HEQ Swan Voyager Full HD FPV VTOL - initial testing and review

[@beefybeef1326]

Oh man... been waiting for this one!

[@ArxangelRC]

:)

[@georgesinadinov8667]

Awesome upgrade, footage looks smooth..As for the delay, since it occurs while recording my thoughts is maybe you can try with a high grade SD card like the Samsung Evo or some other marked 100Mbits +. I know they expensive but their read/write speed is true I have tested them and they are high bandwidth as declared.

[@ArxangelRC]

Hmmm... actually I think I did put a high speed card in the remote, though I will have to test if this slowdown of the video happens when I record to the SD card only, or if it also happens if I record to the internal memory! It is not too big of an issue in any case, so long as the plane has some good range and the video signal works reliably, which SIYI has proven to be capable of. Will be playing with antenna placement and the directional antennas as well to see what I can get out of the system! :)

[@skubyvision]

Even though they have a long way to go, I'm slowely getting more intrigued by the one wing body and the possibilities.

[@ArxangelRC]

Yeah, definitely has some good potential!

[@iforce2d]

Dip trip, flip fantasia 🎵 Both ports of the airspeed sensor need to feel equal pressure for calibration, so protect from wind and any other external pressures. Holding your finger over one of the ports could potentially be an example of external pressure, depending on how big the hole is and how much you're pressing on it. I use a little block of foam with a hole in it, to slide over the pitot while powering up. If it's closed cell foam the fit should not be too tight.

[@ArxangelRC]

Right, see... you learn something new every day! Well since I don't have access to the 2nd hole of the airspeed sensor... will probably do the next calibration inside the car, as was suggested, which would mean I wouldn't have to hover the hole at all as there will be no air movement! Apparently on the Voyager you need to do the airspeed calibration only once!

[@typxxilps]

Feiyun are still available - at least I got one in June from china. The Siyi radio has been around for a while, at least in 2019 I was about to get one instead of a crossfire radio, which I got in the first lock down 2020, cause a buddy of mine had then gotten issues with the siyi radio after a crash to get if fixed again. It had a pretty long range back then roughly 12 km cause he could reach an island from mainland which was 12 km away. And that was the moment I found that one interesting cause you did not need anything else than the receiver. Meanwhile he has found out that the manufacturer is quite helpfull and supportive and that he had suffered from an unwilling dealer who slowed everything down to get beyond the paypal refund barrier of 180 days.

[@ArxangelRC]

I see, well yes, I can confirm that SIYI are quite responsive and do want to help people with issues quickly! As for the range, as I mentioned in the video, antenna placement is crucial and it is far from optimal on this plane! Could be the cause... will try to get some antennas sticking out of the fuselage for better view of the ground!

[@benjaming9835]

Air-speed sensors? Normally in ardupilot the sensor should be set to ARSPD_AUTOCAL=1, but ARSPD_USE=0 Then fly around in FBWA for +10minutes until the new sensor ratio is calculated. Once the ratio stabilizes land and then set ARSPD_USE=0 & ARSPD_AUTOCAL=0 but display the GPS air speed and the sensor speed side by side in the OSD and go for a test flight. If the two are reading similar values that make sense then great land and set ARSPD_USE=1 then ardupilot will use the air speed senor (unless there is a big diff w/ the GPS speed). But with the swan/voyager seems custom? not sure what you do with that, good luck.

[@ArxangelRC]

Right... in ArduPilot... but this is running PX4... and I assume it has been done in a certain way! Apparently it needs to be calibrated only once here, but I suppose I should redo it! As of yet I've not been able to connect to it using QGC on the radio controller to change any params!

[@EssentialRC]

I experienced the same dip and flip while flying it line of sight. Has not inspired me to fly it FPV yet. Hoping we get some firmware upgrade to resolve it soon.

[@ArxangelRC]

The Voyager you mean?

[@EssentialRC]

@@ArxangelRC Yes. Just uploaded my first video. Had same dip and flip behaviour.

[@ArxangelRC]

@@EssentialRC Alright, so it's not just me then! Interesting!

[@EssentialRC]

@@ArxangelRC Strange thing is I've not had that with the K-1 Pro. Flew good out of the box.

[@ArxangelRC]

@@EssentialRC Yeah, same here! Only time K1 did something like this was when I flew it with the Phantom 3 Pro props, and the time if the incident, which could have been caused by a number of factors, including the motor module separating from the plane... but that is not the case here since I tape everything together! Weird indeed!

[@AerialWaviator]

Completely blocking the static pressure to airspeed probe is not a good idea, as it could create a false static reference pressure. Generally loosely covering the airspeed sensors static port (eg: porous foam) will reduce effect from wind gusts, etc. An airspeed sensor probe works by allowing the static (baro) pressure to be subtracted from the pitot tube pressure (static + pitot pressure). Covering only one pressure port would result in each port potentially having different static pressure values during calibration. ie: a bad reference Blocking the pitot turns the airspeed sensor into an altimeter. This can occur if ice, dirt, or bugs clog the pilot hole. The acrobatic manoeuvre at 9:35 appears caused by differential motor thrust, not an aerodynamic stall related to speed. The initial deviation from flight is a quick 180º pitch down to inverted flight. (impressive small pitch radius BTW) It's like the upper motors suddenly have much more thrust vs. the lower motors for a fraction of a second. It could be a software bug, a misinterpretation of sensor values, or perhaps a key vibration harmonic occurring to confuse the gyro. Since you somewhat able to reproduce, you might think of attaching one of your personal flight computers that has blackbox recording and telemetry capability to collect data. (no need to use control functionality, just passive blackbox mode) This may provide some clues of aircraft parameters leading up to an acrobatic flip manoeuvre.

[@ArxangelRC]

Yeah, that was exactly what I thought the second they told me to plug the hole completely... but thought I'd go with it and see what happens! Guess I will be recalibrating inside the car so there would be absolutely no gusts, etc.! Yeah, for the dip I was thinking about that as well... could be vibrations causing it. I did some very basic balancing yesterday and few a couple of flights after that, granted in very calm conditions in the evening, but there were no bad dips, flips and hovers this time, but I also did feel and hear the difference in the motor sounds after balancing the props a bit! Actually since these are running the PX4 firmware they have logs, there is an SD card that can be removed if you open the top cover and I can get the logs out, should give some indication of what has went wrong.

[@FreeDroneGR]

Very nice review. Since I have the Swan and indeed the GPS takes ages to lock satellites, can you open the top case of the Voyager and tell me which GPS unit it uses? If both the Swan and Voyager share the same FC, they could be using similar GPS units so that GPS lock on the Swan can be improved by swapping a new GPS unit like Voyager has. Thank you. P.S: Regarding the FPV delay when the screen recording application was running, this might have to do with: 1) the version of Android the remote uses (assuming that the SoC on the new remote is faster than the one on the Swan), 2) the screen recording application might not be able to use EGL functions to capture and encode the screen in realtime, thus it creates delay when used. The second reason is Android ROM specific and it might be fixed on a future firmware update of the Android system on the controller. P.S.2: Regarding the nose-down and hover crazy behavior: check your safe flight value in the app and ALWAYS make sure you fly ABOVE this value. The same can happen on Swan too, if the VTOL after the wing transition somehow manages to fly BELOW the set limit on the safe altitude value (where the transition is allowed), it will enter a race condition where it will try to transit between quadcopter and wing modes forever until the user either switches back to drone mode and go higher before trying to switch modes again.

[@ArxangelRC]

HEQ claim the GPS units are the same, but I will have to open up the Voyager to confirm this! As for the delay with the app running, I fixed that by setting the recording FPS to auto, and issue was solved! As for the safe altitude, I figure it sometimes could be caused by this, so I do try to be over that, although I did lower it because I hate the fact I can't get closer to the ground! With a gimbal it is much better! :)

[@MasboyRC]

Impressive 👌

[@ArxangelRC]

Yeah, its doing pretty good!

[@pascalfust1035]

Finally, what do you think of the solution of the MK15 radio system? Is it worth the cost? Is it reliable? How about the receiver of this system? I mean, it costs somewhat 150USD+. Would you consider such a setup superior to a 900MHz DragonLink system with separate radio controller?

[@ArxangelRC]

Weeeeell... even with a Dragonlink you will still not get a much longer range on the video feed... so hardly worth it! Plus, that radio + hd video in one unit, and ground station app... is pretty sweet! Radio seems legit and solid!

[@pascalfust1035]

@@ArxangelRC Great. Thanks, Nikola, for that opinion, I realIy appreciate your advice. I am particularly interested in the radio control and the telemetry. The video transmission is a plus for FPV and aerodynamic studies. Sincerely, we're talking about the application on airframes on altitudes around 400ft above ground. Is the solution based on 2.4 Ghz or 5.8 GHz useful for long range or would a 900 MHz system be more appropriate?

[@ArxangelRC]

@@pascalfust1035 Well 900Mhz is generally better for long range, but it also depends what you consider long range!

[@DarwinHorvath]

7:27 interesting how you both scratched your noses at the same time.

[@ArxangelRC]

Hahahahaha, I had not noticed that!

[@TornadoBox]

Cool idea but they need to put a lot more effort into the gimbal and how it reacts to the aircraft when it’s flying.

[@ArxangelRC]

Yeah, I hope they will get there! :)

[@chainbenwa2713]

Nice!

[@ArxangelRC]

Yup! :)

[@alexanderharding2531]

Did you Purchase this yourself Or did you receive it as a demo unit?

[@ArxangelRC]

It is a pre-production unit for testing and evaluation, I did not purchase it, hence why I am even more critical of it!

[@alexanderharding2531]

@@ArxangelRC That is super lucky I have been speaking with them for the last 5 months trying to get it In my country to do exactly that.

[@ArxangelRC]

@@alexanderharding2531 Why aren't you able to convince them?

[@beefybeef1326]

There is a video i saw on the HEQ KZbin channel where they showed the swan voyager getting 26km control link and video. I think the mk15 is far more capable than the other remote ( h12). I really like this aircraft since it meets all the requirements i have.... but not sure i can commit to buying it till these unpredictable behaviours/issues are ironed out properly

[@ArxangelRC]

Tonight I had 2 flights after doing some very rudimentary balancing, and I think it was better, and there were no dips and flips... forgot to recalibrate the Airpseed sensor though! :D In theory the MK15 radio has the same Tx unit in it as the HM30 system, which I've personally tested out to 21kms however, like I mentioned in the video, antenna placement is critical... and it is not optimal on the Voyager or even on the K1!

[@beefybeef1326]

@@ArxangelRC awesome!. Look forward to seeing more of you flying the voyager. Especially the range test!. I really dont get why HEQ uses those terrible props!!. Its madness!

[@ArxangelRC]

@@beefybeef1326 I am as stumped! Guess they fit the price bracket... sadly they lack in quality! I've made some progress in modifying a balancer of mine to allow me to perhaps balance these... and it would seem the biggest issue is an imbalance in the hub of the propeller, no so much the blades... which makes it even harder to fix, since you would have to grind down the hub on one side a bit, and this product is more geared towards people who would buy a DJI copter, not DIY-ers... so they would most likely lack the tools and knowledge to do this... which sucks!

[@beefybeef1326]

@@ArxangelRC wow! The hubs! ....and as you say - its aimed at those that wont diy so its even more important to have high quality motors and props right out the box that is ready to go. I really want a vtol with great range but these flaws really block me getting the swan. I will probably have to try build something like the swan or a 2 motor tail sitter like your Arkbird.

[@ArxangelRC]

@@beefybeef1326 I do think these are redeemable, HEQ just need to put some more effort into it! They are improving for sure, in the last two weeks I've been sent x2 new updates to the app, though I haven't installed it yet, might do today as I am going on vacation tomorrow and will be taking the Voyager with me, hopefully to catch some awesome aerial shots in an awesome place. I can see the worth in these despite the issues they currently have, as I can see they can be fixed!

[@rubinhodrone9204]

Passando pra prestigiar aquele super like

[@ArxangelRC]

Thank you! Very much appreciated! :)

[@izzy5687]

Please add LTE mod for this plane , range like parrot disco LTE :D this is awesome construction !!!

[@ArxangelRC]

Its battery will not allow it to go further in any case... so hardly worth the effort!

[@beachwat]

Calibrate your airspeed sensor in your car ! Non wind and no finger on da hole

[@ArxangelRC]

Oh yeah! That could work, good suggestion mate, thanks! :)

[@amritafagna130]

🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@ArxangelRC]

:)

[@burtpanzer]

"HEQ should ship a roll of tape with every plane... " Sounds funny, but yeah, whatever it takes to keep the wings from coming off.

[@ArxangelRC]

Indeed!

[@ayCarumbaQueLio]

The battery popped out of mine once on takeoff so I taped it from then on. But I'm not flying it again anyway. It's just not worth chancing the crashes it continually threatens to do. Their s/w is flaky.

[@ArxangelRC]

Definitely could use an update, yes!

[@michaelwhinnery164]

That is terrifying, my DJI phantom 2 did that twice before it proceeded to smash itself into the ground, just missing the corner of a beautiful building and it's parking lot with shiny automobiles. Delicate electronics fail all the time. This company had better get it's software and hardware sorted out or the could be in for a serious liability law suit I have been avoiding large rc devices since then because loosing control of something that large and heavy is terrifying. I have a DJI mini 2 now 249 grams 4k gimbal camera 5 km range or better 20 + minute flight time and no FAA registration.

[@ArxangelRC]

Yeah, there is still work to be on this one, leta hope they manage to get nit sorted out!

[@ayCarumbaQueLio]

You're totally right. Their s/w is not good. I'm just lucky to have gotten my Swan K1 back with my DJI Air Unit and camera after the thing tried to fly away and then tried to crash. I took the camera out to use on a decent plane and I guess I'll see if I can get a few bucks out of the Swan on Ebay or something.

[@ArxangelRC]

@@ayCarumbaQueLio Well I am going to try the Swan with the Voyager's balanced props and see how it will do! Will also test the Action 3 camera in there with the locked horizon mode... seems interesting, a friend will bravely provide the camera! :)

[@KingHaggis]

Yikes! note to self: do not get this terrible, unfinished, clunky and buggy product. Unless it gets improved that is...

[@Freebird_67]

I feel same. So tired these Chinese using everyone as guinea pigs to beta test and money grab. I'm literally at a point of leaving this hobby because of it.

[@ArxangelRC]

Right... well there is room for improvement for sure! I hope they will figure it out, I do whatever I can to get mine flying and working properly and reliably! Did two flights this evening, no dip and flip issues at all... but did some rudimentary balancing before that... so who knows if that helped...

[@KingHaggis]

@@ArxangelRC I applaud you for testing these planes and making review videos about it. Now I know what to expect if I ever decide to buy a HEQ because the thought has crossed my mind t.b.h.

[@ArxangelRC]

@@KingHaggis Haha, yeah, the package looks very alluring. I am sure they will improve and fix most if not all the issues. Or it might be I did something wrong with the calibrations... we will see! For the time being I will keep at it and will be taking it with me on my vacation, lets hope it doesn't decide to drown itself in the sea! :D

[@ayCarumbaQueLio]

Hey, this wonderful mess is only $1,600 - what are you complaining about? lol ;)