This video illustrates some of the more advanced features of the Ace Combat system. See the quick start guide for basic set up.Ace Combat demo - Airplane Laser TagVideo Aerial Systems2020-11-27 | This is the Ace Combat system in action. Each airplane has an IR gun, a sensor, and lights. When the sensor sees gunfire it dims the lights and pulses the motor indicating a hit. When it is shot down, the lights and motor pulse slowly for several seconds. You can see the gun shoot in the night camera.
Music - AudioNautixAce Combat (RC Laser combat) quick start guideVideo Aerial Systems2020-11-27 | This is the most basic setup for the Ace Combat system. More advanced features such as lights and control manipulation are in the advanced set up video.
I find it most fun to use trainers and Biplanes for combat since the airplanes are easier to see and slower so that you get more shooting and less looking around. You also will inevitably have mid-air collisions and thus lighter slower planes aren't going to be damaged as easily.Victory micro stubby FPV video antenna overviewVideo Aerial Systems2020-02-21 | This is the new Victory antenna from Video Aerial Systems incorporating a completely new antenna technology to create a small high performance antenna in a small package.
Element length: 0.62-0.66" (16cm) Tilt angle: 40-50 degrees (.44-.52" tall)Micro switchblade OverviewVideo Aerial Systems2019-09-27 | The Micro Switchblade offers 2.25dbic of gain giving you even more video range for your mini build than any other miniature sized omni antenna.
You can find it here: videoaerialsystems.com/products/sky-hammerDJI HD system first long range test with Cyclops antennaVideo Aerial Systems2019-09-10 | This was the first flight I did with the DJI Hd system. I ran the new Cyclops antenna with 2X Minion Pro transmitter antennas. At 3.5 miles out, I flew behind a mountain and didn't have enough battery power to go on further after regaining line of sight. From what I could tell, it should have gone 6-7 miles.
For 868MHz: Total length: 6.3" Length of RG142: 3.25"
Heatshrink for RG178 cable: 1/16 (3.25"), 1/8"(3.5"), 1/4"(3.5")
Heatshrink for RG316 cable: 1/16 (3.25"), 3/16" (3.75"), 1/4" (4")RC Wing Bungee launcherVideo Aerial Systems2019-06-19 | This is a basic bungee launcher that can be made without any modification of your airplane. It can launch just about any wing. Simply change the bands to change the tension. Parts list below:
PVC parts (all 1 inch PVC) 2 - 30" pipes 11 - 14" pipes (8 for launcher, 3 for pedal) 2 - 20" pipes 2 - 5" pipes 4 - 3" pipes (joints between Tees) 10 - 1" Tee (8 for launcher, 2 for pedal) 2 - 45 degree elbow 6 - 90 degree elbow 4 - 1" X 3/4" bushing
Other parts: 2 - angle brackets (to push the airplane) 2 - #10 wood screws (to bolt down angle brackets) 1/4" clevis pin safety pin (your choice of part here) 550 paracord (the braking mechanism) Figure 8 hook Green Theraband (in a pinch #64 rubber bands work, too) PVC cementTriumph Pro OverviewVideo Aerial Systems2019-05-20 | This is the new TBS Triumph Pro. This antenna uses a closed loop element system in which each element acts both as a driven element as well as a parasitic reflector. While sit was certainly possible to make the antenna even smaller, it would have come at the cost of performance. Thus, this is the smallest possible form without compromising on performance.Shapeshifter 2.4GHz overviewVideo Aerial Systems2019-05-04 | This is the ultimate upgrade for your FrSky or Spektrum radio. For Spektrum, you will need a u.fl to RPSMA pigtail (found on EBay for $3). For FrSky, this attaches to the RPSMA port directly.
Stone Blue: stoneblueairlines.com/vas-2-4ghz-shapeshifter-antenna.htmlUniversal Vee overviewVideo Aerial Systems2019-05-03 | Talk about a throwback to the "good old days" the Vee is a classic long range antenna. For control, couple it with the Shapeshifter. For video, couple it with a BiQuad.Shapeshifter 900MHz overviewVideo Aerial Systems2019-04-30 | This video illustrates the VAS Shapeshifter and how it works. This covers both the 868 and 915MHz frequency for Crossfire.
team-blacksheep.com/products/prod:vas_shapeshifter_900VAS 433MHz Diamond extreme range hackVideo Aerial Systems2019-01-02 | In this video I convert a 433MHz Diamond antenna into a 2 element Yagi directional antenna. This modification takes 3 minutes to complete and is very effective at boosting your range.2X range hack for the VAS 2.4GHz Diamond antennaVideo Aerial Systems2019-01-01 | This simple trick can double your control range when using the VAS diamond antenna. Be mindful that it is simply directing more energy forward at the expense of coverage to the rear and sides. The wire can be placed anywhere on the rear half of the hexagonal part of the antenna.TBS Diamond antenna simple long range hackVideo Aerial Systems2018-12-30 | In this video I show how to turn the TBS Diamond antenna into a long range Yagi antenna using a simple parasitic radiator. Please note that this turns the antenna into a directional antenna and thus signal to the sides and behind is reduced with this modification.
Wire length: 6" distance behind the antenna: 1-5/8"
3D printed parts designed by others: Pixelcomet mounts: thingiverse.com/thing:3324358 Dirty Dog FPV mounts: thingiverse.com/thing:3324407 Eat More Pizza: thingiverse.com/thing:3328055?fbclid=IwAR0sjPa93KhFbyk5OMz3OFi9vX8sgR88PJtKFV8CO2Pe4YPuaSHJO5ZaKRAVAS Ghost power build tutorialVideo Aerial Systems2018-12-01 | A triple motor Ghost airplane has an incredible power to weight ratio and is a blast to fly. Having a second spar handy (fiberglass is fine) can help make the plane fly better as the strain of the 3:1 power to weight ratio can cause issues... especially when it crashes.Crosshair Xtreme 5.8GHz OverviewVideo Aerial Systems2018-11-28 | The 5.8GHz Crosshair Xtreme is a new addition to VAS directional antenna line-up. It was designed to be the ultimate goggles mounted antenna for FPV.Why I dont trust computer designed antennasVideo Aerial Systems2018-11-21 | In this video, I show you how I am designing a Quagi antenna (BiQuad/Yagi combination) and why I don't build the computer generated models. This is for long range FPV and long range WiFi use. I should be able to get a WiFi signal from 5-6 miles away and as far as FPV... this is a 65 mile video link... maybe more.
I fully admit that I could get this closer by adding in a few more variables to my program, but not amount of programming will replace real-world testing. I go through this with all of my antenna designs to verify that when the end user puts a VAS antenna on their equipment, their signal is the best it can possibly be.RC Lawnmower part 1: How to rebuild the Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engineVideo Aerial Systems2018-11-19 | Since rebuilding motorcycles is another hobby of mine, I decided to start building the radio controlled lawnmower using a cheap one with a seized up engine. I made this a tutorial to help anyone else who might need to rebuild one of these engines. Mind you I am no small engines expert (I am a motorcycle mechanic, really) but I included what I feel is everything you need to know to fix one of these yourself.
I want to give a shout out to Jacks Small engines here. Their site was very easy to use and they got the parts to me in record time.
The rest of the series will focus on the robotic system of the mower. I will be publishing my code as well as all of my work so should you want to do this to your machine, you will have all the tools ready to go.VAS Ghost 22 triple motor - first flightsVideo Aerial Systems2018-10-25 | This is video from the second battery I have in the Ghost airplane. It is set up as a triple, but can easily be configured as a twin or single. AUW is 263grams as set up. Sub 250 grams is easily achievable with FPV gear.IBCrazy unscripted: Developing the Crosshair XtremeVideo Aerial Systems2018-08-27 | This is simply the first of many iterations I will go through developing the Crosshair Xtreme on 2.4GHz. Toward the end you can see what will hopefully be the antenna's final form.Ion V2 antenna by Video Aerial SystemsVideo Aerial Systems2018-08-19 | This is an overview of the Ion V2 antenna. It is the ultimate long range circularly polarized omni antenna. Care must be taken to ensure it is mounted upright for best performance.
StoneBlue Airlines: stoneblueairlines.com/vas-1-3-ghz-13dbic-pepperbox-antenna-1285.htmlThe unknown side of research and developmentVideo Aerial Systems2018-08-17 | This video is unscripted and very minimally edited. It was shot "off the cuff" to give you an idea of what goes on at VAS. You will notice it is kind of like opening up a bunch of Christmas presents.
Please let me know what you think I should do with the 1.3GHz Airscrew antenna.FPVWRA Spec wing V2 buildVideo Aerial Systems2018-07-30 | Center of gravity: 7" back from the nose.
Set CG by moving the motor forward (usually 2")The impact of SWR and Axial Ratio - an experimentVideo Aerial Systems2018-06-11 | This is an experiment to determine the impact SWR and Axial ratio have on your video system. Admittedly I found some of the results quite contrary to my initial beliefs. The thing I found most surprising was that axial ratio didn't dominate when violating the Fresnel zone... a belief I had held for the last 5 years.
The Ion antenna was chosen as the gain is the same with the parasitic elements as without them. To de-tune the antenna, I simply added glue to the active element to push the SWR curve to the left.The GapVideo Aerial Systems2018-05-17 | Sean Mikuen and I tandem a double knife edge tree gap at Joe Nall 2018 with Sphinx V2 prototype airplanes.VAS 2.4GHz diamond control antenna testVideo Aerial Systems2018-05-10 | The only modification to the radio was the 2.4GHz diamond antenna with a u.fl connector (to fit Spektrum radios). Had I been running more than 25mW on the video, I believe I could have gone 1.5-2 miles.
Where to buy: GetFPV: getfpv.com/vas-diamond-u-fl-2-4ghz-dipole-antenna.htmlFPV Antenna orientation and why it mattersVideo Aerial Systems2018-05-05 | This video explains the importance of using the proper orientation for your antennas in FPV. While this only illustrates the video side, the control side follows the same rules.Smash test: Stone Blue Spartan - 40.68 joulesVideo Aerial Systems2018-05-03 | The first frame in a series to determine what quad frame is the toughest. 40.68 joules is no joke!VAS Wyvern V3 build videoVideo Aerial Systems2018-04-28 | This is how to build the VAS Wyvern V3 airplane. The airplane can be built as a twin or a single motor. 2X 1550 - 2000 4 Cell LiPo packs balance it perfectly without need for weights.
Animations by Jason GlazeWyvern V3 PreviewVideo Aerial Systems2018-04-05 | The new VAS Wyvern V3 race wing coming in May 2018.FPV Laser combat developmentVideo Aerial Systems2018-01-15 | Hardik has been a part of this project since July of 2017. He is the one who is taking this from prototype, to a real product. Please welcome him to the VAS family.
Let us know what you think about the system and what we should name it.Adapter and extension cable loss testingVideo Aerial Systems2017-11-19 | In this video I experiment with some common coaxial cables and adapters to see how much loss is incurred with each.
I measured the following cable loss per meter of cable at 5.8GHz: RG142/U - 1.6db RG402 - 2.1db RG316 - 3.3db RG178 - 5.7db (half range!) 1.13mm gray coaxial cable - 7.1db
Adapter loss: 45 degree SMA - 0.1db RPSMA adapter: 0.06db Right angle adapter: 0.4db
Music: Audio NautixHellkite build instructions by IBCrazyVideo Aerial Systems2017-11-09 | This plane is designed to be a basher ship that flies well in the wind. If you live in a windy area, this plane is for you.
Center of gravity is 2.5" back from the leading edge of the wing. You want a 7" propeller. The motor and prop in the video were too weak. I am running a Cobra 2217/1550 on an APC 7X6 prop.Dogfighting FPV combat system prototype demoVideo Aerial Systems2017-09-19 | This is a compilation of 4 flights at the SBA Flying circus event on 9/16/17 using 2 prototype laser combat systems. This is still in development as there are some bugs I need to work out, but it is coming soon.
The range is ~110 meters at night and 50 meters in the day. We chose to fight at night to get better visibility on the aircraft. Ideally, a lit up parking lot would be the best for visibility and wouldn't require a night camera.
While this system is being developed for airplanes, I intend to develop a system for quads as well. Imagine: quad racing meets Mario Kart. That's the goal!One minute un-cut: Riot international open racetrackVideo Aerial Systems2017-08-29 | Another installment of 1 minute link footage. This was by far the most difficult racetrack I ever designed. Tight, technical and with 5 gates. At the event we were only allowed 25mW transmitter power, but the video was fairly solid, even when making aerobatic maneuvers.One minute un-cut - Flying through staticVideo Aerial Systems2017-08-29 | Obstacle dodging on a low power 5.8Ghz VTX. I wouldn't have nearly this much static if running any other frequency... or a bit more transmitter power... This is why I run 2.3Ghz video.One minute un-cut - How I lost my planeVideo Aerial Systems2017-08-29 | This is the first of a new series: 1 minute of un-cut video showing how we at VAS fly. In this case, I lost my plane in a tree. Hopefully the wind will knock it down...Heli-Max 230si review and hackVideo Aerial Systems2017-06-18 | In this video I review the Heli-Max 230 SI quadcopter which I bought as a dog toy. while the construction was excellent, I was not impressed with the performance. I modified the vehicle with a Syma X5C receiver board and it flew a lot better. However, I think Heli-Max needs to re-visit their PID settings.CP omnis near ground = Increased gain?Video Aerial Systems2017-06-03 | In this video I simulate 5.8Ghz receiver antennas when mounted to a set of goggles. Note the dramatic increase in gain.Antenna cross polarization loss demonstrationVideo Aerial Systems2017-06-01 | This is a quick video demonstrating cross polarization loss with linear and circular antennas. Marc (FPV Goose) came up with this test set up to measure element orientation after the antenna covers were installed and it really shows how well the system works.Kahlua and the GremlinVideo Aerial Systems2017-06-01 | My dog and I have a new activity we share!