Rc flight camera action summer 2015

FPV

FILMING PLATFORMS

SPECIAL EDITION

TESTS, REVIEWS & EXCLUSIVES

New Rotor Tech Explained & Explored

TRY THE

TH U GLIFE

WHO REALLY IS THIS FPV GURU?

FROM DREAMWORKS TO YOUTUBE WE INTERVIEW CHARPU

EXCLUSIVE:

Is Chroma The Real Key? WILL BLADE’S NEW QUAD UNLOCK YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL?

TILT V THE SUPERCAR WORLD EXLUSIVE! First Hands On Of The TILT Racing Drone FRONT COVER_V3_RCFCA_AUG15.indd 1

YUNEEC Q500+: A ONE BOX PRO IMAGING PACKAGE

Issue 02 £4.99

RCFLIGHTCAMERAACTION.COM

SPECIAL

EDITION

DRONE TECH

Q500+ Put Through Its Professional Paces

14/7/15 14:43:40

WHAT’S INSIDE

FPV

FILMING PLATFORMS

TESTS, REVIEWS & EXCLUSIVES

SPECIAL EDITION

DRONE TECH

New Rotor Tech Explained & Explored

TRY THE

TH U GLIFE

New Rotor Tech Explained & Explored

WHO REALLY IS THIS FPV GURU? FROM DREAMWORKS TO YOUTUBE WE INTERVIEW CHARPU

EXCLUSIVE:

Is Chroma The Real Key? WILL BLADE’S NEW QUAD UNLOCK YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL?

contents 12 Who Is Charpu?

Many of you will have heard of the name Charpu. He has been touted as the best quad pilot in the world, and his YouTube videos have inspired thousands into trying to fly freestyle with Mini Quads via FPV. He’s undoubtedly the catalyst for many of the most exciting and innovative FPV videos ever released, and has probably been responsible for more broken props than any other pilot! RCFCA got a chance to talk frankly with the man himself, we find out about his day job at DreamWorks Animation, what got him started into FPV, and his hopes for the future of competitive Freestyle and Racing.

TILT V THE SUPERCAR WORLD EXLUSIVE! First Hands On Of The TILT Racing Drone

YUNEEC Q500+: A ONE BOX PRO IMAGING PACKAGE Q500+ Put Through Its Professional Paces

Issue 2

12

20 THRUST UAV HyperLite 275 Black Ops Just the name sounds fast and instils confidence in its durability. The HyperLite 275, designed by E.J Duarte, takes RCFCA’s editor on his first journey into (and by) FPV. We explain the differences between the modes; learn how the design incorporates carbon fibre and CNC alloy components to create a Racing Quad that’s so far survived everything we’ve thrown at it.

28 THuG’s In the Woods RCFCA again goes behind the scenes at The Gadget Show and follows Jason Bradbury on his ‘initiation’ into the world of flying FPV. With RCFCA contributor Stefan Mirfin as his mentor and the latest in racing quad under his control what could possibly happen? We tell you and then interview Stefan on why he started designing, what got him into the hobby and his thoughts on the future of the multi-rotor sector.

28

34 Yuneec Q500+ Yuneec are a brand that’s in constant flux. Their range is ever expanding, the technology they incorporate into their platforms sets new standards with each release and yet the price-point remains very competitive. We take their latest Q500+ and give it to a professional cameraman who wants to get into using Quads. The results show just how far the industry has come in such a short time, and how important this tech is to the TV and film industry.

44

44 TILT Innovation is the key to evolving any genre of tech, and Pau Mallol is one such innovator. His integration of tilting arm technology into a quadcopter design isn’t unique in the multi-rotor world, but what he has done is make many of the key components open source, and integrate specific code into the flight controller’s software to make the ‘full TILT’ experience like nothing else out there at the moment. How does 0-100 in 3.7 seconds sound?

8 RC FLIGHT CAMERA ACTION AUG15 p8-9_CONTENTS_RCFCA_AUG15.indd 8

14/7/15 13:06:38

54 The Blade Chroma Blades 350QX brought an affordable filming platform to the masses. The new Blade Chroma takes that ethos and sets a new benchmark in a compact, feature rich quadcopter with an astonishing flight time, and a variety of packages to suit all levels and pockets. Is this the key to unlocking your hidden filming or photography potential? We were offered the first review anywhere in the EU to find out.

62 Airwolf 3D HDX With the ever-growing trend of open source projects, and part-printed, partmachined multi-rotors, RCFCA took one of the most versatile latest generation 3D printers on the market and had a month long print-fest with it. From 110 mm micro quad frames, to full tri-copters, essential parts for 250 racers and flight control and camera mounts, we printed them all, and in a variety of materials!

Is this technology the key to the future of manufacturing? We find out with our in-depth review.

70

70 Parrot Bebop Filming platforms don’t have to be big or complicated to get great HD results.

The Parrot Bebop being a prime example of just this. Its simplicity of use, its built-in feature set and its integration with the Freeflight 3 App make it one of the most user-friendly drones on the market today and we spent the last few months finding out why!

78 It’s a Thug’s Life We build and test two of Stefan Mirfin’s THuGFrame designs in the form of the original THuG250 Elite, and the newer THuG 180 Micro. Both were designed and manufactured right here in the UK to fulfil the needs of the global quad community and offer cost-effective solutions for both FPV racing and freestyle flying. They may be very different in their form-factors but both offer very similar flight experiences and are hard as nails! See which one would may be best suited to you and why!

88

88 TBS Gemini Hex Want to get into FPV but don’t have the time to build your own Racer? Then maybe an ARTF FPV Racer like the TBS Gemini could be the answer to your problems? Its revolutionary compact hex design, combined with its fully integrated yet still modular electronics make it the perfect starting point for any budding racer.

THE LATEST IN AERIAL IMAGING TECHN OLOGY

VANS RV-8

FREE SUPER SYTKY PULLOUT

R/C PLAN

QUARTER MIDGET RACER

www.rcmodelworld.com

RC

THE WORLD’S PREMIER R/C JET MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2015

WORTH £11.99

FREE PLAN INSIDE HORTEN Ho229 WORTH £11.99 Quiet&Electric

100

ITY QUAL S OF ENT PAGE CI CONT RRCi RR

www.radioracecar.com

AUGUST 2015

TAMIYA'S KNIGHT HAULER BECOMES A FITTING HENDRIX TRIBUTE

Incredible performance with the innovative Goblin look…

Tested!

TOP R/C HOBBY’S

P-51D Mustang

KINGTECH K-45G Engine test…

MARLIN

VENOM CONVERSION

2vision+

FREE PLAN: Horten Ho229W twin EDF off land or water! ASW28 2300 from FMS on test

Tested by us so they work for you!

SZD 45A ‘Ogar’ Feature Plan Flying with a Disability

Experience A Wh0le New WHEELIE GOOD FUN!

G O P RO 4

Small Rotors

NEW PRODUCTS BLADE 350 QX3 AP

Three blades better than two?

The JR Forza 450 3-blade

My Models and Me

The mini series winds up with a convoluted Sea King tale

ALWAYS LANDS ON ITS FEET!

US

WALKERA’S TALI H500 A hexcopter that includes everything!

Aerial HD video made easy from Horizon

KONTRONIK JIVE Pro 120+ HV

MICK REEVES LIGHTNING A boyhood dream built…

The R/C Modeller's Magazine

TAMIYA RE-RELEASE ANOTHER COOL CLASSIC

SCHUMACHER'S NEW 2WD SHARPENS ITS CLAWS

R/C RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP STAGE 4 FULL REPOR T

Find out more at www.trapletshop.com

LE-GO V4 BRUSHLESS DSLR GIMBAL

The JIVE Pro may look similar but offers a lot more

REGULARS...

● USA HELI SCENE ● SCALE BY SCALE ● IDLING UP

Part 2 – Finishing & Flying

BUILD A SHARP LOOKING EP AEROBAT

The new radio system offers so much for the that serious multirotor flyer

REVIEWED: JUST HOW GOOD IS IT?

16 PAGES

OF REVIEWS

GRAUPNER HOTT RADIO

SAB GOBLIN 380

International

TOP GUN ’15

FLIGHT TEST OF RIPMAX’S NEW FOAM-E MK2+ KIT PLAN FEATURE!

Phantom

www.modelheliworld.com August 2015

A true showpiece of Jet models from Lakeland Airport, Florida

WOT 4 PLUS!

First for UAV and Multirotor enthusiasts

REVIEWS + EVENTS + TECH

10 PAGE UK SCALE NATIONALS TRAILSIDE REPORT

Flight RRCi July 2015 www.qefimagazine.com

SPECIAL EDITION

check out our other specialist and modelling magazines ...

GET YOUR COPY

ISSUE 1 OF RCFCA AVAIALABLE TO ORDER FROM OUR ONLINE SHOP

THE BEST IN R/C HELICOPTERS

RC FLIGHT CAMERA ACTION AUG15 p8-9_CONTENTS_RCFCA_AUG15.indd 9

9

14/7/15 13:08:29

PRODUCT REVIEW EU EXCLUSIVE: BLADE CHROMA RTF

Is Chroma

The Key?

Manufacturer: Blade Manufacturer: www.horizonhobby.co.uk UK RRP: £1099.99 WITH 4K CG03 CAMERA, £799.99 WITH CG02 1080P (SUBJECT OF THIS REVIEW) AND £469.99 BNF WITH INCLUDED GOPRO GIMBAL SPECIFICATIONS Type: Quadcopter

Control Link: 2.4 GHz

Prop Diameter: 10”

Video Link: 5.8 GHz

Motor to Motor Distance: 400 mm

Video Link Range: 1,970 ft (600 m)

Flight Time: 30 minutes

Satellite Navigation System: GPS

Battery: 11.1 V 3S 5400 mAh LiPo

Level: Ready-to-Fly. ST-10+ touch screen & live downlink Transmitter, 5 modes including ‘Follow Me’ and ‘Watch Me’

Height: 242 mm Weight: 1.3 kg Motor Type: 4 × 780 kV Brushless Outrunner

Sleeker and more modern looking than a Blade 350QX, but smaller than a Typhoon Q500, we give you the new Blade Chroma

54 RC FLIGHT CAMERA ACTION AUG15 p54-61_RCFCA_BLADE CHROMA.indd 54

14/7/15 16:08:06

BLADE CHROMA RTF CAMERA DRONE WITH 1080P CGO2+ AND ST-10+ WORDS & IMAGES: PETER GRAY I CHRIS DAVIS

B

lade has a lot to answer for. They are undoubtably the one RC brand that made quad filming platforms affordable to all. I guarantee that if you get 100 multi-rotor enthusiasts in a room together and ask for a show of hands, I would bet good money that at some point a great proportion of them will have owned, or still do own a 350QX, or a 200QX or both!

When you think that at the time that the 3560 was originally released the nearest RTF true camera platform was at least three times the price, you can see why so many people took the plunge. I owned two of them over an 18 month period, and even though occasionally they did have their off days (mostly due to needing regular compass calibration), they did serve me well and were the two quads that really got me hooked to aerial filming and photography.

RC FLIGHT CAMERA ACTION AUG15 55

p54-61_RCFCA_BLADE CHROMA.indd 55

14/7/15 16:08:30