Motion controller

[Chaosrider@brilliantfrogs]

It replicates the control experience of a fixed-wing aircraft. What are the control movements/procedure to hover a simple airplane, and make it accomplish level flight backwards?

You can hover with the MC, which deviates from the "spirit" of the experience, but utter faith to that control model isn't the point of the MC.

Given how it works, there isn't a motion available to indicate "fly backwards". There is the very easy and totally effective workaround of stopping in a hover, turn around, then fly forward. So, lack of true backwards flight isn't limiting in terms of getting trapped or something.

Well, I once landed a fixed wing plane in a hellacious headwind. We didn't actually fly backwards, but the landing roll for the C-172 may have only been in the double-digits of feet...

;-)

But this restriction makes sense, and doesn't in the least deter me from want to get the MC.

Thx!

TCS

 

[Kilrah]

Not true.

Tilt the MC 90deg in the pitch axis (point straight up or down) and give it some throttle, and it will climb or descend fully vertical, with no horizontal movement.

Sure, it'll look up/down and ascend/descend vertically, but with the aircraft still flat and at a speed defined by the trigger pull and limited to the FC's conservative parameters...
My point is that on a real aircraft if you push like that you'll be going down pretty fast pretty quick, there's the whole energy conservation thing, here "nothing" happens, it just changes the direction it's going towards but there are no flight dynamics applied at all. Also on a real aircraft you don't maintain the stick where you want to go...

There are lots of interesting and more realistic things DJI could have done with the MC but unfortunately they did none of them.

 

[rktman]

@Kilrah, you can ascend/descend vertically without horizontal movement by aiming the MC 90deg up or down from level flight. This is, in fact, how I rise to 20ft over the home point and pause for 10-15s on takeoff to capture the Precision Landing image.

 

[rktman]

Well, I once landed a fixed wing plane in a hellacious headwind. We didn't actually fly backwards, but the landing roll for the C-172 may have only been in the double-digits of feet...

I've flown 172s.

Never like that, although I did have a crosswind landing a 152 where the wingtip looked like it was going to be scary close to the ground, but still cleared with about 2+ feet.

 

[rktman]

Sure, it'll look up/down and ascend/descend vertically,

That's the point... it can, and you stated it couldn't. Correct information.

but with the aircraft still flat and at a speed defined by the trigger pull and limited to the FC's conservative parameters...
My point is that on a real aircraft if you push like that you'll be going down pretty fast pretty quick, there's the whole energy conservation thing, here "nothing" happens, it just changes the direction it's going towards but there are no flight dynamics applied at all. Also on a real aircraft you don't maintain the stick where you want to go...

Well if that was your point, I didn't see it – any of it (detailed above) in your previous post. My bad?

From the above, the MC doesn't provide the subjective experience you would enjoy. Nothing wrong with that at all. Just as my lack of interest in surfing isn't problematic either.

However, the functionality of the MC you cite above doesn't impact the great fun i have with it, and others too. In fact i'm having so much fun flying with it I don't even see the limitations you refer to.

There are lots of interesting and more realistic things DJI could have done with the MC but unfortunately they did none of them.

I agree 100% with this. Being a pretty radical new control interface, they're learning, and of course have product roadmaps that deliberately funnel out functionality over time to get the product to market faster.

Here's hoping future firmware releases will refine the experience!

For those that find the MC to be a boring, limiting gimmick, they're lucky to have $150 to spend on something else, like another battery

 

[Kilrah]

However, the functionality of the MC you cite above doesn't impact the great fun i have with it, and others too. In fact i'm having so much fun flying with it I don't even see the limitations you refer to.

For those that find the MC to be a boring, limiting gimmick, they're lucky to have $150 to spend on something else, like another battery

It's perfectly fine that you like it, but it's important for newcomers to know that while some enjoy it some don't, it's not a "everyone will love it" kind of deal. Since you can't try before actually spending the $150, and potentially getting stuck with it if you don't like it (tried selling mine locally, nobody interested) you can figure out what you think will be your stance...

Here's hoping future firmware releases will refine the experience!

It's been a year and the last meaningful update was in June, so I'm almost certain the FPV is done with and will never get anything new and in usual DJI fashion any further improvement will be a new product at this point if one ever comes, likely with all new accessories too... That's fine though, I like it as it is