So, I was released from all of my high school classes (except PE) on Friday April 10, 2015. I thought it might be a good idea to keep a daily log of my progress on the ARV project. I will try to jot down some notes daily about what I have accomplished. Please keep in mind that my workday is split by Ultimate Frisbee practice every day from 2:30pm-6:00pm.

Saturday April 11, 2015

• Soldered JST connectors to high efficiency 5V switching regulator
  • Heatshrinked the entire thing for thermal and electrical insulation
• Created 10pin to 6pin connector for USBasp programmer board
• Tried to update USBasp firmware unsuccessfully (still managed to flash KK2 with OpenAero using programmer with Arduino IDE, but programmer is not detected by computer)
• Assessed problems with ReadyToFlyer 2.8 autopilot board
  • Ordered new board, voltage sensor module, and GPS wire harness

Sunday April 12, 2015

• Visiting CMU

Monday April 13, 2015

• Visiting CMU

Tuesday April 14, 2015

• Created holders for 2S 5000mAh lipo inside ARV MK2
• Performed the maiden flight for ARV MK2
  • Tested glide slope
  • Tested stall performance (full aileron while holding full up eventually resulted in a tip stall and a short stall spin)
  • 4 complete flights totaling roughly 20 minutes in the air
  • recorded with onboard Gopro Hero 3 and iPhone 6 runnning 720p 240fps on ground
• Spoke to experience balloonist about project. Recommended to use helium over hydrogen
  • Learned that 1200-2000g balloon and a K tank of helium will be sufficient
  • Learned that flight above 80,000 feet is unpredictable (may have to launch at 80k)
  • Confirmed legality of mission

Wednesday April 15, 2015

• Recorded ARV introduction video for RaptorTech youtube channel
  • Edited with with overlay graphics
  • Transferred footage from old laptop to new computer
• Re-uploaded ARV MK1 Maiden Flight for RaptorTech youtube channel
  • updated links and created ARV playlist
• Contacted Tolman Manufacturing & Supply Company about pricing
  • Walk-in rental for K Tank of Helium with regulator and hose will be roughly $200
• Created Daily Log page and all previous log entries

Thursday April 16, 2015

• Created CAD model for glider attached to weather balloon
• Used model to create (gorgeous) renderings of ascent
  • Combined transparent rendering with actual photograph
• Started working on fuselage for heavy lifter cargo plane (to lift glider)
  • Used hot wire cutter to plane 2 inch insulation foam down to 1 inch (tedious)

Friday April 17, 2015

• Finished gluing fuselage and trimmed dried glue
• Purchased materials for landing gear and control surfaces on heavy lifter cargo plane
• Purchased low current resistors and phosphorous to create fuses to burn cord between balloon and glider
• Purchased high current resistors to test temperature control of gyroscope IC
• Began editing flight video for ARV MK2

Saturday April 18, 2015

• Created trainer cable to allow connection of Spektrum and OrangeRX Transmitters for training
• Completed soldering for powertrain inside large cargo plane
  • Test full throttle on 6000mAh 6s
• Attached ailerons and began installing wing servos and wiring

Sunday April 19, 2015

• Laminated foam for elevator
• Carved XPS wheels and installed wooden hubs
• Glued on landing gear and wing mount hard points
• completed wiring inside wing
• programmed differential throttle

Monday April 20, 2015

• Laminated foam for V-Stab
• installed landing gear
• created elevator on H-stab and completed tail wiring
• Consolidated FPV gear into head-mounted system

Tuesday April 21, 2015

• Flashed new APM
  • Configured appropriate mixing
• Visiting Brown University

Wednesday April 22, 2015

• Visiting Brown University

Thursday April 23, 2015

• Visiting Brown University
• Installed new APM into ARV MK2
  • Finished configuration
• Installed appropriate drivers for telemetry radio
  • Wrote simple application to display active serial ports (Free Download: Serial Ports.app mac only)
• Completed tail assembly for heavy lifter

Friday April 24, 2015

• Created tail mount for heavy lifter
• Created third hard mount for wings on heavy lifter

Saturday April 25, 2015

• Ultimate Frisbee Tournament
• Prepped heavy lifter for maiden flight
  • Taxi test with differential throttle

Sunday April 26, 2015

• Tested ARV MK2 with autopilot
  • Crash and retrieval from tree
  • flight log analysis revealed plane entered failsafe mode
• Maiden flight ofheavy lifter at Burr elementary
  • Success!
• Began editing flight footage for ARV MK2 maiden video
  • found open license audio track
• Began cutting wings for ARV MK3

Monday April 27, 2015

• Created test setup for battery endurance
  • Wrote data logging system using Arduino and Processing
  • Create graph of data from first test using two servos
  • Determined that 0.5A regulator is insufficient for Gopro
  • Performed second test with Gopro
• Tested stiff hot wire foam cutter for “camera case” style fuselage
• Purchased new regulator
• Created short video edit for heavy lifter
  • composed soundtrack

Tuesday April 28, 2015

• Began construction of ARV MK3
  • Hot wire cut wings
  • Created stiff hot wire tool for detailed cutting
  • Cut fuselage with “camera case” style
  • Tested center of gravity with electronics and winglets before gluing
  • Glued wings to fuselage using gorilla glue
• Set up backup GSM GPS tracker
  • Purchased minutes on H2O wireless
  • configured and tested tracker using cell connection
• Researched and purchased appropriate balloon for actual launch

Wednesday April 29, 2015

• Glued winglets onto ARV MK3
• Removed hair from hot wire cutting on wing of ARV MK3
• Worked on research paper

Thursday April 30, 2015

• Worked on research paper
• Installed new VReg on APM board
• Tested handwarmers overnight in ARV MK3 fuselage (still warm 15 hrs later)
• Cut spot for GPS tracker in ARV MK3 fuselage
• Tested tape hinge in freezer –> too stiff

Friday May 1, 2015

• Worked on research paper
• Cut out control surfaces on ARV MK3
• Created nose for Gopro with hot wire

Saturday May 2, 2015

• Worked on research paper
• Completed control surfaces and linkage on ARV MK3
  • installed 8 hinges
  • installed horns and servos
  • created pushrods
• Researched Autopilot modifications and previous attempts
• Tested GPS tracker initialization while in flight
• Began digging into autopilot code/taking notes
  • Reduced data log frequency to 1Hz to allow longer mission

Sunday May 3, 2015

• Worked on research paper
• Glued down pushrod guides
• Initialized IDE for editing APM firware
• Contacted specialist to seek advice on:
  • altitude compensation
  • release triggers
  • source code versions
  • AoA calculation
  • freefall detection
• Attempted simple edits to Arduplane firmware and determined that newest firmwares will likely not be compatible with mission goals
  • successful flash of APM using modified Arduino IDE as opposed to Mission Planner GUI

Monday May 4, 2015

• Completed research paper
• Activated google API to allow drive embedding in webpage
• Continue to investigate options for modifying APM code
• Attempted modification of code in dozens of different firmware versions
  • Unable to trigger I/O pin
  • Successfully switched flight after time delay
• LOTS of research into APM software and structure (starting to think I might be better writing my own firmware or something…. brutal)

Tuesday May 5, 2015

• Researched PID control to consider constructing my own autopilot
• Configured APM for ARV MK3
• Created hatch for ARV MK3 and began rounding fuselage exterior
• Tested current draw for primary electronics system
  • Calculated worst case scenario battery life is still sufficient

Wednesday May 6, 2015

• Sanded ARV MK3
• Tested packing with all onboard electronics
  • Tested handwarmer placement/endurance
• Created graphic for design evolution of airframe

Thursday May 7, 2015

• Maiden flight of ARV MK3
  • Adjusting CG
  • Crash
• Analyzed flight logs
• Repaired ARV MK3 airframe

Friday May 8, 2015

• Started presentation
• Began editing flight footage for ARV MK3

Saturday May 9, 2015

• More testing of Heavy Lifter

Sunday May 10, 2015

• Worked on presentation
• Working for Above Summit
• Research into CoG

Monday May 11, 2015

• Practice Presentation
• Re-maidened ARV MK3
  • Determine better CoG
• Investigated APM code (reading libraries)
  • Pin A9 now functional as status indicator/output
  • Inserting test code
  • Success in triggering A9 based on calculated altitude
• Compared Texas HAB code to APM v2.65 code using Kaleidescope

Tuesday May 12, 2015

• Working on APM code
  • developed working firmware for autonomous propeller testing
    • switches to RTL and cuts throttle at user definable altitude
    • Control can be reclaimed by switching to RTL and back
    • disabled all radio failsafes
• Maiden Z3 for Above Summit
• Research how to launch weather balloon
  • will need at least two people
  • will need to build PVC nozzle to inflate balloon

Wednesday May 13, 2015

• Worked on APM code
  • cleaned and improved 2.75 version
    • discovered that 2.75 doesn’t allow for dataflash logging
  • ported code to 3.22 version
    • deleted unnecessary code to save space
    • bricked ReadyToFlyer 2.8 board
• Purchased two new APM boards
• Purchase helium tank
• Purchased PVC and made hose fitting for balloon inflation
• Worked on presentation