"Samson" Super Heavy Lifting Multicopter Platform (wip concept)

[J.Fandino]

My name is Joao Fandino, I own a small business company located in Alabama where I develop and build custom made UAS/UAV aircraft for a variety of fields and uses.

Over the past few months I have been working on a very ambitious UAS concept. The goal was, and is, to develop a workhorse of a UAS multicopter aircraft that is characterized by its ability to carry all types of heavy equipment, originally designed around farmers and other sectors with similar needs. This is until I realized there may be a market for professionals who also need to carry cameras heavier than a RED (maybe film cameras?), or perhaps to lift more than one RED camera at the same time (3D) with all sorts of extra added components which are not possible to do with other aerial systems.

This is how Samson was born.

I will have two platforms to choose from, Samson MC1, for payloads greater than 40lbs, and Samson MKHL for payloads over 100lbs+. The one I'm presenting right now is Samson MC1.

Main points and virtues:

Heavy lifting: 40lbs+ useful payload (MK1)
Ability to stay airborne for over 25mins w/payload
X8 configuration
29" propellers (MK1) 36" (MKHL)
Weatherproof (dust&water)
Lightweight, simple but strong CF airframe.
RTF, full turnkey system out of the box!
Standard ground control station with integrated LCD screen for live feedback (FPV). We are also working on a version to do waypoints on the same GCS (ground control station).
Affordable (more on this later)
Easy to maintain due to is simplistic design approach.
Excellent warranty coverage with included accidental damage handling (more on this later)
Offered with different flight controllers, from DJI to APM, Xaircraft, etc.

Some practical uses for Samson UAS:

Cinematography
Aerial lighting ie., using powerful LEDs light setups to illuminate scenes from the sky
3D stereo camera setups
Heavier film cameras
Carrying heavy equipment from one place to the other

For now the plan is to sell them as RTF units, I may consider offering kits in the future if demand is present.

A kickstarter campaign is considered to be launched to fund certain aspects of this project, but we want to have our prototype finished first before we move into general fundraising programs.

I'm open to hear of any features you may want in this platform. I believe this is how you can develop a good product based on the needs of our users. Any thoughts, comments or upgrades/features you'd like to see in our upcoming RCUAS please go ahead and share your thoughts.

Bear in mind that although the unit is going to be as compact as possible, this is an aircraft meant to be carried by at least two persons, and on a small trailer/van. For lighter payloads there may be other options in the near future, or you can check our other lighter setups at: www.providentialsystems.com
These two UAS are designed to carry big and heavy equipment only. Think of it like an aerial tractor.


Renders (WIP) of Samson MC1 below and of our GCS. Scale is not fully accurate as this is only a concept render. We are working on a CAD model, but this gives an idea of the relative size of "Samson MC1".

6' 1" human figure for scale purposes


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Stay tuned for more!

 

[J.Fandino]

Here's an updated render of Samson MC1, with a Zenmuse Z15 in place, and also our GCS. The ground control station it's actually being built for the DJI Phantom, and should hopefully be released in the next few weeks, but I'm working on adapting it to other transmitters as well.

From the GCS you will be able to control the gimbal using the mini-joystick located at the top right section of the unit, and on a future update we will have the ability to do waypoints via the touchscreen monitor which is interfaced to a Pico-ITX system board that will have the needed software to do this on a Windows OS environment. Other versions will feature android based operating systems. The screen is already touch sensitive, however, it's currently not interfaced with any electronics other than the FPV RX where it receives video from the aircraft's TX.

The estimated price for a turnkey (RTF) Samson MC1 single operator setup, with a HIFlY 32 bit 3 axis gimbal for Red Epic/Scarlet, and our GCS, will be $10,985.00. With the upcoming DJI Ronin (once we, or DJI, develops a quick release plate for multicopters) $12,580.00.

Again I've develop this platform for lifting heavy payloads so it may not be the most transportable unit out there. Therefore there may be other more suitable UAS from other manufacturers if you only need to lift lighter camera/setups, but I hope this multicopter will be a preferable system for when you need to carry heavy equipment for more than 20 mins flight time with the added bonus of having plenty of carrying capacity should you wish to add more at any time. Granted, you may be able to use it to fly lighter cameras and enjoy even better flight times in the 40+ mins range, as long as you are ok with its size.

 

[J.Fandino]

This is our upcoming GCS for the Samson (also available for the Phantom II) the Phantom II Vision+ coming soon. It's a work in progress therefore there are some areas that are still unfinished or need improvement.

The Vision+ will feature integrated waypoint and camera controls, plus video feedback, all in one.

A similar unit will be in the works for the DJI Ronin, which will add live video capabilities, and extended range (half a mile & more) for situations when you need a compact all in one monitor station to carry on the run.

Stay tuned for more news.

 

[PC Greene]

What's your target price point? How are you addressing portability?

Thank you,

 

[J.Fandino]

Hi Pcgreene. I'm working on designing detachable or rotating arms for transportation purposes. I can tell you this though, it won't fit in a car, perhaps it may fit in a Crown Vic, but ideally you will need a van, mini van, SUV, or station wagon to accommodate something this big.

As for the bigger platform you will need a small to medium size trailer for sure.

Nothing concrete on the price yet, but to give you a general idea, I'm working on keeping it below $12k for Samson MC1. That includes in the price a 3 axis gimbal (dual operator setup) for Scarlet/Epic, integrated FPV with our ground control station, for either the pilot or camera operator, and other needed accessories such as battery chargers etc. Both units will be offered as turnkey (RTF) out of the box. I may also offer it with the upcoming DJI Ronin for those of you who'd prefer to use that gimbal instead of gimbals operated by simplebgc controllers.

Cheers