I am planning to begin making a solar powered UAV and have spent some time researching Solar Panels , MPPT’s, Airframes and Autopilots. I think the best way to go is to run the Motor / speed controller directly from the Solar panels / MMPT, but also have a small battery to “back up” the electronics just incase the UAV tips upside down etc.. so it has power to recover. I have tested the Powerfilm solar panels but don’t think they will be efficient enough for what I want to do. I think I will use the A-300 panels instead. This is the airframe I am thinking of using.Is anyone else out there trying this, thinking about trying this or done this yet?? I am interested to see some different approaches to the same problems. 1 member likes this I've just found something interesting for you (a solar mini-UAV from Switzerland): Some flexible solar cells which are said to be good for an RC aircraft: Solar gliders from Chris Good: Well, my diploma work was the concept of a solar UAV, but this would be too expensive to be built by a hobbyist.

It was based on the SoLong of AC Propulsion. Note that if you want a hybride system (accumulator and solar cells at once) you need to use DC/DC converters for connecting them in parallel (to make a power line with constant voltage) and these converters are usually heavy. That is why this concept had a large wing area and 4,8 metres of wingspan: take look at my project... i am using Powerfilm solar panels that perfectly fit on my plane. they weigh 120grams and producing 1.25amps at full sun... i am using them to power all my equipment (including the brushless motor) together with a bank of batteries... I have been thinking of a flying wing also, but I am yet to find one that will suit (still looking though.) Here are some pics of the Graupner that I found. There seems to be a fair bit of space in there. I know that efficiency (Watts per kilo to sustain level flight) is everything when it comes to this design. And from what I have read the sailplane airframe will be the most efficient.

(with the right motor, prop and esc of course.) There is defiantly a lot to consider. What is the climb rate like? Has it got lots of power or just enough to keep it in there air? Can you please post some video of it flying? I think I will have to select the solar panels last. I have got some of the power film panels here but I'm worried they will not be efficient enough. I was thinking I would get the plane and deck it out with a (just big enough) motor / ESC and then install an eagle tree (or similar) data logger. parrot ar drone 2 youtubeThen I will know how much power I need to sustain level flight.ar drone 2 reset procedure Then I can get an idea of how many power film panels I need or if they will all fit on the wing. ar drone 2 gopro mount

If they don’t fit I will need to use a more efficient solar cell. Here is a list that I think will end up being part of the project……. -Motor / gearbox (Maybe something like this if the stock motor is too power hungry) -MPPT (Maximum power point tracker) Good description here. -Dean Goedde’s Atto pilot 1.7. (Very small, light and awesome. Just have to wait for the release) -Solar panels (yet to be determinaded) -Small battery (To back up electronics only)parrot ar drone nederland -Maxtream 9xTend Data modemar drone 2 instructions -A small light digital cameraparrot ar drone with gopro -Hours and hours of nightmaresparrot ar drone spare battery

-And an angry wife :) My goal is to make a UAV that can stay in the air for up to 8 hours (in summer). I have looked at trying to incorporate batteries to keep it up longer but the added weight and electronics would turn it into something way out side my skill level! You only have to look at the people that have done it to see that they had almost unlimited budgets and teams of scientists behind the project. It's not always the case, it depends on the efficiency of the cells. Have a look at this. The Spectrolab cell look impressive at almost 30% efficiency! These guys just set a US endurance record for solar powered flight. Check out this thread for more. I have looked at the MPPT that these guys built but also the guy from this website said he can custom make one. I’m still looking into it myself. I’m going to start with a small plane just to test all the electronics to get a feel for it and then I am thinking of building something bigger. (Large wingspan to hold all the cells, still deciding what to use there as well??)

The formulas here (2nd post) are interesting also.(I know I need it!)Magnetic ContinuousContinuous MotorFree ElectricalElectrical EnergyElectrical GeneratorTheoretical FreeProduces FreeMagnet MotorsMagnetic EnergyForwardA magnetic motor is a theoretical free energy device which produces free electrical energy by using magnetic energy from magnets or magnetic fields. /magnetic-motor-generator.html Magnet Motor-Generator- ProductDrone 2.0 Power Edition Two 1500mAh LiPo batteries giving a flight time of up to 16 minutes Without a permit, the legal range for a drone to fly is below 120m and always in the line of sight from the operator Check out The Drone Code or The IAA (ROI) for everything you need to be aware of when flying your drone Limited stock may be available in some stores. Call us on 0844 557 6000 to check • Two 1500mAh LiPo batteries giving a flight time of up to 16 minutes • Without a permit, the legal range for a drone to fly is below 120m and always in the line of sight from the operator• Check out The Drone Code or The IAA (ROI) for everything you need to be aware of when flying your drone• Record in 720p giving you HD resolution for clear videos and great aerial photography shots• Vertical mounted camera for measuring ground speed•

Controllable via downloadable Apple or Android appWhat makes this drone different from the other Parrot AR drones?This drone comes with two improved batteries on the previous models. The two 1500mAh batteries give you a flight time of up to 16 minutes - an improvement of approximately 33% on the previous model. This ensures that you can enjoy your flying with more time between charges. This quadcopter also comes with three spare sets of propellers in different colours so you can customise your drone for flight.What quality of camera does the Parrot AR drone come with?This drone comes with a high definition camera that gives you a maximum video recording resolution of 1280 x 720p at 30 frames per second. This gives you a great looking picture as you soar through the skies, without missing a thing. For still photography, the camera gives you the capability of good quality shots for those sweeping landscapes. This is all live viewable on your smartphone or tablet. Safe flying is your responsibilityWe fully encourage safe and responsible flying.

We recommend you read the CAA’s/IAA’s website and The Drone Code for full information on safe and responsible flying. The CAA (UK)The IAA (ROI) The Drone Code Please see the Downloads tab for information regarding responsible flying and aviation law. Weight (including battery and propellers) Diagonal size (including propellers) +/- 5 cm on all the axes Max altitude above sea level Front: 90° diagonal lens Vertical: 64° diagonal lens Bracketed frames at 0.7EV bias 1280 x 720p (30 fps) Supported SD card types Max bitrate of video storage 32 mins - 16 minutes per battery 2x HD 1500mAh batteries 4 x sets of propellers - Black/Orange/Turquoise/Red Indoor and Outdoor hulls in ‘Stealth’ Black Why not tell us and our B2B sales team about your specific business needs and expectations? At Maplin, we’re always looking for innovations and technology that can help your business work more efficiently. With a dedicated business team and special services available only to business customers, you can access our electronics and technology solutions through our wide network of over 200 stores, our website with more than 20,000 products or though your personal account manager over the phone.