Finally got this project started yesterday.  With the mini-quad craze, thought I'd try something different

TBS Discovery top & bottom plate
Marspower 3508/700 kv motors
DYS XSD 30 amp ESCs
RMRC Seriously Dodo FC (for now)
Arms - hybrid
FPV - TBS Core with OSD, TBS Unify vtx, CS-800 board cam & Git-Up Git 2 HD cam
4S 35C 5000 mah lipo

Got a good start yesterday with the TBS Core installed.  This is a great "brain" of the FPV system, totally isolated from interference.  No need for PDB as it's integrated into frame, so FC is powered by a BEC with extra 12 volt out for LEDs.

The arms were a bit of a challenge, as DJI F450 arms are typically used with the Disco, but they won't accept 3508 motors, plus they're flimsy and weak.  So I came up with a combination of Aerial Mob frame and motor mounts, with Tarot 650 CF 16mm tubes. Good and beefy!

I went with the Dodo FC (for now) with fluffy soft-mounts, and although it's processing speed isn't super fast, it's well built, reliable and easy to work on.

Here's what I've got so far:

Nice, curious how this will work out. What props do you plan to use?

(16-May-2017, 05:19 AM)fftunes Wrote: Nice, curious how this will work out. What props do you plan to use?

Yes, I'm curious too, I have no idea what to expect for setup.  Like any build, I guess I'll just start at default and go from there.  As for props, I got the arms mounted and ESCs connected last night and 10 props fit nicely.  No issues with spinning these, the Marspower motors are beasts, but I'll be ordering some 8 inchers as well.  Here's some further progress

(16-May-2017, 02:52 PM)RENOV8R Wrote: Yes, I'm curious too, I have no idea what to expect for setup.  

I would expect AWESOMENESS! edge of my seat excited 

How did I miss this? Very interesting!

I reckon that'll be very quick if you up the voltage a bit! Those motors want 12" props if you can fit them. If not, 5S power and 10" props would work.

(18-May-2017, 01:34 AM)unseen Wrote: How did I miss this? Very interesting!

I reckon that'll be very quick if you up the voltage a bit! Those motors want 12" props if you can fit them. If not, 5S power and 10" props would work.

Been pretty busy the last couple days but I don't have much to do to be ready for maiden flight.  This weekend for sure as it's a long weekend here.  10 inch is max for this build so I'll just have to see what happens but like you said, I may have to increase the voltage.

Depending on your all up weight, you might get away with 4S, but I'd be looking for 900 - 1100kv with 10" props.

Good luck with the maiden flight!

(18-May-2017, 09:04 AM)unseen Wrote: Depending on your all up weight, you might get away with 4S, but I'd be looking for 900 - 1100kv with 10" props.

Good luck with the maiden flight!

You are right on the money with your advise, just that I wanted to keep this low cost.  I've had the Marspower motors and a lot of the other parts I used kicking around for quite a while and wanted to put them to use, but I realize that something in the 1000 kv range would be more appropriate with 4S.  I may have to go that route as the Discovery frame has an enclosed battery bay and 4S 5000 mah is the max that will fit.  I'm also considering delving onto the iNav fork, seems quite intriguing and may suit this size of craft quite well.  So many decisions, I need to slow down before I burn up the bearings of the squirrel cage in my brain............

I have a project on the back burner that I'll get around to this summer that's kind of similar to what you're doing there.

When I built my first 450 quad, it came with some 2212 1100kv nameless motors. Once I started adding things like a gimbal and 4K camera, it was obvious that those motors weren't up to the job, so I swapped them out for some 2610 920kv motors, which performed fairly well on 4S, but they really needed bigger props for the weight. In the end though, the TBS clone arms are just rubbish so I built a proper camera ship with an IronMan 650 frame and 5010 530kv motors swinging 15x5.5 props.

That left me with the 2610 motors and a bunch of good 10x4.5 carbon fibre props. Inspired by a thread over on RCGroups about building minimal frames with carbon fibre tubes and simple carbon fibre plates, I've accumulated a bunch of parts to put those motors to good use.

The idea is to build a super light X frame for purely line of sight flight and use the motors and props, along with a minimal flight controller to make a completely insane LOS quad with 10" props. It's kind of my quadmovr inspired craft.

I'm hoping that I can use it to develop the same telepathic LOS orientation skills that he has! (Whether I succeed is another matter. )