Hi!
This my first build. The goal was to build a quadcopter similar to the 6" Flite Test models (VersaCopter and FT 270) that can offer a longer flight time. It flies great with RPM filtering and default settings in Betaflight, however, I haven't done any advanced maneuvers yet. The camera angle is set to 45 degrees as recommended in the "FPV Flight Dynamics" book and my father says it is irresponsibly fast I probably have to adjust the camera angle to slow it down.



Parts:
- Lumenier QAV-R 2 frame
- Holybro Kakute F7 mini flight controller
- Holybro Tekko32 F3 mini 45A ESC
- Holybro Atlatl mini VTX
- FrSky R-XSR
- RunCam Phoenix 2 JB edition camera
- Emax ECO 2306 1900KV motors
- Dalprop 6045 propellers
- 4S 1400 mAh 45c battery
- PLA bracket to hold the power lead and the receiver antennas

The weight together with the battery is 485 grams.

Lessons learned:
- The latest FPort firmware for the R-XSR firmware doesn't send the telemetry from Betaflight. I had to flash the previous version.
- Enabling the VTX power control on a switch seems to set the VTX to the Freestyle mode. At least it is the case with the Atlatl mini VTX that uses SmartAudio. I finally decided not to enable the pit mode in favor of the VTX power control.
- The screws should be tightened carefully to avoid damaging the top clear layer of the frame as can be seen in the pictures. L-shaped keys work great for controlling the torque.

I haven't measured the flight time yet and will post an update after more test flights.

Hi Grassydragon,

Very good looking build.   Very Clean.      GOOD JOB. 

The pictures are really nice; very clear; Excellent. 

Nice build, and that's quite light for a 5" freestyle quad

A recent poll on Facebook about the camera angle that freestyle pilots use came back with 25 degrees and 30 degrees getting the most votes. I've run my camera at 25 degrees since I started flying FPV just over 4 years ago and that feels right for the type of flying I do. You only really need a high camera angle if you are racing and going for all out speed which isn't generally what freestlye is about, and a High camera angle also makes landing quite difficult. Most racers use a 45 or 50 degree camera angle.

Quote:Nice build, and that's quite light for a 5" freestyle quad

That is actually a 6" quad.

Quote:You only really need a high camera angle if you are racing and going for all out speed which isn't generally what freestlye is about, and a High camera angle also makes landing quite difficult.

One of the arguments from the book is that the camera angle of 45 degrees makes the roll and yaw inputs equal. It also makes some maneuvers easier to do, for example, power loops, however, it isn't the main reason. I think that once you understand the explanations given in the book and have some practice in the simulator it should be fine to switch to a camera angle that matches your flying style and adjust roll and yaw mixing.

Congratulations on your first build, it looks great!
Is “irresponsibly fast” a bad thing?

Quote:Is “irresponsibly fast” a bad thing?

Not at all. I just think I can get a longer flight time and make a better use of the available space by going slower.

(18-Sep-2022, 08:40 PM)grassydragon Wrote: That is actually a 6" quad.

That was a typo. I did mean to write 6"

(18-Sep-2022, 08:40 PM)grassydragon Wrote: One of the arguments from the book is that the camera angle of 45 degrees makes the roll and yaw inputs equal. It also makes some maneuvers easier to do, for example, power loops, however, it isn't the main reason. I think that once you understand the explanations given in the book and have some practice in the simulator it should be fine to switch to a camera angle that matches your flying style and adjust roll and yaw mixing.

While the pure theory for using a 45-degree camera angle is correct with regards to equal amounts of yaw and roll, the reality is that for good freestyle flow you need a much lower camera angle. Most of the well-known freestylers all use lowish camera angles when flying freestyle. You don't really need to be concerned about equal amounts of yaw and roll when flying. It's all down to muscle memory and once you've been flying for a while any roll and yaw inputs will just happen automatically to get the right mix for performing manoeuvres and tricks without you even having to think about it regardless of the camera angle.