===== Mission One: Drop Tests From Tethered Balloon =====

==== Components ====


==== Payload Construction ====


  * Restrung Parafoil Kite (bought off ebay) using design and measurements from [[http://www.eddiem.com/toys/rcplanes/myfoil/myfoil.html|The Black Rainbow]]. As can be seen the parafoil lines are brought up to 2 wooden bars which have servo horns glued on allow it to be attached to the payload. Therefore by turning this bars you actually change the parafoil's angle of attack.

{{projects:parafoil:restrungparafoil.jpeg|}}

  * Built payload
    * Blue foam cut with hot wire cutter into T shape to lower the centre of gravity
    * Servos added to the cross bar, battery pack and radio receiver placed lower down.

{{projects:parafoil:payload1.jpeg|}}

  * Adapted R/C Transmitter so that both sticks were in the vertical plane (as each controls one servo). This was achieved by hacking up the controller and gluing the stick in place.

  * Test video can be seen [[http://www.pegasushabproject.org.uk/parawing/p1010048.mov|here]]

==== Testing ====

  * Drop tests from a tethered balloon. - helium balloon tied normally, through the loop created when you turn the neck back on itself is a carbonfibre rod from which the cutdown device is hung from and also the 2 grounding lines are attached. To attach the payload it was necessary to bring down the balloon by pulling on the ground lines. We changed this set up adding a small ring in the middle of the rod through which we strung a long line which could be used to hoist the cutdown device and payload up speeding up the time between testing.
{{projects:parafoil:tetheredballoon.jpg|}}
  * Changed Parafoil to Steve's and instead of adjusting the angle of attack we directly attached most of the lines to the payload and used the servo + bar to control the break lines.
  * Managed to get some degree of control
  * Video of a sucess full drop [[http://www.pegasushabproject.org.uk/parawing/P1010052.MOV|here]]

==== De-brief ====

  * Brake lines are the best method of controlling the payload
  * It is actually possible to control the parafoil with 2 servos.