Posts: 1,843 Threads: 203 Likes Received: 346 in 264 posts Likes Given: 306 Joined: May 2020 Reputation: 11 I’ll let others watch the video themselves. Aluminum is lighter than carbon fiber but I figured it would bend. Expensive but it’s really standing up. Looks better than I expected. Posts: 2,412 Threads: 119 Likes Received: 830 in 675 posts Likes Given: 132 Joined: Feb 2021 Reputation: 20 Aluminum BENDS!!! And doesn’t return to its shape.. it stays bent Posts: 21,361 Threads: 592 Likes Received: 9,019 in 6,675 posts Likes Given: 1,428 Joined: Jun 2018 Reputation: 793 +1 I agree. There's a good reason why we don't see aluminium frames. It will just be another hype train product. The only suitable metal is titanium but it needs to be the correct grade that is both lightweight and strong (i.e. not the grade that the ZBROY Prometheus frame is made from). Posts: 2,412 Threads: 119 Likes Received: 830 in 675 posts Likes Given: 132 Joined: Feb 2021 Reputation: 20 Remember that “un-breakable frame” that bardwell broke?? • Posts: 1,843 Threads: 203 Likes Received: 346 in 264 posts Likes Given: 306 Joined: May 2020 Reputation: 11 I didn’t think it through long enough. It could be bent already and the flight controller will keep it flying fairly true. Also I wonder how much shock energy gets passed into electronics and camera. • Posts: 5,915 Threads: 47 Likes Received: 2,787 in 2,249 posts Likes Given: 7,709 Joined: Jul 2019 Reputation: 97 12-Jun-2022, 01:30 AM (This post was last modified: 12-Jun-2022, 01:37 AM by iFly4rotors.) Everything is true... to one degree or another...sort of. Yes, aluminum will bend if subjected to enough force, but then so will steel. As for aluminum, it really depends on the alloy. Nothing is made of "pure" aluminum as it is too "soft" to be usable. Every piece of usable aluminum is actually an alloy comprised of aluminum and other metals. The mixture and the tempering process determines how strong the resulting "aluminum product" will be. There are semi trailers built with aluminum panels and they take quite a beating before they will bend. Aluminum is also thought of as having a "dull" appearance, but that is only because those particular alloys are dull. When I worked in an aluminum plant, some of the aluminum was so shiny (even in billet form) that you could use it as a mirror. Yes, if a metal bends it doesn't "bounce" back, but I can be heated and bent; maybe not quite back into shape...but, maybe; sort of depends on how good you are. Materials that break are just broke. Period. The frame in the video appears to be machined from a pretty thick piece of aluminum "plate". The particular alloy in that plate could actually be pretty strong. Maybe not unbreakable, but it might just be stronger than you might think. It will be interesting to see how the frame actually holds up. In my opinion, it is a better design than that titanium one. I have thought about using aluminum angle for arms. The angle adds some rigidity to the piece and is pretty hard to bend; square tube is even stronger. The frame is very interesting; certainly not for everybody, but looks pretty good none the less. Anyway, just my thoughts about it. Posts: 2,412 Threads: 119 Likes Received: 830 in 675 posts Likes Given: 132 Joined: Feb 2021 Reputation: 20 “… it doesn’t splinter like carbon fiber.. so it’s got that going for it… If it’s not super crazy expansive… I would see how it likes asphalt and concrete for breakfast, lunch and dinner.. Posts: 5,915 Threads: 47 Likes Received: 2,787 in 2,249 posts Likes Given: 7,709 Joined: Jul 2019 Reputation: 97 12-Jun-2022, 12:16 PM (This post was last modified: 12-Jun-2022, 12:25 PM by iFly4rotors.) (12-Jun-2022, 01:47 AM)Rob Axel Wrote: “… it doesn’t splinter like carbon fiber.. so it’s got that going for it… If it’s not super crazy expansive… I would see how it likes asphalt and concrete for breakfast, lunch and dinner.. Yes, but let's be fair. Take a build with the new aluminum frame and a build with a comparable carbon fiber frame...then... drop them both from an altitude of 400 feet (122 meters) onto a hardscape...repeatedly until one of them is unflyable due to frame damage. My money says the aluminum frame does NOT actually "break". It may bend which might render it unflyable, but it likely will not actually break. The real deal is NOT whether the aluminum frame is undamageable {because it very likely is unbreakable}, but rather how it COMPARES to carbon fiber as a quad building material. Also, is it repairable without having to buy spare parts. Metals can be bent back into place. You might have to apply some heat, but is that not better than buying a new part ??? • Posts: 6,119 Threads: 172 Likes Received: 2,290 in 1,837 posts Likes Given: 4,738 Joined: Feb 2019 Reputation: 101 12-Jun-2022, 12:23 PM (This post was last modified: 12-Jun-2022, 12:34 PM by hugnosed_bat.) while there are a lot options for improving, there is "gun metal" which "comes back" to its shape after force... while bent back sounds nice, the ability to bent back is what we wont for the rest of the system; flightcontroller work, while betaflight can bring a lot in the air, any stiffness decreasement is an attack for to the work of the flightcontroller. i guess there is nothing else than titanium which could probably provide the abilities for our requirements. carbon is way ahead between abilities and production and prices, availability. aluminium frames was there, its a thing from fpv history in my eyes. on the otherhand we have a lot aluminium in high quality frames, it can improve in combination. as example the aluminium on a flightclub proton or on a hyperlite frame. there are a lot aluminium tops which have some downsides for cam safety in general but works well for lightweight builds overall. for aluminum as arm material, i strongly believe aluminium as single material wont fit our requirements anytime. other examples for the evolution to carbon as material might by bicycle and car industry. the prices does hold back an evolution with titanuim, it would be very intressting :-) are there still some titanium bicycle or car examples? there is still some room to improve markets carbon quality, we would need to compare the highest grades of aluminium and carbon from technical focus, on the otherhand we need to compare the actual situation of the market to compare the actual available options. i guess a step into mass production of moulded carbon would make a huge difference and would be an option about production and value for money with the actual market. im curious why brands like armattan and flightclub still doesnt make any step in that direction. • Posts: 2,412 Threads: 119 Likes Received: 830 in 675 posts Likes Given: 132 Joined: Feb 2021 Reputation: 20 12-Jun-2022, 01:51 PM (This post was last modified: 12-Jun-2022, 02:04 PM by Rob Axel.) Any idea on cost? If it’s in the ball park of a decent 5” carbon frame… “I’m your Huckleberry…”. I’m not going to be able to decimate the differences of flight characteristics.. but i can tell how it holds up to a novice pilot… $85 and 155g Fpvcycle glide $45 and 111g Hmmmmmmm? • Posts: 1,843 Threads: 203 Likes Received: 346 in 264 posts Likes Given: 306 Joined: May 2020 Reputation: 11 12-Jun-2022, 03:26 PM (This post was last modified: 12-Jun-2022, 03:50 PM by Rob3ddd.) The aluminum frame is 99.00 with tpu. I have a Pyrodrone with aluminum mounting area and the aluminum can act like a heat sink if some paste or a conduit was used. HYPERLITE FREERANGE 5“ There is another frame I am very curious about and it’s from rubberquads. The tpu acts like shock absorbers. When I flew glow fuel planes the vibration and fuel proofing was a requirement of building a model that would last or not go down from radio failure.Electric motors don’t require as much vibration proofing but it doesn’t hurt to eliminate vibration to electronics or cameras. I may have to try one of these.Very interesting and unusual yet simple. Posts: 5,915 Threads: 47 Likes Received: 2,787 in 2,249 posts Likes Given: 7,709 Joined: Jul 2019 Reputation: 97 Well from my perspective, it looks like a pretty good frame. The 7075 alloy is extremely strong and is used in Aerospace and aircraft applications among others. The video bears this out...multiple hard crashes on the hardscape (yeah, concrete and steel) of that bando with essentially NO damage; the frame did NOT break; everything else did though. For me, the cost is reasonable, but the frame is a bit heavy as it would not be suitable for a sub-250 gram build...so it will be a "heavy" build which doesn't fit my main focus. But, you never know, at some point, I might decide to build one just to see and to have. I have just got to find some place where I can fly these big, heavy, birds. This is also encouraging be to do my own DIY aluminum frame build. Yeah, this will have to go on the list, but I will keep it in mind. KinFPV: AT6 7075 Aluminum Freestyle Frame Kit. Price: $ 84.99 Frame weight: 155g Size: 225mm Lower Base Plate: 2.5mm / 15.9g Upper Base Plate: 2.5mm / 14.2g Top Plate: 1.5mm / 11.6g Arms: 6mm / 25.1g/ea Made from 7075 T6 grade aluminum Is 7075 aluminum stronger than steel? The most important benefit of 7075 aluminum is its high strength. While it does not have the same level of corrosion resistance or weldability that other common alloys due, its resistance to stress and strain makes it highly useful in aerospace applications where it allows for weight savings over steel. What is 7075 aluminum alloy used for? Uses. 7075 is widely used for construction of aircraft structures, such as wings and fuselages. Its strength and light weight are also desirable in other fields. Rock climbing equipment and bicycle components are commonly made from 7075 aluminum alloy. 7075 Aluminum: Get to Know its properties and Uses. • Posts: 1,489 Threads: 92 Likes Received: 574 in 468 posts Likes Given: 0 Joined: Nov 2020 Reputation: 27 I was one of the biggest ultralight sceptics. I loved my fleet of 22.2V tough strong 6mm arm power quads. I bashed them into walls, into MANY street lights, and ofcourse the inevitable natural predator of the drone - the tree. But then I started trying 5" ultralights. Some frames were super fragile. The plates too thin or M2 screws. What a waste of time. The ET5 was first to survive repeated failsafes from 100feet onto concrete. I rarely get more than broken prop.. the ultralight quads dont have the mass. Im not saying you should try it. I would NOT recommend it for bando. 155g for 5" frame.. thats a big NO from me. Posts: 6,119 Threads: 172 Likes Received: 2,290 in 1,837 posts Likes Given: 4,738 Joined: Feb 2019 Reputation: 101 some stew-science on a titan frame from the past xD Posts: 5,915 Threads: 47 Likes Received: 2,787 in 2,249 posts Likes Given: 7,709 Joined: Jul 2019 Reputation: 97 • |