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This blog is intended as a sharing experience. Maybe someone will get an idea from this, or will share an idea for improvements that I can make. As a newbie I feel I need all the help I can get.
The name chosen is appropriate because I am a newbie who already has a quad flying. The lure of building another just could not be contained. My objectives were a small lightweight Quadracopter capable of flying indoors or outdoors carrying a GoPro and or FPV cameras. Must be inexpensive, simple to build, modify and or repair. Should be distinctive, attractive and professional and follow the KISS principle.
Parts Chosen
Frame Quadrixette 30 Eyefly
Motors Tunigy 2205-50 1088KV HobbyKing
ESC Turnigy Plush 10A Hobbyking
Battery Turnigy NanoTech 2200MA HobbyKing
Props Gemfan 8 x 4.5 RC Timer
Buzzer Low Voltage HobbyKing
Buzzer Lost Buzzer HobbyKing
Connectors 2mm Bullets HobbyKing
Power Board KK ver. 2 Clone Ebay
Landing Skid TRex 500 WOW Hobbies
Flight Control Copter Control Open Pilot
FC Case Copter Control Printed Shapeways
Everything ordered 16 Jan 2012.
Build Day One – 27 Jan 2012
Kit received from EyeFly. Very impressed with the quality of the various GFR plates. All are sharp and cleanly cut. Nice. All hardware checked, all there, and quality is first class.
Decided to drill arms using the templates. Probably more accurate than my layout skills. Drilled all arms with a 3mm drill bit. Did a mock-up to be sure I drilled the motor mounting holes on the right sides. Drilled the center clearance holes and the motor mounting screw holes.
Did a second mockup just to double check. Disassembled, deburred the holes, lightly scuffed the arms with 600 grit paper, cleaned and primed with NAPA lacquer primer. Allowed to dry then two coats of NAPA Black Lacquer spray applied, allowing first coat to flash off before applying the second coat. Keeping it light.
Build Day Two – 28 Jan 2012
Arms are dry. Trimmed 4 arm caps for motor mounting hole clearance. Installed all the caps and redrilled the frame end holes. Started frame assembly. Made tracing of the frame to use when I start assembling and soldering the electrics. Decided the landing gear should be installed on the Flight Control location, that’s the balance point.
Build Day Three – 31 Jan 2012
Received the Power Distribution Board from Hong Kong (eBay) still waiting on rest of parts. Installed board, ground clearance cutouts for wires in the landing gear mounts.
Build Day Four – 24 Feb 2012
Parts finally arrived from HobbyKing. They got the European Tour (Zurich, Switzerland) while I was stuck here in Cornfield County.
Soldered the 2mm female bullet connectors to the Electronic Speed Controller’s, and the 2mm male connectors to the motor wires. Soldered the power leads from Electronic Speed Controller’s and Low Battery Buzzer to the power distribution board. Put heat shrink tubing on all the connectors. Installed the Prop adapters on the motors and used spinner nuts that I already had. Motors looking good. Installed motors on the frame and mounted the Power Distribution Board. Wiring looks like spaghetti. That needs a lot of attention. Kind of wish I had elected to run the wiring inside the tubes as Mark did. That sure looked good. Oh well, at least the ESC’s will be in the prop wash for cooling this way. I’ll just make it as neat as I can.
Build Day Five - 25 Feb 2012
Installed CopterControl board and receiver plate. Used 20mm female to female standoffs for mount. Need 8 or 10mm Female to Female nylon stanoffs for mount to be closer to the frame. Ordered 20 each 10mm standoffs from Hong Kong. Programmed Electronic Speed Controllers with the Hobbywing program Card. Ran setup on the CC board. Corrected motor rotations for X mode quad and performed calibration of throttles using CC. Made 1st run of motors and tested transmitter control of quad. Seems to be pitching to the rear. Removed props and ran motors while watching Flight Data Screen. At half throttle the horizon is rolling back gradually. Ran each motor separately to see if motor noise causing the problem. Motors sound good so don’t think that is the problem. Don’t know what is wrong. Gave it up for the day.
Build Day Six – 28 Feb 2012
Decided to go ahead with fixing the wiring. Installed the low battery and lost aircraft buzzers on the bottom just ahead of the landing gear. Placed the ESC’s on the outside of each rear arm and the front ones on the rear of the front arms. Routed the control leads from the ESC’s through the center of the frame to the CC board. Put 6mm mesh tubing over the excess motor wiring. Didn’t want to just shorten and solder the wires as the connectors will make it easier to repair in the event of a crash. I know that is going to happen! Put tattoo gun grommets between the frame and CC board plate to dampen vibration. Received order of extra props and battery hold down straps from Innov8tive Designs. The Scorpion hold down straps are really great. Holds the battery securely, attach easily and look good to. Well worth the price. Hooked everything up and armed the quad. Holding it up while watching the Flight Data Screen went to half throttle, no movement of the ball. Tried all the way up to full throttle with no movement. Tested controls and self leveling, everything working just as it should. Don’t know if fixing the wiring or grommets under the flight control plate fixed the problem. Got to remember make changes one at a time if you want to know what worked. It’s to cold and windy outside or I would try and fly it. Now to just finish up some small stuff (grub screws and end caps on the landing gear) make final tuning adjustments to the Copter Control and it’s done.
Build Day Seven – 29 Feb 2012
My sincere thanks to Open Pilot for everything. The Copter Control board is awesome, the forums are great, and the members are the worlds best. Seems every time I read the forums I learn something or see an idea that I can use on my project. Even thought it’s not original or ground breaking, to say that I am proud of this build is an understatement. I got the #16 keychain video cam as recommended by FlightLab.and it works. I’ll post some video’s of that 1st Flight when I get them. My video’s will be more like grasshopper flights because that’s my piloting skill level so far. Hopefully longer and better flights with no spectacular crashes or tree magnet encounters. Be kind and remember that up to Oct 2011 my last modeling experiences were in 1953 or 1954 flying control line and I wasn’t great at that either. Enjoy!!!
The name chosen is appropriate because I am a newbie who already has a quad flying. The lure of building another just could not be contained. My objectives were a small lightweight Quadracopter capable of flying indoors or outdoors carrying a GoPro and or FPV cameras. Must be inexpensive, simple to build, modify and or repair. Should be distinctive, attractive and professional and follow the KISS principle.
Parts Chosen
Frame Quadrixette 30 Eyefly
Motors Tunigy 2205-50 1088KV HobbyKing
ESC Turnigy Plush 10A Hobbyking
Battery Turnigy NanoTech 2200MA HobbyKing
Props Gemfan 8 x 4.5 RC Timer
Buzzer Low Voltage HobbyKing
Buzzer Lost Buzzer HobbyKing
Connectors 2mm Bullets HobbyKing
Power Board KK ver. 2 Clone Ebay
Landing Skid TRex 500 WOW Hobbies
Flight Control Copter Control Open Pilot
FC Case Copter Control Printed Shapeways
Everything ordered 16 Jan 2012.
Build Day One – 27 Jan 2012
Kit received from EyeFly. Very impressed with the quality of the various GFR plates. All are sharp and cleanly cut. Nice. All hardware checked, all there, and quality is first class.
Decided to drill arms using the templates. Probably more accurate than my layout skills. Drilled all arms with a 3mm drill bit. Did a mock-up to be sure I drilled the motor mounting holes on the right sides. Drilled the center clearance holes and the motor mounting screw holes.
Did a second mockup just to double check. Disassembled, deburred the holes, lightly scuffed the arms with 600 grit paper, cleaned and primed with NAPA lacquer primer. Allowed to dry then two coats of NAPA Black Lacquer spray applied, allowing first coat to flash off before applying the second coat. Keeping it light.
Build Day Two – 28 Jan 2012
Arms are dry. Trimmed 4 arm caps for motor mounting hole clearance. Installed all the caps and redrilled the frame end holes. Started frame assembly. Made tracing of the frame to use when I start assembling and soldering the electrics. Decided the landing gear should be installed on the Flight Control location, that’s the balance point.
Build Day Three – 31 Jan 2012
Received the Power Distribution Board from Hong Kong (eBay) still waiting on rest of parts. Installed board, ground clearance cutouts for wires in the landing gear mounts.
Build Day Four – 24 Feb 2012
Parts finally arrived from HobbyKing. They got the European Tour (Zurich, Switzerland) while I was stuck here in Cornfield County.
Soldered the 2mm female bullet connectors to the Electronic Speed Controller’s, and the 2mm male connectors to the motor wires. Soldered the power leads from Electronic Speed Controller’s and Low Battery Buzzer to the power distribution board. Put heat shrink tubing on all the connectors. Installed the Prop adapters on the motors and used spinner nuts that I already had. Motors looking good. Installed motors on the frame and mounted the Power Distribution Board. Wiring looks like spaghetti. That needs a lot of attention. Kind of wish I had elected to run the wiring inside the tubes as Mark did. That sure looked good. Oh well, at least the ESC’s will be in the prop wash for cooling this way. I’ll just make it as neat as I can.
Build Day Five - 25 Feb 2012
Installed CopterControl board and receiver plate. Used 20mm female to female standoffs for mount. Need 8 or 10mm Female to Female nylon stanoffs for mount to be closer to the frame. Ordered 20 each 10mm standoffs from Hong Kong. Programmed Electronic Speed Controllers with the Hobbywing program Card. Ran setup on the CC board. Corrected motor rotations for X mode quad and performed calibration of throttles using CC. Made 1st run of motors and tested transmitter control of quad. Seems to be pitching to the rear. Removed props and ran motors while watching Flight Data Screen. At half throttle the horizon is rolling back gradually. Ran each motor separately to see if motor noise causing the problem. Motors sound good so don’t think that is the problem. Don’t know what is wrong. Gave it up for the day.
Build Day Six – 28 Feb 2012
Decided to go ahead with fixing the wiring. Installed the low battery and lost aircraft buzzers on the bottom just ahead of the landing gear. Placed the ESC’s on the outside of each rear arm and the front ones on the rear of the front arms. Routed the control leads from the ESC’s through the center of the frame to the CC board. Put 6mm mesh tubing over the excess motor wiring. Didn’t want to just shorten and solder the wires as the connectors will make it easier to repair in the event of a crash. I know that is going to happen! Put tattoo gun grommets between the frame and CC board plate to dampen vibration. Received order of extra props and battery hold down straps from Innov8tive Designs. The Scorpion hold down straps are really great. Holds the battery securely, attach easily and look good to. Well worth the price. Hooked everything up and armed the quad. Holding it up while watching the Flight Data Screen went to half throttle, no movement of the ball. Tried all the way up to full throttle with no movement. Tested controls and self leveling, everything working just as it should. Don’t know if fixing the wiring or grommets under the flight control plate fixed the problem. Got to remember make changes one at a time if you want to know what worked. It’s to cold and windy outside or I would try and fly it. Now to just finish up some small stuff (grub screws and end caps on the landing gear) make final tuning adjustments to the Copter Control and it’s done.
Build Day Seven – 29 Feb 2012
My sincere thanks to Open Pilot for everything. The Copter Control board is awesome, the forums are great, and the members are the worlds best. Seems every time I read the forums I learn something or see an idea that I can use on my project. Even thought it’s not original or ground breaking, to say that I am proud of this build is an understatement. I got the #16 keychain video cam as recommended by FlightLab.and it works. I’ll post some video’s of that 1st Flight when I get them. My video’s will be more like grasshopper flights because that’s my piloting skill level so far. Hopefully longer and better flights with no spectacular crashes or tree magnet encounters. Be kind and remember that up to Oct 2011 my last modeling experiences were in 1953 or 1954 flying control line and I wasn’t great at that either. Enjoy!!!
especially clean looking. I like the servo braid to hide and protect the wires