Useful Links

GPS Information
Single Board Computers
Radio Modems
Airframe Designing
Airframe Building
Other Experimenters working on UAVs
Sensors
Electronics and RC Electronics
Writing Software
Commercial UAVs
Aerial Photography

For information on GPS, try:

• A low cost DGPS reference station
• All about GPS, DGPS, errors, correcting errors and other GPS issues
• GPS site that includes a very interesting plot of GPS error versus time
• If you want to know the details of how your GPS receiver calculates its position, see Sam's GPS Raw Data pages. This page also has a comparison of a number of low cost GPS receivers, as well as tests on low cost antennas.
• NASA maintains a web site that shows the locations of various satellites orbiting the earth. Not very useful, but still interesting.
• Other valuable GPS information resource and directories are:
  GPS A2Z Resource Directory and GPS Quest

Single board computers are available from:

Parallax Inc.

If you're looking for Radio Modems, try:

• ABACOM Technologies (low cost, limited distance)
• GRE America, Inc.
• International Data Communications Inc. (limited distance radio modems and cell phone radio modems)
• Kantronics
• MaxStream, World Wireless and FreeWave all make license free miniature spread spectrum radio modems with a ranges of about 5 miles.

When you're designing your airframe, try the following links:

• Turbocad offers a free 2D CAD program. They also offer a very reasonably priced 3D CAD program. Their products seem to have a fair number of bugs, but when you really get frustrated, go get a price for Autocad. Look for Free Sortware under the site map.
• The RcCad site offers a free CAD program as well as lots of plans (in the RcCad proprietary format).
• An online aerodynamics text book (demonstration version)
• DJ Aerotech has an excellent Question and Answer site with lots of good explanations of various RC model design issues
• Yet another aerodynamics text (has different levels covering high school to introductory college)
• A good RC related index.
• A page containing equations for static thrust, engine horsepower, maximum speed etc.

When its time to build your airframe, the following links may be useful:

• A comprehensive list of links to RC suppliers (maintained by Tower Hobbies)
• You can buy your composites from Aerospace Composite Products or Composite Structure Technology
• A tutorial on vacum bagging wings and tubular hinges
• Supplies from Hobby Lobby, Tower Hobbies, or Northeast Sailplane Products

If you're looking for other experimenters working on UAVs, try:

• A UAV discussion board organized by the Australian UAV Special Interest Group.
• A helicopter UAV from Berkeley
• Solar Solitude is a solar powered UAV. See the link entitled "Plane Stability" for a description of a accelerometer based stability system
• Taniwha is a public domain flight control computer
• Georgia Tech's helicopter UAV entry into the aerial robotics competition
• Stefan Marti has a some information on Free Flying Micro Platforms - the links page has many useful references.

There are many sensors you may wish to consider:

• For magnetic sensors try Honeywell (they have a nice faq and some decent articles on compass design), KVH Industries, and Precision Navigation.
• Attitude sensors are available from: Crossbow, Gyration, and Watson
• Pressure transducers are available from: Motorola, Sensym, and General Instruments
• GPS boards are available from: Trimble
• A useful source for electronic components is Digikey.
• A good description of sensors for positioning. This is a very large download so be prepared.

Some electronics and RC electronics links you may wish to investigate:

Ken Hewitt's RC electronics projects/kits
Another set of links to RC electronics sites

When the time comes to write your software, here are some links:

• Honeywell has a page that analyzes a pitch feedback control system for a missile
• You might also try the NASA technical report server
• An online geometry reference
• A Resource for Kalman Filter information
• A list of aviation related formula including great circle navigation, standard atmosphere, and unit conversions
• Flight Gear is an open source flight simulator
• A good explanation of latitude, longitude, and co-ordinate systems

A few interesting commercial UAVs:

• Aerosonde, the first UAV to cross the atlantic, built by RnR Products
• AeroVironment makes some very interesting UAVs (very big high altitude and very tiny)
• Freewing tilt body UAV
• Some sites for UAVs in use or development by the US military including: Predator, and DarkStar.
• UAV Forum is an extensive list of commercial UAVs, suppliers along with a FAQ, accident history, references and other useful information
• UAV Center maintains some useful links.
• The Association for Unmanned Vehicles

Information on Aerial Photography:

• Miniature video cameras, transmitters and related equipment are available from Wireless Video Cameras, Super Circuits Inc., Polaris Industries, DCSS, PlaneTalk, and ATV Research Inc
• P.C. Electronics (ham TV - if you want long range, and don't mind obtaining a ham radio operator's license)
• Hi Cam - Aerial Photography from model helicopters and other unusual aircraft, with related pictures, articles and links.
• Glen Anderson and Bill Dickerson maintain a site about aerial photography.
• Video overlay boards are available from Decade Engineering, black box camera

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