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X68 Pro Series for 4-20 kg sUAV
X68 Pro Series for 4-20 kg sUAV
Light. Efficient. Reliable. Professional series launchers utilize patented Skycat Fuse® technology to offer market leading reliability and groundbreaking performance in a small package!
No fault prone servos, gases or explosives are needed! X68 is suitable for medium and large copters such as DJI s1000, up to 20 kg!
All-in-one packages include:
X68 launcher, trigger unit and parachute
Fuse materials for 20 launches, more from here
Harness kit, including a steel ring, a quick lock and 3 meters of parachute line.
84-SUL package contains 1 m extension cord as standard for stabilising the descent and for extending the parachute and copter distance. For other packages extension cord usage is recommended too as an accessory.
Prices are without VAT. VAT is added at checkout.
The Bullet method parachute folding
The video below shows the Bullet-method performance in real motor failure; in the beginning of the eject, shroud lines are inside of the parachute and the Extension cord is straightening. Shroud lines are naturally pulled out from the parachute pack when the safe distance of propellers and the copter body is reached. Bullet-method folding applies to Ultra Light 84” parachute. The launcher on video is X85-CF and parachute is Ultra Light 96”.
Table below shows calculated descend speed, impact energy and freefall equivalent in relation to aircraft weight.
Descent metrics for a IFC-60-S parachute
| Drone weight, kg | Descent speed, m/s | Impact energy, joules | Freefall equivalent, meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | 3.4 | 20 | 0.59 |
| 4.0 | 4.0 | 32 | 0.81 |
| 4.5 | 4.3 | 42 | 0.94 |
| 5.0 | 4.5 | 51 | 1.03 |
| 5.5 | 4.8 | 63 | 1.17 |
| 6.0 | 5.0 | 75 | 1.27 |
| 7.0 | 5.3 | 98 | 1.43 |
| 8.0 | 5.7 | 130 | 1.65 |
| 9.0 | 6.1 | 167 | 1.90 |
| 10.0 | 6.4 | 205 | 2.09 |
| 11.0 | 6.7 | 247 | 2.29 |
| 12.0 | 7.0 | 294 | 2.50 |
| No parachute, comparison: | |||
| 10.0 | 50.0 | 12 500 | ∞ (infinity) |
Descent metrics for IFC-84-SUL (ultra light) parachute
| Drone weight, kg | Descent speed, m/s | Impact energy, joules | Freefall equivalent, meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3.3 | 26.3 | 0.6 |
| 6 | 3.6 | 37.8 | 0.7 |
| 7 | 3.9 | 51.4 | 0.8 |
| 8 | 4.1 | 66.4 | 0.9 |
| 10 | 4.6 | 103.8 | 1.1 |
| 12 | 5.0 | 149.5 | 1.3 |
| 14 | 5.4 | 203.5 | 1.5 |
| 16 | 5.8 | 265.7 | 1.7 |
| 17 | 5.9 | 300.0 | 1.8 |
| No parachute, comparison: | |||
| 10.0 | 50.0 | 12 500 | ∞ (infinity) |
Mechanical installation
We offer many kinds of mounting options, check them out at the store. Launcher needs to be supported from the base, against recoil forces. For custom installation, X68-CF launcher features M3 threads at the base. Velcro can be used to secure launcher in place.
Parachute installation
Parachute is connected directly to the most durable locations of the airframe. All-in-one kits come with 3 meters of strong harness line. To get ready-to-install, custom length harness lines, kit can be upgraded with our Pro Harness Upgrade, shown below.
Electrical installation
The trigger is controlled via a PWM channel through an RC receiver, an autopilot PWM output, or other device. Multiple control sources can be used by adding an extra trigger for each. Trigger gets its 4.9 - 6.1V operating voltage from a PWM wire.
Note: Pixhawk Cube is seen to have too weak PWM feed and V4 Trigger may pull the line down too low and therefore is not compatible.
The power source for launch can either be the aircraft's own flight battery, or a dedicated launch battery.
To get protection against aircraft power loss, it's recommended to use a dedicated launch battery and add a BEC backup guard to the system, to keep receiver and trigger alive, if aircraft BEC fails.
Technical data
System Specs
Total system weight: Approx. 420g (0.93 lbs), including X68 launcher, parachute, and trigger.
Launcher
X68-CF launcher is made of carbon fiber tube combined with precision NC machined POM plastics.
Diameter: 68 mm / 2.68 in
Length: 229 mm / 9.02 in
Weight: 189 grams / 6.67 oz
4 x M3 mounting threads at bottom
Temperature range: -25°C - +40°C / -13°F - +104°F (note: direct sunshine may heat black tube)
Special temperature ranges and colors are available upon request.
Parachute
Maximum aircraft weight is defined by the parachute manufacturer. It is the maximum weight the parachute can withstand when opened in terminal speed (freefall). Model parachutes are designed to open immediately and therefore forces can be extremely high, therefore it's important to stay within the limits.
Note, Fruity Chutes parachutes diameter is represented as effective diameter when deployed. Especially round parachutes typically are represented as flat diameter measured on the ground which results much higher value, but smaller parachute.
Recommended weight ranges and copter weight limits are given by the manufacturer of the parachute. Weight has two kinds of limits:
Impact speed. What is in the general recommended maximum weight of the copter for achieving reasonable low impact to the ground.
Parachute strength. What is the maximum weight of the copter which parachute manufacturer guarantees that parachute will withstand parachute deploy impact without breaking. Impact from terminal speed (free-fall) when parachute deploys (opens fully) can be huge. These parachutes are designed to deploy immediately and any kind of slowing method for deploy is not used. Therefore shock forces are much higher than could imagine.
Fruity Chutes IFC-60-S
Weight: 185 grams / 6.53 oz
Recommended aircraft weight: 4 - 8 kg / 8.8 - 17.6 lbs
Maximum aircraft weight: 11 kg / 24.3 lbs
Manufacturer's size data: Effective diameter when deployed 60 in / 1,52 m.
Fruity Chutes IFC-84-SUL (ultra light)
Weight: 190 grams / 6.7 oz
Recommended aircraft weight: 8 - 14 kg / 17.6 - 30 lbs
Maximum aircraft weight: 17 kg / 34,5 lbs
Manufacturer's size data: Effective diameter when deployed 84 in / 2.14 m.
Trigger
Trigger weight: 26 - 66 grams depending on version and cable length of the final installation
Launch battery voltage: 3-4S; V2 Trigger
Launch battery voltage 3-4S;* V3 Pro Trigger
Launch battery voltage 3-4S*; V4 Pro Trigger
Receiver voltage: 4.9V - 6.1V
Receiver power supply 5V/0.5A: V3 Pro Trigger
Receiver power supply 5V/0.5A: V4 Pro Trigger
*V3 Pro and V4 Pro Triggers are up to 4S with X85-CF launchers. With X48-CF, X55-CF, and X68-CF they are up to 6S.
The unit is shipped with a user’s manual. An instructional video about arming, disarming and parachute packing is sent upon order. Don't hesitate to contact us at support@skycat.pro if you have any questions about this product.
U.S. Patent No. 9,611,044