Heli Gyro operation principle

Modeling Subjects Helicopters
1

Hi heli people,

I wish you to let me know if the gyros commonly available (or at least some of them) are absolute directional gyros or rate gyros.

Thanks,

George

2

There may be some R/C guys here who can answer this, but you will probably get a better response to your question on a specialist R/C forum - eg. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/

3

Hi Phill,

have done some time ago with 0 response.

George

4

I suspect the rate description is correct, because they do not lock on to a heading, or return to a heading that they were on previously. They just resist rapid changes of heading, but have no reference as to true north or any other compass direction. You can install them in pitch, roll, or yaw circuits of an airplane or helicopter, but of course the prime use is the tail rotor circuit in RC helicopters. There is also a sort of autopilot, which senses up or down by reference to light.

5

I used to do electric RC helis, had a E-Flite Blade Cx2 and a CP, with the collective-pitch Bell-Hiller mixing. As Jeaton said, they have no reference to compass directions, and you can do just about anything as far as pitch, yaw and roll goes. You can get after market heading-lock gyros, and they do exactly what their name implies. They can be rolled, looped, and even flown inverted with negative pitch on the rotor blades. As was mentioned, you might have better luck with an RC forum.

6

Thanks all for your kind response,

George.

P.S. The original idea was a gyro-servo combo stabilized gun on either a boat or vehicle, but…

G.

7

That’s an idea, and could possibly be done. How to do it though is far beyond me…

8

Stabilizing the gun platform would require a servo and a gyro on each axis you want stabilized. Most gyros are set up so you can adjust the gain to get the response to counter the motions that exist in your situation, that can be the fussiest part.

9

You could use a couple of SubTech APC-4 units, they’re designed as an Automatic Pitch Control for rc submarine diving planes. You would probably need 2 of them per gun plus a 2 servos, to correct for pitch (fore & aft moveement) and roll (port & starboard movement). A friend of mine tried coupling an APC to the stabilizer fins on amodern USN DDG or FFG, and it didn’t work very well for that application.

10

Thamks to all contributors.

CG, I shall elaborate on your advise,

Thanks,

George