Here is my latest quadcopter build.  I have an Armattan Japalura that I like a lot, and with the camera angle set low it's tame enough to fly around my yard.  I wanted another 3" quad but with better video.  The Newbeedrone Whirligig frame is made to carry a DJI Air Unit, so it seemed like a good candidate.  Here's my parts list:

Frame: Newbeedrone Whirligig 3"
Flight controller: iFlight Succex-D Mini F7 TwinG, Betaflight 4.2.5
ESC: iFlight 40A BL32 4-in-1
Motors: Brotherhobby VY 1504.5 3950 kV
Receiver: TBS Crossfire Nano RX
Antenna: VAS 915 MHz XFire Pro
Camera and VTX: DJI FPV system
Props: HQProp DP 3.1x3x4, HQProp DP 3x3x3 PC (I'm still trying various props)

Bare weight (with props): 186 g
All-up weight (with props and 850 mAh 4S LiPo): 293 g

The frame arrived well-packaged, with the carbon fiber edges nicely rounded.  The assembly diagram was OK, but the printing was so light that I had to scan it and enhance the contrast on my computer in order to use it.



The frame has four special standoffs that hold the Air Unit nicely near the center of the frame.  The frame came with some stick-on polyurethane pads to cushion the Air Unit.  I didn't think they'd remain in place over the long term, so I used some thick heatshrink tubing instead.



I used small pieces of electrical tape to prevent any metal-to-metal contact on the top and bottom of the Air Unit.  It probably wasn't necessary, as the unit is held in place snugly by the standoffs.



The 16x16 mm stack mounts at the rear of the quad, which is a bit unusual.  The frame is made for M3 mounting screws, but the stack I chose uses M2 hardware.  I used washers and heatshrink to make it work.



I raised the stack up with washers just enough so I could fit the Crossfire Nano RX underneath it.  By luck, the VAS XFire Pro antenna mounted perfectly with the existing screws at the rear of the frame.



Here is the quad all wired up and just about ready for final assembly:



And the glamour shot:



The quad is running the default tune on Betaflight 4.2.5.  It flies really well, except I think the propwash handling could be improved.  Tuning will have to wait until Spring when the fields dry up around here.

Here is some flight footage, first in my neighbor's yard, and then in the forest nearby.

Nice build. Another prop to consider in your experiment, T-Motor 3140 props. You will get a a lot more thrust.

(10-Jan-2021, 07:38 AM)jasperfpv Wrote: Nice build.  Another prop to consider in your experiment, T-Motor 3140 props. You will get a a lot more thrust.

Thanks for the recommendation, JasperFPV.  I'd love to try those props, but unfortunately, the motors only accept T-mount props.  I'm regretting that a little bit.  It saved some weight, but the prop selection is extremely limited.  The only T-mount props I've found that might be at all suitable are these:

• HQProp 3.1x3x4
  
• HQProp 3x3x3
  
• Gemfan Windancer 3028
  

I haven't been able to try the Gemfan 3028s yet, because I had to order some longer screws to mount them.

The 4-blade HQProp 3.1x3x4 performed surprisingly well.  They are not very robust, though.  Just clipping a thin tree branch is enough to break off an entire blade at the hub of the prop.  Amazingly, the quad is still able to limp back home in that condition--vibrating so hard that the FPV image is blurry.

The HQProp 3x3x3 props seem pretty good, too.  I haven't had a chance to test them very thoroughly yet.

If anybody knows of some other fairly aggressive T-mount props I could try, I'd love to hear about it.

Sorry my bad, I should have paid more attention to the motor mount/pics.

There's HQ 3x4x4 T mount out there but it's not popular and not many stockist.

I had used that on an Acrobat in the past.

Nice build     SWEET    The quad looks very "Glamorous" 

Nice video, too. 

(11-Jan-2021, 03:05 AM)jasperfpv Wrote: There's HQ 3x4x4 T mount out there but it's not popular and not many stockist.

Hmm, I can't find that one on the HQProp website.  Maybe it has been discontinued.

It's OK.  I'm pretty satisfied with the HQProp 3x3x3 and 3.1x3x4 props that I've tried so far.  By the end of the week I should be able to try the Gemfan 3028s as well, if the weather permits it.

(11-Jan-2021, 03:01 PM)iFly4rotors Wrote: Nice build     SWEET    The quad looks very "Glamorous" 

Nice video, too. 

Thanks!  Quads always look so good when they're new.  All too soon life will take its toll on the poor unsuspecting infant.