The New and Improved Tuffwing UAV Mapper.

By Stephanie Pelczar

The Tuffwing shop has been hard at work making improvements to its UAV Mapper, from a cleaner wing to a complete body shape adjustment- all allowing for longer flight times by reducing drag and power consumption. Thank you to all of our customers for your feedback and input. 

The new camera mount includes a Velcro strap that is anchored to the

body of the airplane, securing cameras more effectively and preventing damage if a hard landing should occur.

The new center-mounted Mars parachute location balances the weight of the airplane for a targeted nose landing (the thickest foam area) which absorbs impact the best while minimizing damage.

If deployed low, the parachute will now act as a precise "braking" system and immediately lands in place. This allows for a more accurate and quick landing. See video.

The foam width on the trailing edge of the body has been reduced slightly, and the motor has been moved back further away from the trailing edge into cleaner air. This results in less power consumption and less disturbance at the propeller while providing quieter and longer flights. The motor mount is now 3D printed.

A mounted tow hook on the underside of the body is now standard on all UAV Mappers, allowing for a choice in launching methods.

The GPS/compass and RC receivers are now mounted inside the wing and are covered in coroplast, providing a cleaner wing with improved aerodynamics and less drag.

All UAV Mappers now come with a Taranis long range receiver RC that provides at least 3 km RC signal range.

The previous UAV Mapper wings are compatible with the new body, as is the Pixhawk, motor, etc.

The new bodies will be ready to ship by mid-May 2018. 

Check Tuffwing’s Facebook page for further updates, join our group Tuffwing UAV Mapper Enthusiasts on Facebook, and subscribe to our email list.

For more information:
email sales@tuffwing.com
call +1 (830) 446-1500
visit tuffwing.com

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Taranis X7 Documentation

By Brian Christal

New documentation for the Taranis X7 and Taranis L9R long range recievers has been added to the Tuffwing.com support page.

The Taranis receivers outcompete Spektrum as far as range goes. (Some users were noting the lack of range from the Spektrum.)

The Taranis also offers RSSI that can be sent back and displayed in Mission Planner. Taranis model files are included that work with your existing Spektrum parameters, i.e.: flight mode switch, parachute switch, and servo endpoints.

It is only necessary to perform a radio calibration.

View the documentation here.

UAV Systems Training Tuffwing, Jonathan Chambers, Canada

TuffWing confined space landing. Above Aerial Photography with a UAV Mapper in Rockport, Texas.

UAV MAPPER

How to Reduce Prop Vibrations

By Brian Christal, posted by Stephanie Pelczar 

Excessive vibration from an unbalanced or off-center propeller will lead to poor performance in flight modes that require accurate position calculations. The most important thing you can do to ensure that your propeller is not off-center is to use a prop ring adapter that matches the prop shaft on your motor.
Prop ring adapters are included with your APC propeller when you buy them through Tuffwing, or you may buy them through Tower Hobbies. (Part number LPAR06E.)

1. Install the 6 mm  adapter ring. Failure to use an adapter ring may cause your UAV Mapper to crash during your flight mission.

2. Remove the nut and washer from the propeller shaft.
3. Slide the propeller onto the shaft. Ensure that the numbers are facing toward the front of the
   airplane.
4. Hold the motor housing tight while you tighten the propeller nit. Failure to adequately tighten the
   nut will cause the propeller to spin freely.

Caution: Never arm your UAV Mapper with the propeller installed unless you are ready to fly. 

Always remove the propeller during any diagnostics. The motor may unexpectedly start if a fail safe condition occurs, such as no RC receiver. Only arm with propeller on if RC transmitter is on, throttle down, and Flight Mode set to FBW.

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