(02-Jan-2021, 06:22 PM)peri Wrote: Nice build!


It does look big for flying around the house though 

How do you find the 3S batteries with this sort of weight? Isn't it a tad heavy?

Yes, it is a little big for the house. 
Also, by my thinking, it is a little heavy {the ducts alone weight 40 grams} and the motors are pretty big {more weight}. 
Knowing it is a little heavy, I was surprised by the power especially for a 2.5 inch.
So far, I fly mostly 3s on pretty much everything with no problems; but then I don't do punch outs or acro.
I will know pretty much how it flies the first time out; will let you know.

(02-Jan-2021, 10:19 PM)Joshua_A Wrote: Nice, how do you like your motors?? I’m ALMOST finished with a build with those motors (same kv).

I have these Flywoo NIN 1404 3750kv motors in my Phantom-4X and really like them. 

(03-Jan-2021, 03:54 AM)wllmlutz Wrote: Beautiful build Harry! Have you flown a maiden yet? How does she fly? Can't wait to see some smooth cinematic footage! : )

So, far, I have done hover tests and a short flight around the living room. We have a pretty big open concept house so I got a feel for the controls and it is very responsive and smooth. I will try to get to the field today and fly a maiden {sort of depends on the weather}. 

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Thank You ALL  


Hey Ronin,  How about that "proper" camera mount    That is an iFly special   

I still have some updating on Post #1 with parts details and will include my build spreadsheet.

Flight videos to come....  stay tuned ... 

Thank You ALL  

Hi Harry,
you show impressive inventiveness and craftmanship

Wouldn't you call those "ducts" more "guards"?

My English is getting worse in 2021 So I hope I managed to ask something you'll understand.

Take care

(04-Jan-2021, 03:40 PM)rjalex Wrote: Hi Harry,
you show impressive inventiveness and craftmanship

Wouldn't you call those "ducts"  more "guards"?

My English is getting worse in 2021 So I hope I managed to ask something you'll understand.

Take care

Hi rjalex,

Thanks.

Diatone and others call them ducts. They do sort of have walls but these ones have a lot of holes in them so they probably don't have the same effect as a true duct. In fact, most ducts don't actually add much, if any, efficiency, but they do offer some protection, they do allow the quad to "bounce" off things, and they look cool.  

Having studied duct design and efficiency, most of the offerings are simply NOT designed to the shape and tolerances to actually make them more efficient. In my opinion, the extra weight reduces the efficiency more than any probable gain. But they look pretty cool and they appear to add an element of safety. 

I also do not like that they make the quad more visible when in the air which is contrary to my stealthy philosophy. I prefer a craft that is hard to see, has low noise, and is hard to track. A stealthy quad that is flown at the ceiling {400 ft. : 122 meters} is barely noticeable so people don't pay any attention to it even if they think they see it. Man, my wife    can not keep track of my quads once they are in the air. 

That said, I will fly FrankenFly-2-4 for a while in this configuration and just have fun with it before changing things.

All I have to do is remove the ducts and switch to 4 inch props and I will have an open prop 4 inch PUSHER   Yeah, that's right. 

All of this experimentation with the "Pusher" concept is a prelude to something else.     

Very very cool.
Maybe transparent plastic would be good for your stealthy ambitions
Take care and post some flight impressions!
Ciao

(02-Jan-2021, 10:19 PM)Joshua_A Wrote: Nice, how do you like your motors?? I’m ALMOST finished with a build with those motors (same kv).

(04-Jan-2021, 05:23 PM)rjalex Wrote: Very very cool.
Maybe transparent plastic would be good for your stealthy ambitions
Take care and post some flight impressions!
Ciao

Yeah, I am already working on a clear plexiglass frame, using bright colors to shroud the electronics, and clear aqua color props.
An interesting thing about the bright primary colors, they blend or disappear against a clear blue background. This was demonstrated with US Navy ships. The bright primary colors mix or diffract with the ambient light. On the other hand, that build is pretty far down on the list.

Well, I took FrankenFly-2-4 out for a flight. Within the first few minutes, the video became snowy then one of those "magnetic" trees grabbed him. Fortunately, with the help of a passer by, we were able to get FrankenFly unstuck and out of that tree. Since I don't do diagnostic work in the field, it is time to go home.

My assessment of the flight can be summed up as stable, but a little underpowered even though the flight was very short. 

I will address the video issue, then take him out again with this same configuration so that I can document the actual behavior. 
Oh yeah, and maybe get a flight video that I can post.

Stay tuned...

Great Harry
Glad to se you her outside
Better luck the next time
Bill

Well, FrankenFly got a flight in today. 

Although the video is still a little shady, the flight was pretty good. This time, I strapped on a 4s 650 mAh GoldBat battery just so it would have a little extra umph!! For the most part, is was a pretty stable flight {although there seemed to be a touch of throttle delay, but I sort of expected that with the 2.5 inch props on this rig} that lasted 6 minutes which is not too bad for a 650 mAh battery.

Now, the ducts (or prop guards) have got to go. I will use them on something else; I have some ideas. 
With the guards off, I will also switch to 4 inch props. 
FrankenFly, buddy, you got some upgrades coming. 

2021-01-06             FrankenFly-2-4 Upgrades

First thing, remove the 2.5 inch props and the Taycan25 ducts. 

The first thing to try in resolving the video issue is to change the antenna. So, I will swap out the iFlight VTX antenna for a Flywoo Atomic antenna since I don't have a free VAS antenna. In order to change the antenna, the bottom plate, flight controller, and VTX all will need to be removed. The antenna was changed, the top plate trimmed down a bit, a new lighter bottom plate was cut, foam landing gear was added, FrankenFly was put back together and Gemfan Hurricane 4023 Durable 3 blade props were installed {these ones are the convertible props that will mount on 5mm shaft or T-Mount with the provided insert}.  The new Dry Weight is 147 grams.


With a 3s 1100 mAh GNB battery strapped on, the AUW = 216 grams. 

At this point, I have done NO tuning or Battery Calibration in Betaflight. The FC is just as it came from the factory.

Now, let's go Fly...

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Let me say that the park where I now fly is pretty small for a 4 inch so it will be a slow and controlled flight; almost like hovering with some forward movement; kind of like flying in a big circle. Anyway, it is what it is. 

The flight was very smooth and the control was pretty much spot on. 
Being the first "REAL" flight, I did not push it; just fly around; for more than 16 minutes. Ok, not too bad. 

Even though it was a pretty soft landing {for me}, one of the props broke. I suspect that the hybrid prop mounting leaves the hub weaker than a standard T-Mount prop. The hybrid prop mounting might be ok for a standard quad, but I would not use them on a "pusher".

So, next trip out, he will have standard T-Mount props.

Oh yeah, switching the VTX antenna cleared up the video.     I will NOT be using iFlight antennas in the future.