DelFly II weights ready to fly, with onboard camera, 16.07g. The camera is not only used for observation purposes, but also as input for the image analysis software. The images are transmitted to the ground station. The ground station determines the rotational velocity of the DelFly II based upon the images, compares it with the input of the pilot, and sends the steering signals back to the DelFly II, which deflects it’s rudder and elevator according the received inputs. This enables an inexperienced pilot to fly the DelFly II.
The core of the DelFly II, enabling the excellent performance, is a brushless DC motor. With a weight of 1.6 gram and an efficiency of 60%, this motor is developed to by the team to meet all of DelFly’s II requirements.
The symmetrical driving mechanism solves DelFly’s I problem with rolling vibrations. The mechanism is rotated 90°, and uses a crankshaft layout. Also the wing hinge is fully symmetrically built. All wingsurfaces are equal, and all this makes it a very stable platform for video.
A 3-channel 35 MHz receiver handles the communication between the groundstation and the DelFly II. Two magnetic actuators control the rudder and elevator. A brushless motor controller controls the rpm of the brushless motor.
To power all of the electric components, a Lithium Ion battery, with a capacity of 130 mAh, is attached to the frame of the DelFly II. This battery has enough energy to perform a 15 minutes during horizontal flight, or 8 minutes of hovering. The horizontal flight requires less power because the forward velocity generates extra lift. The battery also powers the onboard camera. Therefore the voltage is converted to 5V, enabling all components to run on one battery.