Yeah, my UMX collection is a bit dusty. Tough to get flying time, if nothing else.
THat said, looking at the PDF of the manual, it seems that tilt is controlled by a 3 way switch, that goes between stabilized hover (motor pods aligned vertically), stabilized horizontal mode (ie flys and controls like an airplane, with pods horizontal), and acrobatic horizontal mode.
The stabilized modes limit bank/pitch angles, essentially letting on the gyro built into the flight controller keeping things from (literally) going sideways. Acrobatic mode tells the nanny to take her hands off the controls.
A tad bit bummed itâs essentially âall or nothingâ between Vert and horizontal modes, opposed to using a dial to select pod angle, as slower transition would yield more scale flying. That said, I think it would be a lot more difficult to program the control software for that though, as there would need to be a component that dynamically blends controls between the flight modes, which wouldnât make sense at this price point.
The model is maybe a bit like the real thingâa poor excuse for a helicopter. Iâve gone through a few batteries outside in a moderate breeze. Sheâs programmed to be quite stable. Part of the fun is watching all the automatic control surface and nacelle inputs. Even with the robot hamsters doing most of the work I found it to be more challenging in a hover than my faithful little T-Rex. She runs out of control authority pretty fast when things get gusty. It will be awhile before I attempt the conversion to airplane mode. Happy so farâŠ
Almost all small, lightweight electric models include some degree of stabilization. The E-Flite V-22 is a bit like the A320, fbw yes, but when the wind picks up it still has to be flown. In Airplane configuration there are two modes, Iâll call them âeasyâ and âacroâ. In âeasyâ it limits bank and pitch and self-corrects to level when the stick is released. In âacroâ, you have full control over pitch and roll with no protections and marginal yaw control through automatic differential thrust.
(And now I realize that @aggressorblue already explained all that. )
This will be my last bump on this dead old thread. Often these toys are fun for a week or two and then loose their charm. To the contrary this one has been such a joy to fly in my back yard battery after battery. Yes, I also enjoy flying my little 250 helicopter OK and it is a different sort of joy. But in flight it does not look anything like a real helicopter. The Osprey with the wheels off looks real*. In fact that is part of the funâflying in such a way that it looks plausible. And, unlike the $100+ in replacement parts my dumb thumbs have cost me with the T-Rex, the easy flying Osprey hasnât cost me an extra cent. OKâŠSmokinâ out
*In tilt-mode. As an airplane it is frighteningly fast and can be quickly lost.
