Robinson | QUAD

Starlink on the aircraft

The Starlink terminal is now fitted to the aircraft beside the avionics bay. This puts the quad one step closer to a reliable data link for long range survey work.

Planning the Starlink mount

Before fitting the dish, I mapped out where it could sit without crossing the prop arcs or blocking the sensors. The drawings show the hinged mount and the clearance lines from the front and top.

Designing the sensor mounts

This stage covered the sensor mounts that carry the gimbal camera under the airframe. The photos show the bare plate, the gimbal fitted, and the finished mount installed.

On the bench

With the frame together, the quad moved to the workbench for wiring and avionics. Keeping everything exposed made it easier to check each connection before closing it up.

Building the frames

The project began with building several airframes in the shop to find the right balance of strength and weight. Each one taught me something that went into the next version.