Fixed wing: Getting rid of "Board aligment pitch"-tuning for flying levelled => adding a numeric display for pitch angle in OSD

[Pairan]

I've made my mind about why we need to do this in the way we do this and came to no clue.

To define it to be "levelled" is ok and already detected (runtime calibration). But if I think back to lets say Cyclops "StormOSD" or other systems, they can detect the FW flying level. This is, what takes the most of my time by now! (Ok, lets say, it's just me who struggles with this in the beginning)

Is that something that can be integrated into iNav?

By now it already detects alt changes (numeric vario). It the value is about zero then I would assume the FW to fly levelled!

Maybe its a strange point of view but I would assume iNav to improve.

Please share your thoughts and ideas to that

[Redshifft]

An Aeroplane is not like a multirotor, it will fly perfectly well without a flight controller and without exception should be fully set up manually before you even think of using Inav's functions. If it is not done this way the plane will never fly well in ALL situations.

Adding more "auto this and that" just gets inexperienced people in more trouble.
It could not be much simpler, mount the leveled FC in the aeroplane resting at it's general flying incidence and you won't have any trouble. If you can not do that, just redefine level again with the plane at it's estimated incidence as before.

If you end up "chasing" level you have a badly set up plane, not an Inav issue or indeed anything that would be helped by some auto feature.

[digitalentity]

I totally agree with @Redshifft. Properly set up plane has an inherent ability to fly level without any control or stabilization at all. This flying incidence should be figured out by trimming the plane when flying manually (or guessed). Firmware should be configured to consider this very incidence as "level".

If you are not able to make your plane fly level in manual mode - something is wrong with your machine - most likely CG.

[digitalentity]

I'll keep this open for a while to allow people to exchange thoughts on the topic, but my personal view is that another "auto" for this is not a good idea.

[Dronek]

I support the statement by @Redshifft but at the same time I guess @Pairan is not talking about a badly setup plane to fly manually. A plane can be adjusted to fly perfectly in pass-through mode by trimming and setting COG right. However, this is more related to servo autotrim and will result in a straight flying plane more or less regardless of pitch angle etc. It has nothing to do with leveling.

A manually controlled plane normally doesn't/shouldn't exhibit leveling by itself, as far as I know.
In order to have iNav working properly, board alignment is crucial but not every fuselage will have a perfect mounting position for an FC at the right incidence. In my s800 I mounted the FC more or less parallel to the bottom of the bay but had to correct the pitch angle by 5 degrees in iNav, in order to let the wing keep it's altitude roughly when flying in angle mode. Maybe I had some offset in the mounting or anything else...
I guess it's this type of correction that @Pairan is talking about, no?
My wing was well adjusted and flying well in pass-through and needed this correction nevertheless, which is perfectly reasonable for me.

@Pairan: I don't agree that adjusting board alignment is a difficult and/or time consuming task though. I also don't think that iNav needs any automation for this.

[Pairan]

Now ... let me get clearer in what I wanted. Im flying a complete refurbished wing these days and it does indeed fly straight in passthrough which is a desired state and mandatory.

As @Dronek assumed right, its about keeping it in that way!

My "problem" starts with hitting Horizon mode and blends over to posHold!

1. If I hit Horizon mode now, it looses altitude which needs to be fixed by adjusting the board alignment (pitch). Ok, done! works!
2. If i make it work for Horizon mode then i will have to recheck this in PosHold too (tends to loose altitude making it unsafe). Having a look back in the wiki tells me: Dude, you'll better take ALT-HOLD in addition to poshold for this to happen! And maybe i did wrong ...

But hey ? It does fly level without any iNav maths :) iNav does so many cool things and offers even more. Yet again we need to figure this board alignment to make it hold altitude/fly level (although it does by default).

Basically Im ok with that! If I loose alt, then I'll correct the pitch alignment UP, otherwise DOWN until it makes me happy. It takes some attempts.

And I'm ok with the words of @Redshifft and @digitalentity BUT I don't wanted to invoke a "IT DOES ANYTHING BY ITSELF WHILE I DONT CARE WHAT IM DOING!"-thing. So, in case you thought so ... no !

I simply had the idea of skipping THIS alignment part as from the point where I start, my plane flies LEVELLED BEFORE iNav gets the job to do the maths! Further I don't stand here and point fingers at "THIS IS NEEDED OTHERWISE WORTHLESS!" :D ... no, my friends- I simply wanted to hear you about the idea, which seams to be only a thing I would wish to have, not the majority.

[digitalentity]

Ok, now after you explained your suggestion it makes more sense than before.

[Pairan]

I tend to be confusing by time ... sorry!

[Dronek]

If i make it work for Horizon mode then i will have to recheck this in PosHold too (tends to loose altitude making it unsafe). Having a look back in the wiki tells me: Dude, you'll better take ALT-HOLD in addition to poshold for this to happen! And maybe i did wrong ...

I guess, this is the crucial point. If you want your aircraft to hold altitude reliably you should really enable ALTHOLD in the first place. Expecting POSHOLD to hold altitude during turns is a different story and IMHO much harder to achieve than in combination with ALTHOLD.

[Pairan]

So far Horizon mode did a good job for me

[skaman82]

@Dronek I think its not about holding altitude. Its about flying level (not climbing/sinking when the stick is centered) in Horozon/Angle modes. And yes, it is a pain to adjust this with board angle because it takes several flights to get this perfectly right)

[Feldsalat]

What about current roll and pitch degrees as OSD elements? I would find it useful to optimize settings more easily.

[MW2Stambo]

Would it be possible to enable board alignment with inflight adjustments.
Especially on the pitch axis.
Then you could use a 3 pos switch to adjust up or down in one single flight.
Once it's flying level, land and save with stick commands, job done.
I know you can already do this with stick commands but you have to land each time.

Just a random thought I had while reading this thread.