • The first map in the map database list is displayed when the groundstation is started up. To bring your favorite map up by default, move its line to the top of the list.
Page 49: Autonomous Takeoff Procedures
Autonomous takeoff procedures The most important aspect of an autonomous launch is to select “Yes” to “Autonomous Launch” from the “Launch Method” window during groundstation aircraft startup procedure. The operator also needs to set appropriate parameters for the first waypoint (wpt 0) so the aircraft can execute a smooth transition from launch to waypoint navigation.
Page 50: Voice Error Messages
Groundstation icon located on the desktop or on the taskbar. 2) Add a Map • Open the directory C:\MLB Files\Maps\ and copy the file firstst.jpg. Paste it into the same directory and rename it firstst1.jpg. • From the Groundstation’s pull-down menu, select Map and click on Add New Map…...
Page 51 If an error was made during the map calibration, it may not be apparent until a waypoint is added. If the map jumps significantly or disappears completely when the first waypoint is added, delete the map or recalibrate it. To create the first waypoint: •...
Page 52 • In the Waypoint box, click Previous Waypoint to move back to Waypoint 2. • Leave all parameters at their defaults. • Skip down to the Relative Position box. • Use the Previous or Next buttons to scroll to “From Home to Wpt 2”. •...
Page 53: Operating Instructions
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS This section provides a concise summary of everything that needs to be done to ensure successful flights. Anyone conducting flight operations with the Bat UAV should be very familiar with this section of the manual. If you are unsure of how to perform any of the procedures listed here, refer to the sections on HARDWARE and SOFTWARE IN-DEPTH PROCEDURES.
Page 54: Airplane Setup
Flight operations start with the setup of the ground station and the airplane. A good practice that helps to ensure that nothing is omitted during the ground station and aircraft setup is to conduct each of these operations separately. Finish the aircraft setup prior to setting up the ground station, or visa versa, or have different people be responsible for each of these tasks.
Page 55: Takeoff
• If using the live video display on the laptop, connect the USB video adapter to the video receiver and to the laptop. • Start the ground station code on the laptop (click the MLB Groundstation icon on the taskbar).
Page 56 Catapult • Mount the aircraft on the catapult tray. o A small amount of bungee tension helps during the mounting process. o Check that the aircraft’s launching pins are BOTH properly locked to the catapult tray. • Check the release pin is securely fastened in place. •...
Page 57: Landing
• Launch and manually fly the aircraft. Transition to Autonomous Flight • Verify at the groundstation that all of the aircraft’s systems are functioning. • Once the aircraft is above 200 ft. and clear of all obstructions switch the R/C transmitter to autonomous mode.
Page 58: Specifications
Support equipment 900MHz system, power supplies, engine starter, fuel container, and shipping cases all included in standard system. Initial ground and flight training provided at MLB facilities as part Training and Support of standard system. Additional support (flight operations, on-site flight training, and repair) area available.
Page 59: Check Lists
CHECK LISTS Advanced Preparation Charge Batteries aircraft main laptop video deck ground station 12 volt pack R/C radio uplink transmitter electric starter Set up Maps and Missions load map for area of operation ensure proper map calibration create and save flight plan ensure terrain and obstacle clearance limit climb and descent rates to ±...
Page 60: Flight Operations
Flight Operations Survey Launch Area ensure takeoff and landing areas large enough and clear of obstructions 100 X 100 yard landing area, 350 yards to 50 ft obstacle check wind direction & speed for launch and landing ensure wind and gusts < 30 mph or don’t fly Aircraft Set-Up fuel aircraft attach wings...
Page 61 Preflight Aircraft ensure aircraft fueled visually inspect fuel level from inside access hatch if necessary check fuel lines unobstructed & properly attached check engine and muffler secure check propeller for damage and securely mounted check control surfaces for solid feel and free movement check camera turret for solid feel and free movement check camera lens clear check all antennas properly installed/deployed...
Page 62: Flight Training
FLIGHT TRAINING This is a set of checklist-style instructions to be used by a team of operators for flight training. The main difference between these instructions and the previous set of checklists is that the tasks are distinctly separated for the different operators, and some comments are added to provide sequencing among the operators.
Page 63 Boot laptop Connect modem Connect & align antenna Connect video deck Start MLB Groundstation software Initialize antenna port Open existing flight plan or create new flight plan Wait for aircraft operator to complete preflight preparation Have aircraft operator switch on aircraft...
Page 64 Aircraft & R/C Operator Aircraft Set-Up Attach wings Fuel aircraft Deploy modem antenna Attach tracking beacon Aircraft Preflight Check fuel line securely attached Check carburetor clean Check engine and muffler securely mounted Check rudder/elevator controls Check wings locked & aileron controls Check all antennas secure (4) Check camera and lens Check airspeed probe for blockage...
Page 65 Landing and Post Flight Check that transmitter is in autonomous mode & throttle is ful Turn on R/C transmitter and remind ground station operator to unlock autopilo After landing, cut engin Set throttle and trim to low, switch to manua...
Page 66 Catapult Operator Catapult Set-up Remove cover Unfold rail Remove support block Lock elevation Check catapult securely mounted on roof racks Check condition of rope and routing on pulleys Check condition of bungee Check condition/function of sled & tray Check release-pin properly placed and locked Assemble starting equipment Check wind direction &...
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