Multirotor pilot v3 by wattronix

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

WHAT’S INSIDE. PILOT REVIEWS

20 Blade 350QX2 AP Combo Live the aerial video experience —by Joe Cannavo 42 Sky-Hero Spyder The world’s most versatile quad —by Erick Royer

52 Lumenier QAV400 FPV Quadcopter 400mm FPV hot rod! —by Joe Cannavo

58 Gryphon Dynamics GD-X8

FEATURES

16 Multirotors to the rescue! A different view of the hobby —by Bob Alberding

1400mm Folding Frame The massive, heavy-lift quad —by Joe Papa

68 Heli-Max 230 Si

36 It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Chicken Wings! World’s first aerial chicken wing delivery —by Erick Royer

Serious fun for all quad pilots —by Eric Jordan

78 Encore RC Invertix 400 —by Matt Maziarz

30 Interview with Peter Sachs “Drone” lawyer and pilot —by Petr Hejl 56 Demolition Derby …A view from above Smash ‘em up, crash ‘em up! —by Petr Hejl

PILOT PROJECT

32 Spidex 3D Printed Micro FPV Quadcopter 3D printed, snap-together design —by Erick Royer

PRODUCT REVIEWS

24 X Aircraft Super X Flight Controller with OSD and 2-Axis Gimbal There’s a new flight controller on the block! —by Erick Royer

56 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

62 DJI H3-3D Gimbal The smoothest GoPro fottage yet! —by Petr Hejl 66 Blade 350 QX Carry Case —by Joe Cannavo 70 Secraft Radio Transmitter Tray —by Jon R. Barnes

82 DJI iOSDs-Mark II and Mini Real-time flight data made easy—by Joe Cannavo

COLUMNS 8 Editorial

10 Multirotor

PowerLab 8 2688w Battery Workstation —by Joe Papa

64 Quanum DIY FPV

90 Return to home

Goggle set with monitor FPV for under $30 bucks! —by Joe Cannavo

DIY 3D Printing What would your dream multirotor look like? —by Erick Royer

38 Visual Tech GoPro Part 2 White balance, field of view, Protune and GoPro Studio —by John Kopec

46 Revolectrix Dual

Parachutes aren’t just for skydivers anymore! —by Matt Maziarz

68 FIRST LOOK

12 Ares Ethos FPV Finally a real, affordable FPV multirotor —by Joe Cannavo

HOW TO

72 Prevent a Crash with Telemetry —by Joe Papa

6 MULTIROTOR PILOT

LIFT.OFF The FAA and Our Industry If you have not heard the buzz about the FAA’s latest restrictions and how they impact our hobby, then perhaps you have been living under a rock. It has been the hot topic on every forum, community website and social media site since the agency released their “What Can I Do with My Model Aircraft?” infographic a few weeks ago. As the Executive Editor of three of the most popular radio control hobby magazines in the industry, I have been taking in a lot of what is being said and trying to process it. I chose not to flare up and shout from my proverbial soapbox p like manyy do anonymously online. I know I have the ears of a large audience, udience, but since the regulations are changing and the AMA is working tirelessly with the FAA to refine them, I did not want to post an article in print only to have the information be oututdated in a matter of weeks. I, for one, can totally understand why the FAA reacted the way they did. All you need to do is go to YouTube or set up Google Alerts for the word “Drone” and you can o consume more negative info than you would ever want to see on improper use of RC aircraft. While drones, and I HATE e main that word, (I prefer multirotor or even UAV) seem to be the target, the regulations affect model aircraft as well. At anyy time online online, and often on the evening news as well, you can watch videos of machines flying way above the 400 foot ceiling that we are allotted for RC aircraft flight. You can see machines flying in restricted airspace, over crowds with no regard for public safety and even see them crashing into buildings and, sadly, people. How can the FAA not want to restrict this? The worst part is that these careless pilots represent such a small fraction of the RC community but they seem to be having the greatest impact. Due to the sensationalism of our media and the fact that negative actions make much better news than positive actions, the general public sees these machines, again focusing on the word DRONE, as a nuisance. They see them as invading privacy and being very dangerous. It’s sad that a hobby that has been around for decades, a hobby that has brought families closer together and that teaches valuable skills for children and adults alike, is all of a sudden in the limelight in such a negative way. While I could go on and on here, I simply don’t have the space. I do want to urge all of our readers to be safe, continue to abide by the rules outlined by the AMA as we have been for years, don’t take risks that will endanger people, property or the reputation of our great hobby, and most of all, spread the positive word about our hobby. If you are with your multirotor and someone comes by and calls it a drone and shares their negative impressions about what they think the machine is, take a few minutes and educate them. You will be surprised how easy it is to change someone’s way of thinking. I really want to hear your thoughts and comments. My direct email is erickr@maplegatemedia.com. Until next month… Erick Royer, Executive Editor erickr@maplegatemedia.com

8 MULTIROTOR PILOT

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 EDITORIAL Editor-In-Chief GREG VOGEL Executive Editor ERICK ROYER Associate Editor MATT MAZIARZ Associate Editor TONY PHALEN Technical Editor & Test Pilot JOE PAPA Creative Editor & Test Pilot PETR HEJL Copy Editors SIRI WHEELER, JENNIFER RUSSELL Editorial Coordinator CINDI VANDEMARK

CONTRIBUTORS JON R. BARNES, JOE CANNAVO, PETR HEJL, ERIC JORDAN, JOHN KOPEC, MATT MAZIARZ, JOE PAPA

ART/DESIGN Design Director ALAN PALERMO Art Director VICTORIA HOWELL Corporate Photographer WALTER SIDAS Staff Illustrator DAVID BAKER Web Developer and Design TONY PHALEN Web Content Manager JEFFREY WARNER

MARKETING Consumer Marketing Director NED BIXLER Marketing Manager SIRI WHEELER Hobby Shop Manager WHIT CAMPBELL

ADVERTISING Advertising Sales Manager RICHARD HAUPTNER Account Executive GREG SMITH Advertising Coordinator CINDI VANDERMARK

PRODUCTION Production Manager BOBBI-JO BALDWICK

PUBLISHING Publisher SHARON WARNER Associate Publisher NED BIXLER Editor-in-Chief GREG VOGEL Executive Assistant to Publisher SIRI WHEELER

CORPORATE CEO SHARON WARNER President & Chief Financial Officer ELLEN BALL Corporate Editorial Content Director GREG VOGEL

facebook.com/multirotorpilot

PRINTED IN THE USA

MULTIROTOR DIY by Erick Royer

DYI 3D Printing What would your dream multirotor look like?

In the first issue of MultiRotor Pilot magazine, I designed and 3D-printed an FPV quadcopter using an Ultimaker 2 3D printer. I made all of the files available for free to readers of the magazine and I have corresponded with many people who have printed and flown as well as modified the design to their liking. I was flattered by all of the positive emails I got, not only praising the design but also making suggestions as to how it can be improved. Unfortunately, with my workload here at the magazine, I have not been able to design a new machine in time for this issue, but I spoke with the people at Ultimaker and we came up with an idea to collaboratively design a multirotor with our readers. Ultimaker manages a website called YouMagine.com where users share designs of all kinds of 3D printed parts. Our final design is available on their website as well as on our magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. To make this happen we are going to host a forum which you can visit at ultimo.kr/MultiRotor and share your ideas as to what you think would make the ultimate multirotor machine that anyone can print on a 3D printer. There is a lot to consider with a project like this, from what type 10 MULTIROTOR PILOT

of machine (quad, hex, octo) to how large it should be. We need to understand the limits of most hobby 3D printers on the market and keep the largest parts within their capabilities. Designing a machine where you need to hire a professional 3D print house to print defeats the purpose of this project. We also have to consider the motors, speed controls and props that this machine will require. I envision that this will be a machine that can use inexpensive components. I obtained the components for my FPV Quad from HobbyKing, as they oďŹ&#x20AC;er a ton of motors, ESCs, props and controllers. It would be great to design a machine that not only performs well but is inexpensive to build. If you would like to be involved in this project, please visit ultimo.kr/MultiRotor and post your ideas. We will close the thread in the forum on September 15th and begin to compile all of the comments to come up with the design, at which point we will be looking for help from anyone who has CAD experience that would like to assist with the parts designs. If you have any questions or comments on this project, you can contact me directly at erickr@maplegatemedia.com. We look forward to working as a team to create the Ulti-Multirotor! =

MULTIROTOR PILOT

FIRST LOOK

By Joe Cannavo Photos Walter Sidas

ARES

Ethos FPV

Finally a real, affordable FPV multirotor

It was only a matter of time before a manufacturer came to market with a sub-$300 FPV quad that oﬀered live video transmission to a real monitor rather than via WiFi to a cell phone. It is a happy day as I write this because I have been looking and waiting for such a machine for over a year now. There is no shortage of micro quads that have on-board cameras; however none of them transmit live video to the pilot. Other popular machines are much more expensive and they rely on a proprietary WiFi signal to transmit video back to a cell phone or other mobile device to view live video

which, at best, still has some amount of latency. Leave it to Firelands to launch the new Ares Ethos FPV quadcopter last month at the annual Hobby Town USA show. This is the machine that I

SPECS LENGTH: 11.5 in. (292.1mm) LENGTH INCLUDING ROTORS: 18.75 in. (476mm) HEIGHT: 5 in. (127mm) ROTOR DIAMETER: 7.75 in. (196mm) WEIGHT WITH BATTERY: 11 oz. MOTORS: (4) 350-size brushed BATTERY: 2S 7.4V 1200mAh LiPo CHARGER: 2S 600mAh AC TRANSMITTER: 2.4GHz 4-channel with two channels for camera operation LCD SCREEN: 4.5 in. LCD SD CARD: 4GB ON-BOARD ELECTRONICS: 5-in-1 control board CAMERA PHOTO RESOLUTION: 1600 x 1200 JPEG AVI VIDEO RESOLUTION: 720p at 30fps

12 MULTIROTOR PILOT

have been waiting for, not because I have a lack of higher end aerial video systems, but because there are so many times where I just want to get some video, either in a location that might put a more expensive machine at risk or where I simply don’t want to lug a bigger machine out with all the support equipment. The Ares Ethos FPV fills a void in the market and from our first looks, it seems like it will do an excellent job. As I write this, the machine just came to our oﬃce and because of our printer’s deadline, we did not have enough time to fully test and review it. But

Above: The Ethos FPV quad is powered by four 350-size motors and the shafts are supported by ball bearings. Right: The camera mount is dampened to reduce the jello effect in the recorded video.

rather than wait until next issue, I decided to give you a first look at this cool FPV quad and will oďŹ&#x20AC;er a full review in the next issue. The Ethos FPV comes in two versions; RTF (ready to fly) and WOT (without transmitter). The pre-release sample we got to test was the RTF version. It comes complete with everything you need to get recording from the air right away, including the charger, battery, 6-channel transmitter and the FPV monitor. The copter itself is a very good size, measuring 18.75 inches including the rotors, which make it perfect for flying outdoors on calm-wind days. The larger size also makes it easier to see when flying farther away from you. The heart of the Ethos FPV is, of course, the camera, monitor and real-time live video transmission system. The camera module has the video transmitter built into the unit which transmits to the 4.5-inch LCD monitor with a self-contained video receiver. The camera itself records video to an included 4GB microSD card at a resolution of 720p at 30fps. It will also take stills at 1600x1200 pixels in JPEG file format. The camera controls can be operated from the transmitter as well. At first glance the new Ares Ethos FPV quadcopter looks to be a very capable FPV and aerial video platform and with a price of less than $300, there is a lot of value in this machine as well. Look for our full review in the next issue. AvailabiltyMid-September 2014. = CONTACTS ARES ares-rc.com HOBBY TOWN USA hobbytown.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 13

by Bob Alberding (Foreword by Matt Maziarz) Photos by Bob Alberding

A different view of the hobby

MULTIROTORS TO THE RESCUE! FOREWORD Whether you’re into the multirotor side of RC aircraft or not, the sensationalized news stories regarding the machines are hard to miss these days. Tall tales of evil “drones” piloted by unscrupulous folks who have nothing but the most malicious intentions can easily, and often, be found in all types of media coverage. The fact of the ma er is that very few of us, if any at all, actually have plans to use our multirotors for anything illegal. Such negative connotations regarding the camera-carrying rigs in the sky is a direct result of exaggeration that is amplified to garner a ention in order to gain more readers or viewers. Fear of the unknown is also a key selling point for all the “drone” stories on the web and on TV nowadays. Privacy is the driving factor when adding a high-definition camera to a stable aerial platform, but it makes one wonder why the folks who are determined to deem our multirotors as illegal and have them banned altogether seem to be quite comfortable with the thousands of cameras that they are surrounded by every day. Whether it’s the cell phone in just about anyone’s pocket that’s 16 MULTIROTOR PILOT

equipped with the latest HD camera, traﬃc cams mounted on stop lights, ceiling-mounted dome cameras in your local department store or even the obligatory tourist with their new hundred-mega-pixel SLR camera strapped around their neck, cameras are everywhere, regardless of what hobby-grade machines might be carrying in our skies. With so much negative a ention given to these camera rigs, we here at MultiRotor Pilot magazine felt it was our duty to bring some “feel good” type stories to the forefront in order to dispel some of the myths, while highlighting the positive influence that these machines can have in our society. The following is a piece wri en by RC helicopter and multirotor enthusiast, Bob Alberding. A resident of coastal New Jersey, he witnessed first-hand the devastation to his town and state after the onslaught of flooding and wind damage brought on by Superstorm Sandy. Following the storm, he felt he had a moral obligation to his neighbors and local residents to put his flying skills to good use and to do his part to help out wherever and however he could.

My name is Bob Alberding. I am 34 years old and a single father of two kids, my son Aaron who is 10 and my daughter Payton who is eight. I was born and raised in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, and I now live close by in Bricktown. I have been in the hobby for about four years now, having started oﬀ with RC helicopters. I quickly became addicted to flying 3D and I picked up on it rather quickly. In October of 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the Jersey Shore and we were devastated. My kids, who live with their mother a few days out of the week, had six feet of water flow through the downstairs of their house along with many neighbors, some of whom lost everything. On social media, there were many pictures of storm damage posted by many folks, but the aerial shots were the ones that gave residents the full scope of the devastation and impact of the storm. Most of them were from full-scale planes and helicopters, but

there was one that I came across from a local guy using a multirotor. I was hoping to see more pictures than the few that he had posted, but was unsuccessful at finding any more. Around this time, I was a 3D heli pilot and had li le to no interest in multirotors, but the recent events and resulting damage made me rethink the purpose and validity of camera-carrying platforms. At this point, I wanted to get some pictures of my hometown and others, so I started save to get my own multirotor. I am a rep at Heliproz so I contacted them to see what sort of airframe they might recommend to suit my needs. They suggested the DJI f550 since I mentioned that I wanted to eventually carry a slightly bigger camera than a GoPro. I started out with a DJI f550 with a cheap 2-axis servo-driven scorpion gimbal to carry a GoPro Hero3 black edition, both controlled by an original Naza M unit with GPS. I also got a set of carbon fiber

The Army Corps of Engineers, NY District, performing a muchneeded beach replenishment on the coastline of New Jersey. The Corps used Bob’s photos and videos for before and after reference.

landing gear from Multirotor Solutions and a VTX and monitor from Ready Made RC so I could frame up my shots more efficiently. After my initial flights, I purchased a Sony Nex 5N and an ASP 2-axis brushless gimbal from RC Timer, which made the poor GoPro start to collect dust since the quality of the photos with the Sony were amazing. By January of 2013, I was in the air ge ing some storm damage pictures with the GoPro. Though my initial flights were made a good few months removed from the date of the storm, the damage that had been caused was still readily apparent as many properties had not yet been surveyed. Even to this day, the changes in the landscape of the environment as well as structures are still obvious. I began posting my pics and footage on Facebook (facebook.com/ remotecontrolaerialphotography) and NJHeliPhoto.com to share my photos with locals and also people who were out of state who had lived here, have summer homes here or just vacation here. The Facebook page soon gained a lot of a ention and my photos started being shared all over the web. I would get emails asking me to take pictures of different towns as people wanted to see what the damage had looked like, and even from people who wanted to see if their property was still intact since they were out-of-state. Everything I was doing was on a volunteer basis and I was happy to do it. There was such a sense of community here after the storm that I hope will remain, which is why I was more than happy to volunteer my time and efforts to such a cause. Neighbors were helping neighbors in any way they could and this was a small way I could give back. I began sending my photos to townships of the beach areas that sustained the most damage. They were very appreciative since this was not only a great perspective, but it was a free source of documentation of the damage that would be able to be used for insurance

A local attraction for many years, the Jet Star roller coaster in Seaside Heights, NJ, fell victim to the powerful storm surge of Hurricane Sandy. A boat that had been displaced by the storm sits near the banks of the Toms River. The fuel spill emanating from the boat was readily apparent in the photo and prompted the town officials to call on the DEEP to safely remedy the situation.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

MULTIROTORS TO THE RESCUE! Below left: The Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, works to rebuild a jetty in Island Beach State Park. Below right: An aerial shot of the extensive damage caused by the boardwalk fire in Seaside Heights, NJ. The blaze was started by electrical wires that had been corroded by the flood waters resulting from the storm surge.

or state and federal aid applications, not to mention for future historical reference. One of my encounters was with the Army Corps of Engineers, who happened to be performing much-needed beach replenishment work in many of the shore towns. While shooting pictures one day, I was near where they were working and I decided to get some photos and video of their work. I kept a safe distance, as I always do, and then shared my work with the Army Corps on their Facebook page. They were very excited to see this technology used for this purpose and were blown away with the endless uses they could think of for it. They asked permission to use my work at town meetings where my photos and video really show exactly what the process is for the sand pumping and beach fill. Additionally, I felt this was a great benefit to the locals because they could gain a be er understanding of the process and maybe dispel some of the misconceptions that people had about the work. Because of the massive amount of recovery work that was and still is needed here, I have begun to develop a close relationship with the Army Corps and I am more than willing to continue to work with them on other projects and volunteer as much as my work schedule allows for it. One thing I would like to stress is that I am very safe with where I fly and the timing of it. I never fly on a crowded beach as most of my flights were conducted during the colder months when the beaches have very few people on them. I also fly with a spo er as much as possible and only fly over public land when I have permission from the property owner or oﬃcials entrusted with those particular parcels of land. I am constantly checking my equipment for any signs of wear and I replace

18 MULTIROTOR PILOT

the parts when needed, even if there is a slight concern about something. For the past year I have been a part of a group called RCFLI.org as their safety coordinator, where we volunteer our time and resources to the hobby. Remote Control Flight Leadership Initiative (RCFLI) is a nationwide, community-based non-profit organization that supports RC hobbyists. We advocate through political process, public outreach and education to assure the continued use of airspace to safely operate remote control aircraft with and without image capabilities. RCFLI expects to carry out public education by identifying individual hobbyists interested in investing their time to spread the word about hobby safety, privacy and fun both locally and sometimes regionally. We believe that on-the-ground advocacy, face-to-face interaction and the eﬀorts of many translates into increasing the number of hobbyists. Additionally, becoming recognized in the community as a hobbyist adds a more personal, human element to the hobby and helps those that are not in the know that the tools of our hobby are being used in a safe, respectful and altruistic manner. We welcome people to join our group as well and to do whatever they can to contribute to our cause. This could be something as li le as doing a demonstration for interested parties or as much as ge ing involved in the political process at a local or state level. Here are a couple quotes from people for whom I have volunteered my time and pictures: “Bob Alberding has been a valuable resource to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District. He has taken aerial photos of ongoing repair work at the Barnegat Inlet north je y. We use the images for a variety of purposes including sharing with stakeholders, historical

reference and viewing progress.”—Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District “The Township of Toms River is extremely grateful for the help that Bob Alberding has provided to our residents. His aerial photos literally gave us a bird’s eye view of the extent of the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy. The Ortley Beach section of Toms River was known as ‘Ground Zero’ and was the epicenter of the storm in New Jersey. It would have been nearly impossible to survey the extent of the damage with just drive-by’s, so the Township is very appreciative of his photographic evidence. In addition, the aerial footage, which was posted on our Township website, helped residents not only see the latest ‘before and after’ photos, but it helped to relay evidence to insurance investigators who work out of state. We hope to use Mr. Alberding’s work again when the Army Corps of Engineers replenishes our beaches in the fall of 2014. We will use the upcoming photos as a tool to showcase the new and extended beaches that we hope to have in Toms River.”—Oﬃcial from the Mayor’s oﬃce of Toms River, NJ “Mr. Alberding’s aerial photos and videos of the Corps’ ongoing beach replenishment work in New Jersey have provided a unique perspective of the major projects going on to restore coastal storm risk management and erosion control projects after Hurricane Sandy. The imagery gives stakeholders a unique perspective of these large-scale ongoing projects on their beaches that they don’t get when they are seeing these projects while walking along the beach, and because of that have been very popular with local residents and personnel here at the Corps.”—Army Corps of Engineers, NY District =

PILOT REVIEW by Joe Cannavo

350 QX2 BLADE

AP COMBO

By Horizon Hobby

Live the aerial video experience

» NEED TO KNOW MANUFACTURER: Blace TYPE: All-in-one aerial video quadcopter FOR: Beginner to advanced pilots MINIMUM FLYING AREA: Baseball field PRICE: $899.99 NEEDED TO COMPLETE: MicroSD memory card for the camera and an iOS or Android-compatible device for FPV use.

20 MULTIROTOR PILOT

Author’s Opinion Having flown the Blade 350 QX for a long time now, it has become one of my favorite quads and I use it for GoPro stills and also for FPV flying. I have tried to put a few gimbals on it but they never really worked very well. The 350 QX2 has all the same excellent flying qualities of the 350 QX and the new 2-axis gimbal and the included C-Go 1 camera provide excellent video quality that rivals other “popular” action cams.

PROS

Two-axis brushless gimbal provided very stable and steady video even when the wind was blowing the copter around a bit

The included C-Go 1 camera offers full 1080p/30fps video quality

Comes with an integrated 5.8GHz video downlink to supported devices (iPhone/ Android phones; requires downloading a free app)

3S 3000mAh LiPo is included for longer flight times

Has improved receiver with external antenna and improved GPS over the original 350 QX

Includes a visual compass error detection

Works with all Spektrum transmitters

CONS

Can’t use the optional camera tilt feature with the included 4-channel radio; need a Spektrum 6 or greater channel radio; I tested with great results on a Spektrum DX9

Can’t use an external monitor for FPV; only works through the free app via Wi-Fi net work that it creates

Slight latency (delay) in video on the app’s screen

FPV with iPhone cuts out at 200-250 feet away from pilot

It is no secret that the main reason that people buy multirotor machines is to take either aerial video or photographs, capturing images like never before. Having been working closely with the team on our new MultiRotor Pilot magazine, I have seen some preĴy amazing aerial video machines that can cost up to $10,000 or more. I personally love my Blade 350 QX, which started as a V1 and I upgraded the software to the new V2 version. I have used my 350 QX for taking GoPro stills and for flying FPV with FatShark video goggles, but I was never that impressed with the video quality because there is no stabilization for the camera other than the four rubber dampeners. Earlier this year, Blade announced that the new 350 QX2 was going to be released by summer 2014. That machine immediately went to the top of my “want” list and when it came up for review, I begged to do it.

WHAT MAKES THE AP COMBO The AP Combo includes the new C-Go 1 1080p HD action camera, GB200 brushless gimbal and a free app that you can download for your compatible Android or iOS device. This system allows you to not only view a live stream of your video in real time, but it allows you to control the camera’s functions (photo/ video), record (stop/start) and shutter for still photos, as well as viewing and transferring files from the camera to your device after the flight. You can adjust the camera’s contrast, brightness, sharpness and saturation settings from the app as well and you can also monitor the SD card’s capacity (memory remaining) along with the camera’s battery life from the app. When you power on the camera, it creates a 5.8GHz Wi-Fi network that you need to connect to in order to use the app. Once connected, you can launch the app and you will see a live video feed from the camera. The camera will record full 1080p HD video to the optional microSD video card and it transmits 720p HD video to your device for FPV (first person view). A mount is included to attach your device to the transmitter so you can easily view the screen while flying. The camera itself is slightly larger physically than a GoPro Hero3 but it is a hair lighter. The GB200 brushless gimbal is designed with a mount that is specifically made for the C-Go 1 camera. There are plans to introduce a GoPro Hero3 mount for this gimbal as well. The gimbal operates independently of the 350 QX2, only obtaining power from a small cable that connects to the gimbal controller. There is an option to allow remote control of the camera’s tilt but it requires a Spektrum transmitter with an addition channel. When using this feature, the cable is moved to the center plug on the controller and the signal from the receiver channel is passed along, as well as the power to the gimbal. I used a Spektrum DX9 to fly the 350 QX2 so I could assign the tilt control to the right rear slider and it worked excellent.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 21

The Blade 350 QX2 AP Combo comes as a ready-to-fly (RTF) package which includes the 350 QX2, C-Go 1 1080p HD camera, 2-axis brushless gimbal, Spektrum DX4 transmiĴer, 3S 3000mAh LiPo baĴery, AC/DC charger, and four “AA” baĴeries for the transmitter. The only thing you need to provide is an iOS or Android-compatible device for FPV use and a microSD memory card to record video. There is some minor assembly despite the box saying none is required. The gimbal has to be aĴached to the copter using the four supplied screws and the Allen wrench that is also supplied. The FPV device mount also has to be aĴached to the transmiĴer to hold your phone. It takes a maĴer of minutes and you are ready to start recording some amazing aerial HD video. The Blade 350 QX came with a 3S 2200mAh LiPo baĴery which gave about 10 minutes of flight time. With the added weight of the camera and gimbal, the 350 QX2 comes with a 3S 3000mAh LiPo which provides around the same flight time. An AC/DC charger is included, which will recharge the baĴery in an hour or less. PACKED WITH FEATURES

IN THE AIR I’ve been flying a Blade 350 QX with the new Firmware 2.0 for a while now, so I have nothing but great things to say about the stability, performance and GPS capabilities of this machine. With that in mind, I had no concerns, fears or nervousness when I took the 350 QX2 up for the first time. Before takeoff I turned on the camera, attached my iPhone 5 to it and launched the app. After confirming that I had a live video feed, I powered on the 350 QX2 and waited for it to initialize and find GPS signal. Once I had a solid LED, I powered up the motors and took flight. The QX2 did feel slightly heavier than the 350 QX in flight, but that translated to a more stable feeling. I rocked the controls a lot to see the action of the brushless gimbal and no matter what I did, it kept that camera level, which was evident when watching the video on my phone. I did notice that there was some minor latency (delay) in the video, which is not unheard of with a Wi-Fi video link as opposed to a direct RF link. It was not anything that disrupted my experience since I was flying line-of-sight and merely using the screen to frame the shots I wanted. I took some time to experience each of the flight modes and each worked very well. The mode best suited for a beginner is the Smart Mode which gives you GPS/Altitude Hold, Safe Circle and Stick Relativity. As a more advanced multirotor pilot, this mode sometimes confuses me because if I move the stick, I expect the machine to move in the direction that I tell it and not in relation to myself. But I do find this mode invaluable, even as an advanced pilot, because if you lose orientation or fly too far away, pulling the right stick back will bring the 350 QX2 back to you no matter the orientation. Furthermore, if you have to shoot panning shots while moving in one direction, the mode is also a necessity as you can continually pan the copter while moving the right stick and it will rotate and move in the direction you command. This is very difficult to do in a normal flight mode as it requires a lot of coordination. Stability Mode is one that I use on my 350 QX when flying FPV with video goggles as it gives me self-leveling and optional GPS hold which comes in handy if I get disoriented. I can simply let go of the sticks and it will remain in a stable hover at the current altitude, which gives me a minute to get my bearings. The new mode, and one I was most anxious to use, is the Aerial Photography mode. This allows the 350 QX2 to remain locked into any position you put it while the controls are held in neutral and it works very well. It allows you to get the copter in position and then monitor the video on your device and make minor adjustments to obtain the perfect shots. The last, and in my opinion, one of the most useful features of any GPS-enabled multirotor is Return Home. In the event something happens and you lose orientation you can simply flip a switch and the 350 QX2 will automatically return to where it took off and land itself. I have tried this feature many times and every time it works perfectly, landing no more than a foot or two from where it took off. 22 MULTIROTOR PILOT

I remember thinking about how amazing the features of the original Blade 350 QX were, but the new QX2 has dramatically improved on its feature list. Like its predecessor, the heart of what makes it so great is the Blade SAFE (Sensor Assisted Flight

We Used TRANSMITTER Spektrum DX9 (SPMR9900)

SPECS LENGTH: 18.3 in. (465mm) WIDTH: 18.3 in. (465mm) HEIGHT: 7.5 in. (190mm) MAIN ROTOR DIAMETER: 22.8 in. (580mm) MAIN ROTOR BLADE LENGTH: 8.27 in. (210mm) FLYING WEIGHT: 35.5 oz. RADIO: Includes Spektrum DX4 DSMX 4-channel radio; requires an additional channel to use optional camera pitch control; used Spektrum DX9 to test this MOTORS: (4) 1100kV brushless outrunners ESCS: (4) 10A brushless DURATION: 10-12 minutes BATTERY: 11.1V 3S 3000mAh 30C LiPo (included) CAMERA: C-GO 1 1080p HD GIMBAL: GB200 2-axis brushless gimbal FPV PROTOCOL: Digital 5.8GHz Wi-Fi network FPV DISTANCE: Android-based phones: 300 meters; iPhone: 70 meters

C-GO 1 CAMERA SPECS HEIGHT: 1.72 in. (43.8mm) LENGTH: 2.52 in. (64.1mm) WIDTH: 1.76 in. (44.6mm) WEIGHT: 2.65 oz. (75 grams) OPERATING ENVIRONMENT TEMPERATURE: 14° to 122° F (-10° to 50° C) WORKING TIME: 60 - 90 minutes (depending on Wi-Fi usage) OPTICAL ZOOM: Fixed focus APERTURE: F2.8/F3.0 FIELD OF VIEW: (FOV) 120° SENSOR SIZE: CMOS 1/2.7 in. HD RECORDING: 1080p, 30fps VIDEO FORMAT: AVI (H.264) PHOTO FORMAT: JPEG AUDIO FORMAT: AAC PIC RESOLUTION: 1920x1080 DOWNLINK RESOLUTION: D1 720X480/30p STORAGE PORT: microSD (up to 16GB supported)

starting procedure and it oﬀers improved GPS performance. It also now includes visual compass error detection; the onboard LED now flashes orange if the sensor detects a magnet or metal object nearby. The QX2 oﬀers multiple flight modes so you can fly with the level of protection and assistance that best matches your flight conditions. There are seven main features that I will outline that make the Blade 350 QX2 an even more amazing machine. SMART MODE (GREEN LED)

While in Smart Mode, SAFE technology prevents the 350 QX2 from pitching or rolling past a certain angle, thus making it very diﬃcult for the pilot to over-control the aircraft, even with full stick deflection applied. The 350 QX2 will also return to a stable and level hover as soon as you return the sticks to the center position. GPS/A itude Hold, SAFE Circle and Stick Relativity are all available in this mode. STABILITY MODE (BLUE LED)

In Stability Mode, the 350 QX2 will have a very limited flight envelope with selfleveling capability for consistent level flight and optional GPS Hold. This mode is the best choice for capturing video as the QX2 will fly smoothly, and when GPS Hold is enabled, it will remain in a fixed position in space while the video records. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY MODE (PURPLE LED)

The new Aerial Photography Mode keeps the 350 QX2 AP in a steady hover and locked into position while the controls are held at neutral which is ideal for photo and video capture. SAFE CIRCLE

Envelope) technology. SAFE is a revolutionary electronic flight envelope protection system that oﬀers smoother flight capabilities, which makes flying in windy conditions much easier. Some hardware and software improvements were made, including the addition of an updated receiver with an external antenna. The QX2 features firmware 2.0, adds a new flight mode and a refined

While in Smart Mode, the 350 QX2 will oﬀer the pilot protection in the form of a 30-footdiameter invisible barrier called SAFE Circle. When activated the 350 QX2 will not enter this airspace, thus preventing pilots from flying too close to themselves.

novice pilots. When activated, as you move the cyclic stick to the left or right, the 350 QX2 will move left or right relative to the pilot regardless of which way the machine is pointing. GPS AND ALTIMETER TECHNOLOGY

The integrated GPS and Altimeter sensors are designed to keep the 350 QX2 in a stable hover position regardless of wind conditions as long as the controls are held at neutral. Once activated, you can concentrate on panning the 350 QX2 or slightly moving it for seamless video capture. RETURN HOME

With the flip of a switch on the transmi er and no stick input from the pilot, the 350 QX2 will automatically return to the position where its motors started for that particular flight. THE LAST WORD

The Blade 350 QX is an excellent multirotor platform to begin with but the new 350 QX2 AP Combo takes this machine to a whole new level. The 2-axis gimbal and new C-Go 1 1080p HD camera make this the perfect entry-level aerial video ship. It is also a great machine for professional aerial video experts that need a smaller system to get aerial video in tighter spaces. The 350 QX2 is easy to fly with solid performance. The camera oﬀers very good quality as well and, coupled with the gimbal, you can count on very stable video. =

STICK RELATIVITY

CONTACTS BLADE bladehelis.com, (217) 352-1913 HORIZON HOBBY horizonhobby.com, (217) 352-1913 SPEKTRUM spektrumrc.com, (217) 352-1913

This is a very unique feature which is incredibly helpful, especially with

For more information, please see our source guide on page 89. MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 23

PRODUCT REVIEW by Erick Royer

Sadly, in the world of GPS-enabled flight controllers, there are not too many options on the market. You can either go with a common DJI controller like the Naza, Wookong or A2, or you can go more of the DIY route and look at a MultiWii or Ardupilot system; both of which are not plug-and-play and require some effort to properly set up and tune on your end. I have been tirelessly looking for other alternatives for GPS flight controllers, which led me to the X Aircraft product line, distributed by X Aircraft America. They offer the Super X Flight Controller, which at first glance resembled the DJI A2 with its machined billet aluminum case and I assumed it carried the A2’s high price as well. But the more I researched, I found that they offer three versions of the Super X, which range from $399 to $599. The hardware for each version is exactly the same; however different multirotor configurations are unlocked from the firmware to match your specific machine. The $399 version gives you quadcopter configurations of both X and + styles. For $499, you get the quads with the addition of hexcopters in both X and Y6 styles. The $599 version gives you everything plus octocopters in X and X8 styles. It is important to note that at any time, you can upgrade from one version to the next by visiting the X Aircraft America website.

There’s a new flight controller on the block!

X AIRCRAFT

SUPER X With OSD and 2-Axis Gimbal 24 MULTIROTOR PILOT

FLIGHT CONTROLLER

FEATURES

Supports three flight modes: Manual, Attitude and GPS Attitude.

Height (Altitude) hold. Safe Mode options: return to home and auto-landing. Built-in compensation signal outputs for bi-axial gimbal (roll and tilt axis). Built-in green software for configuration (no need to install any drivers or software). X Aircraft OSD and Stella Brushless Gimbal integrate directly into the controller. Machined billet aluminum cases.

Fast and easy setup–go from box to air in a matter of minutes. Three high-precision industrial-grade gyros. Three-axis accelerometer sensor. High-precision barometer. Built-in Thermostatic system to ensure that the sensors are working optimally. Built-in micro USB port for tuning settings and upgrading firmware.

SPECS

HOVER PRECISION: Vertical: +/- 1m; Horizontal: +/- 2m WIND RESISTANCE ABILITY: <8m/s (17.9 mph) MAX YAW SPEED: 200 deg/sec MAX INCLINATION ANGLE: 35 deg MAX VERTICAL SPEED: 6 m/sec REMOTE CONTROLLER: S.Bus, PCM or at least 5 traditional channels OS REQUIREMENTS: Windows only

FLIGHT CONTROLLER INPUT VOLTAGE: 5.7-6V WEIGHT: 65g DIMENSIONS: 42.1x34.2x27.9mm

GPS MODULE WEIGHT: 58g DIMENSIONS: 74.4mm diameter, 11.35mm high

IO MODULE INPUT VOLTAGE: 11.1V – 28V (3S to 6S LiPo) WEIGHT: 35g DIMENSIONS: 16.9x12.11x7mm

» NEED TO KNOW MANUFACTURER: X Aircraft DISTRIBUTOR: X Aircraft America TYPE: GPS-enabled flight controller PRICE: $399 (Quad X and +); $499 (Hexa X and Y6); $599 (Octo X and X8); Stella 2-Axis Brushless Gimbal: $295.00; OSD: $169.00

Photos By Daniel Royer and Joe Papa

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

ing on each channel as it is done automatically by the Super X. Fast alter the flight mode switch again and push both sticks to the upper right position. Keep both sticks in that position and then fast alter the switch one last time. Cycle the power and you are done. While this might sound like a lot, the whole process takes less than five minutes to complete and everything is automatically configured by the Super X. The only se ing you need to make is to choose the airframe style. FLYING THE SUPER X

Prior to take off, it is important to ensure that the Super X has a solid GPS home lock, which can take a minute or two to obtain depending on your location. To power up the motors, you need to push both sticks down and to the inside of the controller or down and to the outside. If you don’t move the throttle stick within three seconds of powering on the motors, they will turn off for safety. After your flight, when you land the copter and reduce the throttle stick all the way, the motors will immediately stop. The motors will also stop when the copter is in the air and you reduce the throttle all the way to zero and leave it there for three seconds. You might do this if you had some sort of recovery system, like a parachute, but it is unlikely you will experience this. The Super X has an auto take-off feature that will automatically take off and hold hover the machine at about six feet altitude by simply advancing the throttle to center stick. When in anything other than manual, centering the throttle stick will activate height hold and keep the copter at the altitude it is at, whether hovering or in motion. You can adjust the gain via a knob on your transmitter to fine-tune its performance based on payload or wind conditions. To further tune the models gain, you can reconnect it to your computer and enter the config software again. You can independently adjust the roll, pitch, yaw and height gains via the software. I used a Sky-Hero Spy in the Y6 configuration for my testing. I had the Stella Gimbal and OSD also installed on this machine. I was amazed at how stable the Super X held the machine in GPS mode. It was much better than the Naza I had installed previously. I tried both attitude and GPS modes and the performance of both was outstanding and exceeded my expectations. One of the first things I test with a GPS controller is the failsafe mode. I want to know that it will work as expected in the event I have a problem or lose orientation. The Super X supports four types of Safe Modes (which are configured in the software); return to home and land (tail in), return to home and land (nose in), hovering at a predefined altitude and landing in place. Other than selecting which mode you want, the only other parameter is to define the height of the model during safe mode. I flew about

200 feet away and switched to safe mode and the model began to fly back to the starting location quickly and as it got closer, it slowed down and began to descend, coming to a rest exactly nine inches from where I took off. Impressive! SUPER X BLACK BOX

One really cool feature of the Super X is that it stores a flight data log onboard that can be uploaded to their Black Box site online for analyzing. You can store up to 40 minutes of flight data at a time. If you don’t download it then subsequent flights will simply overwrite the data. Once you upload the log file to Black Box, you have the ability to play back your flight, which it overlays the flight path over Google Earth. You can analyze data such as copter a itude, altitude, position and movement, radio inputs and motor outputs. This data can be used to make sure all motors and ESCs are performing optimally. ARE THERE ANY CONS?

I did not have a lot of cons that I could report about this product or the OSD and gimbal either for that ma er. One thing that the Super X does not oﬀer that other controllers do is intelligent orientation control, where the control inputs are relative to your position as the pilot and not to the copter’s position in space. These modes can be useful when shooting continuous panning shots while moving the copter away or towards yourself. They also come in handy in safely landing a hex or octocopter in the event of a motor failure. It is not a huge con, but if you are used to those features then you might find yourself missing them with the Super X. As of this printing there is no ground station or waypoint programming option but according to their website, these are features that are in development. THE LAST WORD

I set out to find a flight controller that performed as well as or be er than the DJI solutions without the complexity of the open source solutions and what I found was a flight controller that is superior in many ways. If I were to compare it to a DJI controller, I would say that it is much be er than the Naza and every bit as good as the Wookong at less than half the cost. The performance and ease of setup can have even novice multirotor pilots flying successfully in a very short time. When you combine the Super X with the Stella Gimbal and OSD, you have a very capable high end system for professional video work. = CONTACTS GOPRO gopro.com SKY-HERO kdsmodelsusa.com X AIRCRAFT xaircraftamerica.com For more information, please see the source guide on page 89.

OSD FEATURES

Provides information on:

•Your ground speed •Vertical speed •Horizontal speed •Battery voltage •Flight time •Heading •Height •Direction to Home •Number of satellites

Easily connects to your video camera and transmitter Integrates directly to the Super X flight controller and Stella 2-Axis Brushless Gimbal

If you are looking for the best FPV experience then you need an OSD (On Screen Display), as it provides you with valuable flight data in real time on your video monitor. If you are using your copter to shoot video then the two main features that you will rely on are your battery voltage monitor (2) and the low battery alarm (8). Since multirotors do not glide very well, it is very important to know the status of your battery at all times. The flight mode indicator (4) will let you know which mode you are in (attitude, GPS, or manual). You can also see your throttle position (5). This is important because at 50 percent throttle, the Super X Flight Controller will keep the copter locked in at the altitude that it resides (altitude hold). If you switch to safe mode, a message will flash on the screen (9). If you are flying full FPV (non-line of site) via a monitor or video goggles, then you will find the rest of the data invaluable. The horizontal line (6) will let you know the attitude of your aircraft with relation to the horizon, while the pitch indicator (7) will let you know if the aircraft is ascending or descending. This can also be monitored by the horizontal velocity (3) and vertical velocity (13). The most important pieces of data on the screen for FPV flying are horizontal distance from home (11), vertical distance from home (12) and heading in relation to the takeoff point (10). The OSD will also let you know how many satellites it is connected to (1) and the video channel that you are using (14). The X Aircraft is a very robust OSD and when coupled with the Super X and Stella gimbal or other video camera you will be able to fully immerse yourself in the FPV experience. MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

MULTIROTOR INTERVIEW by Petr Hejl of notadrone.com

Interview with

PETER SACHS “Drone” lawyer and pilot Peter Sachs was recently named as one of the eight most influential people in drones by industry-specialized website dronedefinition.com, earning himself a spot with the likes of Brendan Schulman (attorney and hobby advocate), Jeﬀ Bezos (CEO, amazon.com), Nick Woodman (CEO, GoPro), and Michael Huerta (Administrator, FAA). Peter is a Connecticut-based attorney, private investigator, photographer, volunteer firefighter, FAA-licensed commercial helicopter pilot. He is also an advanced ground school instructor and a long-time RC model aircraft and multirotor pilot. He is a vocal RC and UAV advocate and founder of Drone Pilot Association (DPA), an organization he created to represent the interests of UAV operators (dronepilotsassociation.com). He is also the editor of dronelawjournal.com, a website about RC & UAV legal news and information and helps keep the community up-to-date via Twitter and Facebook forums. He actively participates in debates about UAV regulations at the state and federal levels. MULTIROTOR PILOT MAGAZINE: First things first…any RC magazine interview could not start with any other question than how did you get into the aerial RC hobbies? PETER SACHS: Full-size helicopters are far too expensive to rent, if you could even find a place to rent one. A drone costs pennies an hour to operate. So, my rotorcraft flying is now limited to drones. Incidentally, I only call them drones.

MPM: How does one become a “drone advocate,” and what drove and inspired you to do what you do for our community and hobby? PETER: Although the specific issue involves drones, the far larger issue is a federal government agency ignoring the dictates of Congress; lying and using intimidation tactics to enforce laws that do not exist. I have a strong distaste for government wrongdoing.

MPM: At times, you seem to taunt the FAA about their authority to regulate model aircraft and UAV operations. It seems like the FAA has managed, through its actions, to alienate the very people it should involve in the process of UAV integration. In your opinion, what should be the FAAs role in 30 MULTIROTOR PILOT

UAV regulation and what steps could they take to regain the trust of the industry? PETER: I do taunt the FAA and I do so for a reason. I, unlike others, have nothing to lose. Flying commercially is not my primary source of income. And I have no legal fees if the FAA were to come after me. My “in your face” method is designed to get the FAA’s attention and the attention of other drone pilots because I wanted the FAA to know that they are being watched and the other pilots to know that I’m willing to call the FAA to task. Lawyers typically represent clients, so they have to be careful about what they say. I never represent clients so I can speak my mind.

MPM: There have been numerous eﬀorts to enact state laws regulating the use of UAVs with diﬀering degrees of success. I recall the enjoyable day we spent at our state’s House of Representatives giving testimonies on our state’s first proposed bill. Do you think that the states should get involved in regulating UAVs by creating their own “drone laws” or should the regulation be handled only on federal level? PETER: States can only regulate the flight in two ways: They can regulate the flight oper-

ation of their own agencies and they can regulate where you can take oﬀ, land and where you may stand while flying. That’s it. All other aspects of flight fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the FAA.

MPM: There have been suggestions to create a regulatory agency dealing with robotics, which would also handle the UAV-related regulations. As worrisome as creating another regulatory body may be, do you think that such an agency may be better suited to deal with UAVs and any technologies that are likely to cause similar legal controversies in the future (self-driving cars for example)? PETER: I can’t speak for robotics, but insofar as drones are concerned, I think creating a new agency is not the answer. The FAA has shown it is not well-suited for the task, so it should be left to community-based organizations, as the FMRA (Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act) of 2012 requires.

MPM: The overall feel amongst the members of our community is that some regulation may be necessary and would be welcome if it fostered responsibility and provided

The overall feel amongst the members of our community is that some regulation may be necessary and would be welcome if it fostered responsibility and provided a way to license commercial use without unnecessary burdens on hobbyists and entrepreneurs.

a way to license commercial use without unnecessary burdens on hobbyists and entrepreneurs. In your opinion, what should a well-balanced set of regulations include? PETER: I think there should be no regulations at all for drones of a certain size. The FAA’s current proposals include even tiny 2-inch drones, which is ridiculous. For larger drones, I’m open to any regulatory scheme that is limited to ensuring safety. Regulations should not present any barriers to those who wish to use drones commercially, as the exchange of money has nothing to do with safety. Other non-hobbyist uses, such as conducting educational or scientific research, performing fire or police services or conducting search and rescue operations should not be hindered by burdensome regulations. Although most of what is found in Advisory Circular AC 91-57 makes sense, the usefulness of drones makes it silly to prevent them from being used only in “unpopulated” areas. The FAA’s recently proposed restrictions on FPV are also entirely nonsensical. There is no evidence whatsoever that flying FPV makes a flight inherently unsafe.

MPM: While there seems to be quite a few groups and organizations doing a pretty good job keeping the UAV community involved and informed, the industry as a whole seems to be too young for the real big leaders to emerge. Do you think any of the existing organizations have a potential to become a leader with a big enough membership base, a clear goal and resources to represent our community in regulatory process (state or federal) in the foreseeable future? Or will this still be left up to individuals and relatively small groups willing to invest their own time, energy and resources into advocating for our cause.

PETER: I just formed the Drone Pilots Association. Its goal is to represent the interests of all non-hobbyist drone pilots. We plan to oﬀer education and training, insurance and a legal services plan. The Association is brand new, but at the time of this interview has already garnered 1,000 members in its first two days of existence.

MPM: What is your advice to the newcomers into this hobby looking to stay up-to-date with the world of regulations and for guidance on safely operating their machines? PETER: There won’t be any for quite some time, aside from the new Interpretive Rule of June 25. At this point I would suggest following the various drone authorities on Twitter, news regarding regulations will “break” there first. There’s also my site, dronelawjournal.com, which addresses the current federal laws as it relates to drones. On Facebook, Drone Laws - by Brendan Schulman and UAV Legal News & Discussion are great groups to join the conversation with fellow operators. Even lacking current regulations, it’s not a bad idea to review the existing Federal Aviation Regulations that are available online.

MPM: What is your most rewarding or memorable experience with RC aircraft? PETER: My fire flight back in January 2014, where a large blaze erupted in a quarry that was laden with explosives. There was no safe way to send a human in to see how close the blaze was to the explosives, so I was asked to fly over the quarry to get a bird’s-eye view. It worked. The chief was able to see the entire scene on my monitor and determined the flames were still far enough away to send in the firefighters. That marked the first time ever that a

drone was used for decision-making at a fire scene.

MPM: There are many entrepreneurs hoping to turn the aerial videography into business, but some are afraid because of the uncertainty surrounding the regulations, some are doing it while trying to stay “below the radar” and some already registered their business, pay taxes, insured themselves and openly advertise their services. This may be a bit of a tricky question: As an aerial videographer yourself, what would you recommend that they do, given the current state of the industry and FAA’s attempts to regulate it? PETER: I would recommend they first obtain general aeronautical knowledge, including general weather and airspace knowledge. Then they should train and practice until they are confident they can operate their drone safely. After that, get insured, find clients and start flying. It’s my opinion (but not legal advice) that it is perfectly legal to do so. Of course, the FAA will tell you the exact opposite. List of resources to help you stay in touch with “drone laws” and the community: Websites: dronepilotsasssociation.com dronelawjournal.com Facebook: Drone Laws - Brendan Schulman UAV Legal News and Discussion Twitter: @dronelaws @TheDroneGuy =

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 31

PILOT PROJECT by Erick Royer

SPIDEX

3D PRINTED MICRO FPV Quadcopter 32 MULTIROTOR PILOT

3D printed, snap-together design

SPECS WIDTH: 7.5 in. LENGTH: 6.75 in. HEIGHT: 2.7 in. WEIGHT (READY TO FLY): 14.6 oz. MOTORS: RCX 1804-2400Kv (2 CW and 2 CCW) ESCS: (4) Lumenier 12A w/SimonK BATTERY: Turnigy 3S 1300mAh LiPo FLIGHT CONTROLLER: HP Heli Super Multirotor Controller RADIO: Spektrum DX9 transmitter with a Spektrum R5200 receiver PROPS: (4) 5x3 Gemfan FPV CAMERA: Fatshark 600TVL FPV TRANSMITTER: Fat Shark 250mW 5.8GHz VIDEO RECORDING CAMERA: Mobius Action Cam FPV VIEWER: Fatshark Attitude V2 FPV goggles

In the first issue of MultiRotor Pilot Magazine, I designed and built a foldable FPV quadcopter that was completely 3D printed. Since the magazine was published, I received emails from a lot of people who downloaded, printed and have flown my design with great success. Several other people also modified it and made enhancements which I took as a huge compliment…that someone took my design and ran with it to make it be er. In this issue I wanted to design another quad, a mini quad to be exact, and I have a very unique idea in mind, but what I did not have in my favor was time. Our ship date for this magazine was fast approaching and I was going to have to put oﬀ the project. Then I was speaking with a friend at Ultimaker, a leading 3D printer manufacturer in the Netherlands. Since I do a lot of printing with their machine, because it’s amazing, we thought it would be cool to feature a quadcopter that was made available on their website, youmagine.com, while we continued to work on the new custom quad for a future issue. After looking through the site, I se led on the Spidex Micro, which was originally designed by Quaternium located in Spain. The design was so popular that Quaternium made the files open-source so makers and hobbyists around the world could print the copter at will. 3D PRINTING

The Spidex Micro is a micro FPV quad that features a snap-together design requiring no hardware other than the screws to a ach the motors. The quad frame is comprised of eight parts, which are printed from five separate files. I decided to print this copter using PLA plastic because it is durable and stable enough to print the large, one-piece main frame without distorting or curling; a com-

mon problem with ABS. I chose hot pink and white filament for the model. Why these colors? October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I wanted to honor all of those women affected by the disease. The pink color is also very easy to see in flight, especially when the sun hits it. After downloading the files, I opened them in Replicator G software to center them in regards to the platform on the printer. I also used the program to mirror the left and right side frames, then I used Ultimaker’s Cura software to slice the file and get it ready for printing using Cura’s Quick Print “normal” se ing which worked out perfectly. For those of you who are using different software or a different printer, I would use the following se ings: Layer height: .02mm Shell thickness: .8mm Bo om/top layer thickness: 2mm Fill density: 100% Print speed: 80% Initial layer thickness: .2mm Temperature: I used 215 degrees C, but you might have to adjust depending on your filament and printer. The total print time for the frame parts was around 12 hours and I used roughly 12.28 meters of filament. The total weight of the frame was 81 grams. I printed the main frame bo om by itself and then I was able to arrange and print the remaining parts in one session. The Ultimaker 2 is a great printer for this project because it has a heated glass build bed that does not require any blue painters tape or other hacks to get the part to stick properly. Couple that with the high resolution of the printer and you end up with a very high-quality finished part. OUTFITTING THE SPIDEX MICRO

The original frame was designed for HobbyKing’s Multistar 1704-1900 motors, but they were out of stock and after having so much fun and enjoying the performance of the Lumenier QAV250 that we reviewed in the last issue, I contacted GetFPV.com to see what they recommended for this project. They supplied a set of RCX 1804-2400kV brushless outrunners (2 CW and 2 CCW) and a set of Lumenier 12A ESCs with SimonK firmware. These are very powerful and fast li le motors.

The Mobius Action Cam is used to record HD video while the Fatshark 600TVL is used for FPV.

I used my Ultimaker 2 3D Printer to print the parts .

I chose 5x3 Gemfan props, which seem to be the prop of choice for micro quads. The holes on the frame were not the same specifications for the RCX motors so I enlarged them with a Dremel tool and used washers on the screws. However, I have since modified the frame to reposition the holes properly for these motors. When it came to the flight controller, I wanted something inexpensive, but with good flight qualities. I was going to use a KK2 board from HobbyKing, but I recently test-flew an HPHeli F450 Quad that used the HP Heli Super Multirotor Controller and I thought it flew amazing, especially when you consider it costs around $35. It also comes in a plastic case and is about the size of an average receiver. I was trying to keep things light and space was limited on the quad. The setup and installation is easy, just connect the wires and adjust the dipswitches to assign your radio system and multirotor motor layout. The only other adjustment on the unit is a gain dial, which you can adjust to your liking. To control the Spidex Micro, I used a Spektrum DX9 transmi er with a Spektrum R5200 receiver. I love this receiver because it is small and the antennas are less than an inch long; again, I am tight on space on this copter. I used a couple diﬀerent ba eries including the Turnigy 3S 1300mAh LiPo and and ElectriFly 3S 1000mAh LiPo. While the Turnigy pack oﬀered a couple additional MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 33

PILOT PROJECT I SPIDEX MICRO FPV QUADCOPTER

RCX 1804-2400Kv motors with Lumenier 12A ESCs with SimonK firmware and GemFan 5x3 props to power the model. All components are available from GetFPV.com.

IN THE AIR

The unique snap-together design of this frame makes replacing parts quick and easy.

minutes of flight time, the Electrifly pack was lighter. Both baĴeries performed excellent. FPV SETUP

The original Spidex Micro was designed to incorporate a Mobius Action Cam as well as a separate FPV board camera. Normally, I would use a cable to send the video out from the Mobius to the video transmiĴer, but I actually prefer the FPV video quality of the Fatshark 600TVL camera to the Mobius. The exposure changes much more rapidly on the 600TVL. The camera, video transmiĴer and cables come with the Fatshark AĴitude V2 goggle set and everything is pre-terminated so it was quick to set up. The AĴitude V2 goggles are awesome and are only outperformed by the new Fatshark Dominator HD goggles. The video transmiĴer outputs 250mW, which is more than enough for a preĴy far reach with this micro quad. To power the FPV system, Fatshark comes with a balance tap board that allows you to plug the balance cable from the battery into the system to power it while the main power cable connects directly to the ESCs. ASSEMBLY

There is not a ton to say here as the frame literally snaps together. Once I mounted the motors with their included screws, I tested each ESC to make sure the motors were spinning in the proper direction and then soldered the ESC output wires to the motor leads. I did not use bullet connectors because I wanted to tuck the wires under the ESCs in the cavity in the frame. Since the tolerances of the props in relation to the frame 34 MULTIROTOR PILOT

I put a new microSD card in the Mobius camera and powered up the machine. I had a good clean FPV signal to the Attitudes. I started the Mobius recording and advanced the throttle. I did fly the first flight line of sight so I could make sure everything was okay. These motors with the Gemfan 5x3 props develop a lot of thrust. And to think I was worried about the machine being too heavy. These motors rocketed this 15-ounce quad around the sky like no tomorrow. It was extremely responsive and very nimble. There was some oscillation in the frame, which I later dialed out with the onboard gain adjustment. The first test was a complete success. It was time for FPV with goggles. For the next flight I used the Attitude V2s and went for a ride. I actually thought it was easier to control flying FPV. I attribute this to the fact that the model is so small that is can be hard to see what it is doing and anticipate its next move when flying line of sight. In FPV mode, you can see and feel every bump. It really ate up the sky quickly, like a little FPV rocket ship. Its small size allowed me to get into tight spaces that I could not do with a larger copter. After about seven minutes, I was losing power and it was time to land. My landing was a little harder than I expected and I thought for sure I cracked something, but when I inspected the quad, it was in perfect shape. The PLA plastic held up well.

are preĴy tight, I needed to make sure that all the wires were neatly and securely tucked away from the prop’s arc. I did have to print a liĴle tray for the flight controller to rest on because the main frame has provisions for a flight controller that would be screwed to the frame where the HPHeli one does not. I also needed to tuck the power wires under it. So I quickly designed a simple tray that screws to the existing holes and aĴached the flight controller using double-sided tape. Once the flight controller, ESCs and motors were secure, I snapped the rest of the frame together and aĴached the FPV gear and the Mobius. Everything fit as expected. There is not a lot of room on the frame, but the design accounts for all the equipment; everything has its place. Once everything was installed, I quickly checked the balance and it was perfect. I spooled up the motors slowly while holding the quad from the boĴom and checked that everything was spinning correctly and that the controls on the radio were correct. It was ready to fly. THE LAST WORD

If you are looking to get into micro FPV quads, there are some really great machines on the market like the Lumenier QAV250, but if you are fortunate enough to own or have access to a 3D printer

then the Spidex Micro is a great alternative. The best part about 3D printed machines is that you can make your own spares. If you crash (and you will from time to time), for a few pennies worth of filament you can simply print your own replacements and be back in the air in no time. This is not a beginner machine; it is more of a hot rod, but if you have non-GPS quadcopter experience or GPS machines flown in manual mode, then you will have a blast and love the ride you can get with this micro machine. For more information please visit multirotorpilotmag.com/spidex. = CONTACTS ELECTRIFLY greatplanes.com FATSHARK horizonhobby.com GEMFAN getfpv.com GETFPV getfpv.com HOBBYKING hobbyking.com HPHELI hobbypeople.net LUMENIER getfpv.com MOBIUS hobbyking.com SPEKTRUM spektrumrc.com TURNIGY hobbyking.com ULTIMAKER ultimaker.com YOUMAGINE youmagine.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR FEATURE by Erick Royer Photos Kyle Reyes

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Chicken Wings! World’s first aerial chicken wing delivery

Looking up in the skies over the city of Milford, CT, you might expect to see birds or airplanes, but on June 17th you would have seen something radically diﬀerent…a multirotor delivering chicken wings to a customer. Yes you heard me right; two pounds of hot and tasty chicken wings were flown from the kitchen of The Tilted Kilt restaurant in Milford, Connecticut to a customer nearby. For those of you that are not familiar with The Tilted Kilt chain of restaurants, they are known for two main things: beautiful women dressed in red kilts and some amazingly good chicken wings. The restaurant concept has deep roots in keeping with the traditions from Scottish, Irish and English pubs. The Celtic-themed restaurant came to life in Las Vegas, Nevada and now has over 100 locations across the country. The idea of delivering chicken wings started many months earlier when Amazon’s drone delivery commercial hit the mass media. Sara Vause, general manager of The Tilted Kilt of Milford saw an opportunity to do something that no other restaurant had done to date…deliver chicken wings via drone. That is when she reached out to Kyle Reyes of The Silent Partner Marketing located in Manchester, CT. Kyle is well known in Connecticut as “The outrageous marketing guy” who has personally launched some very successful (and viral) marketing campaigns for other restaurants and auto dealerships in the state. Kyle immediately envisioned the entire concept, from the fryer to the customer’s mouth. The missing link for him was the aerial delivery platform. I was contacted by Kyle via my good friend Chris who works for RC Hobbies and More, one of the largest hobby shops in New England, located in Winsted, CT. When I spoke to Kyle, the concept was simple; pick up the wings from 36 MULTIROTOR PILOT

the restaurant and deliver them to the customer about a quarter mile away. Well it seemed simple enough. After understanding the payload, I decided that my Sky Hero Spyder quadcopter (reviewed in this issue) would be the perfect delivery ship. With the canopy, it has a very clean and sleek appearance that I thought would look good in photos and on video. The day of the shoot, Multirotor Pilot Technical Editor Joe Papa oﬀered to come down to help me, at the very least, with crowd control. When we arrived we assessed the area, paying attention to roads, power lines, trees, buildings and most of all, people. The concept was to have the video appear to be flying a long distance over the city to the final destination, but considering this was more of a stunt for marketing purposes for the restaurant than a practical delivery method that they wanted to implement in short order, we considered all possibilities and decided to shoot this commercial in four steps. LOADING THE CHICKEN WINGS

We attached a GoPro camera to the arm of the Sky-Hero, facing forward to get a view of where it was heading. My original plan was to suspend the chicken wings from a bag under the machine, much like a stork carrying a baby sling, but when I saw the size and shape of the container, I removed the canopy of the Spyder and the large unobstructed flat surface of the top frame was going to act as the delivery tray. We attached the container securely to the copter and after taking some photos and video of The Tilted Kilt waitress placing the order onto the machine, she picked up the copter and walked it through the restaurant and out the front door to the “launch site.” PREPARING FOR LAUNCH

From there, Kyle had two people on

by many media outlets across the state and the country. Another successful and outrageous marketing campaign by The Silent Partner Marketing was starting to go viral, giving The Tilted Kilt a lot of exposure…success! CAN THIS BE DONE FOR REAL?

the ground shooting HD video from Cannon 5D cameras. After the waitress placed the Sky-Hero down, she “programmed the delivery location into her phone” and I began to fly the copter towards the delivery location. THE DELIVERY FLIGHT

Joe Papa flew his DJI 550 hexacopter with a new Zenmuse HD-3D gimbal and GoPro attached (also reviewed in this issue), which allowed us to get some aerial video of the copter in flight. The video was taken over a series of tree lines away from people and traﬃc, but the angle of the video both from the copter and from Joe’s 550 make it look like it was flying directly over the city…shots that took a lot of trial and error to get right while maintaining a perfectly safe flight area. INTO THE CUSTOMER’S HANDS

We then chose a location across the parking lot and set up the customer to receive their order. The original quarter-mile location was not practical as it would require us flying over roads, traﬃc and possibly, people. So we landed the machine where we took oﬀ and repositioned it at the delivery site and flew up and above the building to about 90 feet. From that point, the cameras started rolling again and I landed in front of the building where the customer happily received his order. THE FINAL VIDEO

Kyle did an amazing job of both shooting and editing this video and his final product was beyond what I expected. In the days following, after making the video live on Vimeo and YouTube, it was picked up

This is the part of the article where I stir the pot, so to speak, as I am sure there will be a lot of people who challenge this, especially in light of the new FAA regulations banishing the commercial use of radio control aircraft. Taking that aside, yes, this certainly is possible. When you consider devices that are readily available, like the DJI Ground Station where you can use a Google Earth map and plot your waypoints to develop a fully automated flight, this is certainly possible. However, there are so many concerns that involve safety of people and property that I think we are years oﬀ from seeing this become a reality…but maybe not as far oﬀ as some think. I predict that within the next five years, you will start to see this sort of thing become a reality. We have the technology to make it happen now and refinements are constantly being made every day. Earlier this year, Amazon let the world know that they are in development of aerial package delivery and since then, I have seen numerous companies cropping up with plans to deliver everything, from survival supplies to stranded people to routine medications. The FAA cannot stop the growth of this industry forever and in short order I am confident that they will iron out the regulations, permits and training as well as any other requirements that they deem necessary for commercial drone operations. THE LAST WORD

Make no mistake; this entire marketing campaign was done in a controlled environment, away from people, cars or anything else that could be harmed in the event that there was a mechanical malfunction. A lot of time and care was taken to make the shots look the part. Both Joe and I have been flying radio control aircraft for over 20 years and both of us fly in professional capacities and we understand what is required to set up a safe environment. Additionally, we worked with The Silent Partner Marketing on a volunteer basis and did not accept payment for any of the work we did. Our goal here was to promote the hobby and the magazine and show people something entertaining with multirotors in light of all the negative press that seems to scour the internet every day. I wish I could say that no chickens were harmed in the making of this video, but all I can say was that they were delicious! Please visit multirotorpilotmag.com/wings to see the video and some news media coverage of the event. You can leave us comments on that page as well. Next month, we deliver hamburgers! = CONTACTS DJI empirerc.com GOPRO gopro.com SKY-HERO kdsmodelsusa.com THE SILENT PARTNER MARKETING thesilentpartnermarketing.com THE TILTED KILT tiltedkilt.com

For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 37

VISUAL TECH by John Kopec

GOPRO Part 2

In the last issue of MultiRotor Pilot we talked all about the different frame rates and resolutions the GoPro Hero3+ offers and when and where you should use the different ones. You might think you are ready to strap this thing on and go skydiving, but there are a few more se ings we should go over to help you get the most out of your camera. In this article, we will go over the rest of the options in the camera such as white balance, field of views and when you are going to want to enable Protune. Also, we will go over how to upload your footage onto your computer using the GoPro Studio computer application and how to get started editing. So grab your GoPro, a fresh ba ery and an empty memory card and let’s get started! 38 MULTIROTOR PILOT

White Balance, Field of View, Protune and GoPro Studio Once we power up our GoPro, it defaults to the video mode, which we can see by the picture of the video camera. If we tap the power/mode bu on, we can cycle through the Photo, Burst Photo, and Time Lapse modes to get to the Se ings menu, signified by a wrench. To get in the menu, we are going to push the top/record bu on on the camera. It takes some ge ing used to, having only two bu ons to navigate the menu, but with practice, you’ll be able to move around quickly and get where you need to go. Our first window asks us to choose our resolution, frame rate and field of view. For those that have missed the last article, let’s start with 1080p for a resolution. Not only is it the HD standard for broadcast television, but also it’s a manageable resolution for file sizes. You will find that shooting at 2.7k will quickly eat through your memory cards. If you have access to a computer and can quickly and easily oﬄoad your card, this may not be an issue, but if you are on vacation with your family and are trying to squeeze every last second out of your card, 1080p is a solid choice. The choice between 24p and 30p is purely stylistic one; provided you aren’t going to be using your footage for broadcast TV, in which case you’ll want to use 30, or most commonly spoken as 29.97. If you have the newest GoPro Hero3+, you’ll have four options for your field of view: wide, medium, narrow, and the newest option being “ultra wide,” with a claimed 170 degree field of view. While this is an impressively wide angle, know that you are going to have some “barrel distortion” on the outer edges of the frame, which will manifest itself by having images “stretched out.”

VISUAL TECH I GOPRO PART 2 You can see the effect that barrel distortion causes in this brick pattern.

If this is undesirable to you, go ahead and switch to wide, medium and for liĴle or no barrel distortion, narrow. The next several windows will take us through our photo resolution size, burst modes and time lapse seĴings, but for now we’ll skip ahead to Capture SeĴings. Our first option here is if we want to flip the image, in the event we filmed upside down. I usually don’t bother with this option, because this can easily be done inside of video editing software with a single click. The next option is Spot Meter Exposure. This is a preĴy cool option because it’s giving us a liĴle control over the exposure. Normally, a GoPro camera takes a look at the whole frame and picks the average amount of light coming in to expose for. Most of the time this will work fine, but sometimes you’ll want to switch this option ON to get the best image. For example, if you are shooting from inside a car and you have the interior of the car in the foreground, you may find that everything outside is overexposed, or “hot,” as we say in the business. This is because the GoPro made the decision to expose the inside properly, and it let the outside go hot. To fix this problem, we are going to tell the camera to just look at the center of the frame and ignore the edges when exposing. Now, when we point it outside, we should get a nice, properly-exposed image. If we were to spin it around and frame someone up in the middle, the GoPro will adjust to the person’s face. It is a preĴy cool option if you want 40 MULTIROTOR PILOT

to get the most of your camera. If we keep scrolling, we’ll see the option for Protune. GoPro heard the requests from the professional community and added this very cool option. What Protune does is that it allows the camera to capture a wider dynamic range of light. Without geĴing bogged down in the technicalities, just think of it as the camera being able to capture more information in the highlights as well as the darks. However, what happens when you copy the footage and begin to watch your clips? They are all washed out and grey-looking. What happened? Well, for those of us in the business, we call this a “flat” image. A flat image, used in these terms, means that more information was captured than normal, but we are going to have to do some post color correcting to bring back the sharpness and colors to where they should be. GoPro provide some LUTs, or Look Up Tables, in the preset portion of the GoPro Studio. We’ll go over this later and what steps should be taken. Now in theory, shooting in Protune and coloring your footage should equate to a more detailed and accurate coloring of your footage. However I should warn you, some trial and error will be necessary. You can easily get your footage looking oversaturated and just plain wrong if you incorrectly color your footage. Once you learn how and what the process entails, you will most likely shoot most things in Protune. While there are other options you can go through on your camera, that’s all we need to go over before we start shooting. Now that you’ve had some time to shoot that next viral, underwater, skating, slow-motion skydiving video with a screaming goat? Great, let’s start editing!

What you’ll want to do is connect your GoPro via the included USB cable into your computer and power it up. An alternative way is to pop out the microSD card and use a card reader aĴached to your computer. Either way, you’ll see the card recognized by your computer. Go ahead and copy the whole card onto your hard drive, you’ll want to make sure you are editing the footage when it is located on your computer and not from the card. I should also mention that it is not only wise, but considered default that you keep a second copy of your footage on a separate drive for backup. Should you encounter a drive malfunction, theft, fire or any other incident, you’ll want to make sure you have it safe. Some moments are not only expensive but also impossible to recapture. Ok, once you have the files on your computer and safety backed up, let’s start editing. To do so, we are going to launch GoPro Studio, a free application that you can download from their website. It’s a rather simple application, with three tabs to go through, or “Steps.” We can start by clicking the buĴon: “Import New Files” on the left side. Navigate to your folder where you copied your card and select all the .mp4 files you want to edit. You’ll notice also there are .lrv and .thm files, but don’t worry about selecting those. They stand for low-resolution-version and thumbnail files, but are not necessary for what we are doing. Once the files are imported, you have options for changing where they get sent for the first process, if you want to flip and mirror the image, reduce barrel distortion and other options. Once you’ve chosen all your options, go ahead and press the “Add clip to conversion list” buĴon, and click “Convert.” Once your clips are done converting, we can move on to the second step, “Edit,” which is where we can manipulate the speed, color, audio and even make some rough edits of our videos. We can also apply presets, or our LUTs, to our Protune-shot videos to get them looking colored and sharp from their native flat and soft image. Once we’ve finished tweaking, we can do our final export by clicking the Step 3 buĴon called “Export” and pick a preset for where we’d like the video to go: Vimeo, YouTube, etc. Once that long progress bar finishes up, voila, we are done. Time to upl oad online and get those likes! Happy shooting. = CONTACTS GOPRO gopro.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 40

PILOT REVIEW Words Erick Royer Photos by Joe Papa

The world’s most versatile quad SKY-HERO

SPYDER »

NEED TO KNOW

MANUFACTURER: Sky-Hero DISTRIBUTOR: KDS Models USA TYPE: 700mm quadcopter FOR: Intermediate to advanced pilots PRICE: $599.00 (airframe only), Sky-Hero Combo 2 - $600.00 (4 motors, 4 ESCs, 4 propellers, wire harness and a DJI Naza V2 with GPS)

42 MULTIROTOR PILOT

I have been looking for quad that has the ability to carry not only a GoPro with a gimbal, but something larger like a Sony NEX5 or Panasonic GH2. I wanted it to be easy to see in flight and have the ability to fold eﬀortlessly for transport. The SkyHero Spyder fit the bill on all counts. The Spyder comes in three sizes; 700mm, 850mm and 1000mm. They also sell upgrade kits that allow you to change your Spyder to a diﬀerent size. The design and motor layout of the Sky-Hero multirotors really intrigued me because they seem like they would be very easy to maintain orientation in flight and the frame design and canopy provide a very clean looking machine. The Sky-Hero multirotors are extremely well-constructed; using high-quality 2mm carbon fiber main frame plates and 30mm carbon fiber booms. The landing gear is made from 20mm carbon fiber booms,

SPECS WEIGHT: XXX lbs. DIAMETER: 700mm RADIO SYSTEM: Flown with a JR XG14E tray radio and a JR RG831 8-channel DMSS receiver MOTORS: (4) Sky-Hero 470Kv 6S brushless outrunner (included in Combo 2 kit) ESCS: (4) Sky-Hero 40 amp 6S (included in Combo 2 kit)

Author’s Opinion There have been few multirotors that have crossed my path that I’ve stopped to admire at great length; the Sky-Hero Spyder was one of those select few when I saw it at a trade show earlier this year. The Spyder is the best flying quad that I have ever used. Its design makes it easy to see and maintain orientation in the air and the wide layout of the front arms make it the perfect machine for mounting a camera and gimbal because you don’t need to worry about the props or arms getting into the field of view. The construction is solid and the folding design makes it easy to transport in just about any car.

PROPELLERS: (4) Sky-Hero 13x6.5 carbon (included in Combo 2 kit) FLIGHT CONTROLLER: DJI Naza V2 with GPS (included in Combo 2 kit) BATTERY: Thunder Power 6S 5000mAh 25C LiPo FLIGHT TIME: 9-11 minutes (average)

FEATURES Robust frame with 2mm carbon fiber main plates and 30mm carbon booms. Very durable, injection-molded plastic motor mounts and landing gear mounts. Flight controller mounting options include mounting between the main frames, thus protecting it from crashes. 28mm to 36mm brushless motor mounting options. Four-motor layout can be easily converted to an X8 with 8 motors by purchasing the Combo 1. Easily-removable dampened camera/ battery mounting plate that can accommodate a wide variety of gimbals and camera systems. Tool-less folding capability.

PROS which provide a very solid footing for the machine. The injection molded plastic parts for the motor mounts, frame spacers, landing gear mounts and landing gear bracket are very solid and durable. Until you hold them in your hands, it is hard to describe how robust they really are. It would take an extremely hard impact to damage these components. The Spyder is finished oﬀ with a beautiful, high-quality white fiberglass canopy, which you can paint any color you like.

Solid construction with high-quality components Versatile design that can be adapted to your specific needs Very cool-looking design makes it easy to maintain orientation in flight

CONS Instructions are difficult to understand (PDF only) Included power wire harnesses in the combo kits have too much wire–I suggest cutting and modifying them or adding a power distribution board MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 43

PILOT REVIEW I SKY-HERO SPYDER

IN THE AIR I setup the DJI Naza-M V2 flight controller as instructed for the X quad configuration, which is fairly simple thanks to the intuitive Naza-M Assistant software. I was not sure about the gain settings, so I started with the DJI recommendations and using a BTU Bluetooth unit, I was able to refine the settings in flight to get optimal performance. I also assigned the remote gains to one of the sliders on my JR XG14E so I could adjust it while in flight based on the wind conditions and payload. I always take off in attitude mode, which I find lets the machine lift up much smoother. I started with a 6S battery and no camera/gimbal to see how it was going to respond. Honestly, it flew better than I expected. It is very stable and predictable. The motor/prop combo gives the Spyder a lot of authority. The design, as I predicted, made it very easy to see and maintain orientation in flight. It was as easy as flying an airplane. Typically, symmetrical quads can be very difficult to see unless you add LEDs or denote the front arms with different color props or booms and even then, as it gets farther away, it becomes more difficult to see the colors. The Spyder was easy to maintain even at long distances. The flight characteristics were great and I attribute much of that to the DJI

Naza-V2 flight controller. It is a very solid platform that provides excellent stability with reliable failsafe features like return to home. Using a 6S 5000mAh LiPo battery, I was able to get flight times of around 12-14 minutes. Since my plan was to use this machine to take GoPro video from the air, I installed the new DJI Zenmuse H3-HD 3-axis gimbal on the front of the copter. Even with the wide width of the arms, on extreme yaw movements the blades would come into view because the gimbal offers 3-axis stabilization. So using my Ultimaker 2 printer, I designed and 3D-printed a mounting platform that attaches to the front of the copter. By moving the camera out more, I was able to eliminate the props from view. While the machine performed flawlessly, I do want to upgrade to the X8 layout so I have the redundancy in case a motor fails. Even with the GoPro, it is still almost $800 worth of camera/gimbal that is strapped to the copter. I want to take every precaution I can to ensure that everything comes home safe after every flight.

I got my Spyder with a Combo 2 kit, which the top frame plate (under the canopy and on includes four 470Kv 6S brushless outrunner top of the battery/camera tray). I personally like motors, four 40A ESCs, four carbon fiber 13x6 to place the controller between the frames so props, a power wire harness and a DJI Naza-V2 that it is protected in the event of a crash. The flight controller with GPS. The only thing you motor mounts accommodate 28mm to 36mm need to supply is a battery and radio systems of size motors. The best part of the Spyder is that at least six channels. you can set it up as a four-motor quadcopter or The battery/camera tray is rubber-dampened as an X8 quad. and easily removable with four aluminum thumbscrews. The copter can be easily folded FOUR OR EIGHT MOTORS? without any tools; simply remove four Some may argue about the advantages and thumbscrews from the booms and it folds disadvantages of coaxial multirotors. Many feel compact. The legs are held in with a plastic that just because you have two motors on each compression fitting. You can quickly remove them The Sky-Hero motor mounts allow for a wide range of arm does not mean you have twice the lifting motors as well as a co-axial motor configuration. when needed for storage or transport without any capacity, which is true. On average, you can see tools. You have a lot of flexibility when installing the electronics. There between 35 and 50 percent more lifting capacity of a coaxial systemâ&#x20AC;Ś is a lot of room in between the top and bottom frame plates, on top of far oďŹ&#x20AC; from what you might assume. So why use a coaxial motor setup? 44 MULTIROTOR PILOT

There is a lot of room inside the frames to install the flight controller and radio electronics. This is a nice feature because they are protected in the event of a crash.

The main reason is redundancy. Should you lose a motor in flight, you still have the other motor on that arm to fly the machine safely back to the ground. The other reason to use a coaxial motor setup is because the counter-rotating design makes the copter fly much better in higher winds. Just like a coaxial RC helicopter is perfect for beginners because of the inherent stability of the counter rotating blades, the same holds true for the multirotor with this setup. When you look at the prop surface area of a large 1,000mm octocopter with 16-inch or larger props, there is a lot of disk area that can be aﬀected by the wind. With the eight-motor Spyder, we are using four sets of 13-inch props giving us a much smaller disk area, and the counter-rotating props slice though the wind much more eﬀectively. The downside of this configuration is that you need to have enough battery power to supply eight motors; however, the lower motor gets a lot of help from the prop wash of the upper prop, causing it to draw less current. The top motors do tend to run hotter in this setup because they are doing the majority of the work. The optimal setup would be to run larger props on the bottom. For our initial tests we ran the Spyder with a standard four-motor quad layout. While I tested the machine with a camera and gimbal, I would not install a high-end camera or use the machine for any kind of professional work without converting it to an X8, coaxial layout. We are planning on upgrading this machine in the future and plan to report on it in the next issue.

not aimed for a beginner. The instructions are only available in PDF form and are subpar, especially when compared to the high quality of their machines. The manual does have color photos, but the mentions of hardware and the order of assembly left me scratching my head for a while. I turned to Google Images and found some assembled photos that other owners posted and they helped me determine which holes to use and gave me a better idea of which screws to use and where. After figuring out which screws The Naza-M V2 GPS is the heart of the went where and the proper holes stability on the Spyder. in the frames to use, I am confident that I can get this machine from box to flight-ready in a couple of hours. To be clear, it is not hard to assemble as the fit of all the components is flawless, but the instructions make it a bit confusing. When you assemble the motors on the mounts, be sure to use the outermost holes of the motors and use a washer and threadlock on each screw. Since the ESCs install inside the tubes, and if you choose the X8, coaxial configuration, it will require you to have two ESCs stacked on top of each other, but slightly oﬀset inside the tubes. This is probably the most diﬃcult part of the assembly. Thankfully Allen at KDS Models shot a very helpful video that explains the best way to get these ESCs installed in the boom. If you follow his tips, the motor mounts and ESCs will slide right into position. There are a lot of screws that hold the top frame plate to the copter and if you choose to install your electronics inside the frame, please be sure to test everything prior to putting that top frame on. This includes testing the motors to ensure that everything is in the correct position. Be sure to mount the LED in a place where you can easily see it from the rear of the model and where you can easily get to the USB jack so you can set up and tune the flight controller with your computer. The stock landing gear gives you about six inches of clearance under the copter, which is more than adequate if you plan to use a GoPro with a gimbal. However if you are looking to install a larger camera and gimbal, you might need to extend the legs. Additionally, the landing legs are fixed and, as of this writing, the market is still lacking a retract solution for the Sky-Hero models. THE LAST WORD

Whether you are looking for a high-quality sport quadcopter or an ultra-reliable and ultra-stable aerial camera platform, the Sky-Hero Spyder will be an excellent choice. As I said in my Author’s Opinion, it is, to date, my favorite quad. It’s stable, versatile and powerful enough for any small to mid-size camera work. It also serves as a great chicken wing delivery machine (see article in this issue). The Sky-Hero machines are very high-quality and the ability to run a variety of motor combinations makes it that much more attractive. Of course you can’t go wrong outfitting the Spyder with the Sky-Hero Combo 2 kit. = CONTACTS JR AMERICAS jramericas.com KDS MODELS USA kdsmodelsusa.com

ASSEMBLY

SKY-HERO sky-hero.com

The Sky-Hero machines are not diﬃcult to assemble, especially if you have experience with other machines. However, the manual is

For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 45

PRODUCT REVIEW by Joe Papa

The only charger you’ll ever need! Revolectrix

Dual PowerLab 8 2688w Battery Workstation I’ve been active in the RC industry since I was 12 years old. In the past 28 years, I’ve used countless chargers; with some be er than others. Over the last few years, LiPo packs have progressed considerably, yet so many are still waiting an hour for their packs to be charged. While some are avoiding faster charge rates out of fear, others are completely unaware faster options exist. If you’re in either category, this review will be a game changer for you!

46 MULTIROTOR PILOT

A LITTLE ON LIPO’S

Most LiPo packs can be charged at 3C – 5C rates. Check your LiPo label to confirm if yours are compatible. To calculate the max charge rate, use this formula: • mAh/1,000 x max charge rate on label • 5000mah /1,000 = 5 x 5C rate = 25 amps max charge current • My Pulse 6S 22000mAh packs have a max charge rate of 3C • 22,000/1,000 = 22 x 3 = 66 amps max charge current While some may be concerned about charging at these higher rates, the fact is that these newer packs are designed for it. Charging at higher rates is not only safe with the Revolectrix charger, but it’s completely foolproof. The most destructive practice with LiPo chemistry packs is over-discharging, which instantly leads to puﬃng. It’s not the higher charge rates you should be worried about, but rather your LiPo voltage cut oﬀ se ing on your ESC or flight controller. The Revolectrix Dual Powerlab 8 is the safest, fastest and most reliable charger I have ever owned. It’s also the easiest to use, nearly foolproof, very intelligent and dead reliable. Each half of the DPL8 is a stand alone, fully functional charger capable of charging LiPo packs up to 8S (8 cells), as well as any other ba ery chemistry currently in use. With a maximum charge rate of 40 amps per side, the charger can get you up to full charge five times faster, or in as li le as eight minutes.

PER-CHANNEL SPECS

Revolectrix Power Stations provide 1320 watts to each channel of the Dual Powerlab 8.

POWER SUPPLY

To get the most out of this powerhouse with 5-8S LiPo’s, a power supply with 24VDC is recommended, but the charger can run on 10-48 volts. This gives the end user enormous flexibility in the field and these higher voltage power supplies allow the Powerlab to work with much less input current. To power my charger, I am using a pair of Revolectrix Power Stations (one per channel). Each power supply can put out 24V at 55 amps plus they have two 12V 15 amp outputs for a total of 1320 waĴs on 110VAC; enough power to run the charger at its maximum capacity.

Battery clamps are provided so you can use a car battery as a power supply.

MENUS/INTERFACE AND SETUP CONNECTIONS

The charger inputs are delivered with EC5 connectors, which I chose to remove in favor of some XT150 connectors. There are no charge leads included with the charger or balance boards, but you will need both. Make sure you get the ones specific to your needs or you will be one unhappy camper when you open the box. We opted for the, MultiPort Adapter, a parallel adapter equipped with polyfuses to protect every cell. This allows us to charge up to six packs at the same time on each charger. These boards can even be daisy-chained together to allow up to 12 packs of the same voltage be charged simultaneously on each side.

When you first power up the charger, the firmware version is displayed. Press “enter” and the Powerlab will ask you to confirm that you are using a power supply. If you are using a baĴery for a power supply, pressing the up arrow will allow you to switch. After confirming, the presets become available. My standard selection is number 3 (LiPo high power). With up to 50 programmable presets and the first 25 already configured for most user’s needs, simply press the up arrow to choose the one you need. To modify a preset, press and hold the up and down arrows at the same time and you can alter the default charge rate as well as other parameters should you like. With the baĴeries connected, press enter to choose the preset. The charger will ask you if you have baĴery packs in parallel. Set the correct number of packs if more than one and press enter. The number of cells in your pack will automatically be detected, so you don’t need multiple presets for each LiPo voltage, which is such a timesaver. On other chargers, I often ran out of presets because this

FOR BATTERY TYPES: Lithium Polymer (1S to 8S balanced, 1S to 2S unbalanced), Lithium Ion (1S to 8S balanced, 1S to 2S unbalanced), Lithium Manganese (1S to 8S balanced, 1S to 2S unbalanced), A123 (LiFePO4) (1S to 8S balanced, 1S to 9S unbalanced), NiCd (1S to 21S), NiMH (1S to 21S), 6V, 12V, 24V Lead Acid batteries (Flooded, Gel, AGM, SLA) INPUT VOLTAGE: Each channel may be operated on separate power supplies using 110V/15A isolated circuits for best results. Additionally both channels may be operated on one power supply provided packs on each channel are isolated. PACK CAPACITY: 20mAh to 360mAh INPUT VOLTAGE: 10-48VDC, reverse polarity protected INPUT CURRENT: 1A to 40A, software limited POWER CONVERSION: Synchronous DC/DC converter supports multiple switcher frequencies of 31.25KHz, 62.5KHz, 125KHz; user selectable by preset, 85% to 93% efficiency depending on output current OUTPUT BATTERY CHARGE CURRENT: Adjustable range 10mA to 40A, limited by 40A input current* OUTPUT BATTERY DISCHARGE CURRENT: Internal discharge 10mA to 10A, 95W max Regenerative discharge 10mA to 40A, 1344W max** CONTINUOUS MAX OUTPUT POWER: 408W @ +12VDC input, 1344W @ +39.53VDC CELL BALANCING: Resolution 78uV (16 bit) for 1S-8S Li or A123 (LiFePO4) balanced charging VOLTAGE CALIBRATION: Cell voltage measurements are factory calibrated to a standard traceable to NIST; calibration is to +/- 6 mV CURRENT CALIBRATION: Charge current is factory calibrated on a 4A standard; calibration is to +/- 1mA COOLING FANS: 13 CFM, 50mm diameter HEATSINK: Internal 120W aluminum, thin finned OUTPUT BATTERY CONNECTOR: “Cellpro” compatible, JST PA series, 9 positions LCD: 2 line, 16 character, light grey/blue backlit SIZE: 10.24 in. (260mm) L x 5.55 in. (141mm) W x 3.08 in. (77mm) H * Please note, for safety reasons, available charger current may be limited for certain battery types and/or charging modes, e.g., non-balanced charge of LiPo feature wasn’t available. Next is charge rate, followed by discharge rate. Change them if you want or simply continue pressing enter to move along. The charger will then ask you to confirm that you want to start charging. Press enter again and the charger will quickly analyze the pack and will ask you to confirm this is a LiPo pack. Press enter to confirm and the charge cycle begins. If you have nothing to change, you simply press enter through all the options and you’re charging in a few seconds. During the first minute, the internal resistance is calculated. If anything seems out of the expected range that the charger is expecting, the charge cycle MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

58 MULTIROTOR PILOT

YOUR SOURCE FOR ALL THINGS MULTIROTOR

MULTIROTORPILOTMAG.COM

PRODUCT REVIEW I REVOLECTRIX DUAL POWERLAB 8 BATTERY WORKSTATION I used a Multi-Port parallel adapter equipped with polyfuses to protect every cell for each channel, which allows me to charge up to 6 batteries of the same cell count at one time.

will stop. If the voltage of the cells is below 3V per cell, the Revolectrix charger will enter a low current charge rate called “Low Voltage Restore.” Yes, the charger can save over-discharged pack! For the ultimate in safety, charging without a balancer isn’t possible except for very small packs with very low capacity. The balance boards have auto-reseĴing solid-state breakers and every charge lead is protected with a 40 amp fuse. There is reverse polarity protection and if you are using a 12V baĴery as a power supply, when discharging LiPo packs down to the recommended 50 percent level for long term storage, the charger can use the LiPo power to regenerate the lead acid baĴery and charge it at the same time. CHARGE CONTROL SOFTWARE

Smart power management allows you to select between programmable input power sources. Using the Charge Control Software (CCS), you can choose from several templates to get you close and then fine tune your seĴings. Available seĴings in the CCS include power supply input current limit, input low voltage limit, regenerative discharge rate and voltage limit. The DPL8 stores one setup for power supply per channel and one for baĴery per channel and asks for verification one time on startup. The CCS allows you to initiate charge, discharge, monitor and multiple cycles at the DPL8 or via remote control from the CCS. You can graph all major operations when using CCS and when you use both channels you can

launch separate instances of the CCS within Windows. Its open architecture presets allow for customization of any user preset. THE LAST WORD

While I’ve only scratched the surface of all the charger’s capabilities and features, I use it every day and hammer it hard. Every charge cycle is at full power and the 6S packs we fly all get charged at the highest output possible. The new Pulse 22,000 packs, which can be charged at 3C max (66 amps), are one of the first packs to be able to handle more current than this charger can supply. Even so, with each pack on its own charger at 40 amps, we can get these monster packs fully charged from 15 percent in under 28 minutes. Recently in St. Lucia, we flew all day with a London-based production crew and never depleted our flight packs before the ones on the charger were done. We were able to stay in the air almost constantly. For guys flying helicopters on 8S or 12S packs, 1/5-scale brushless car junkies or even a hard-core racer running multiple classes, this charger will keep you on time for your heats and even reduce the number of packs you need to own. = CONTACT REVOLECTRIX revolectrix.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

Voice, Color & Touch! When our engineers were tasked to design the next generation Graupner radio, they knew integral telemetry was the key to the future and they named the future HoTT, for Hopping Telemetry Transmission. Our HoTT radios and products have been providing a streamlined user experience where ease of use is guaranteed due to precision integration of our HoTT telemetry protocol across all of our products. Our entire receiver line provides telemetry functions such as temperature, voltage, and signal strength out of the box, with no need to add or purchase additional components.

Graupner MZ 9 or 12 channel:

With over 50 HoTT enabled products such as car, boat, airplane and heli ESC’s, motor and engine modules, as well as variometer, GPS sensors, and a new Bluetooth module for displaying all this telemetry on tablets and SmartPhones, we provide our users with almost unlimited possibilities to be connected to their models. To top that, our HoTT PRO receivers also provide three axis flight stabilization and flybarless control all in the same low profile, smart HoTT package—no additional black boxes to squeeze in.

mz-18 $389 mz-24 $499

The future is now —and it is

Electric Air Telemetry Module

DEALER INQUIRIES WELCOME

Visit us on facebook.com/openhobby

PILOT REVIEW Words Joe Cannavo

400mm FPV hot rod!

QAV400 »

NEED TO KNOW

MANUFACTURER: Lumenier DISTRIBUTOR: GetFPV.com TYPE: 400mm FPV H-Quad FOR: Intermediate to advanced pilots PRICE: $164.00 (frame only)

52 MULTIROTOR PILOT

FPV QUADCOPTER

I’ve been bitten by the micro FPV quad bug lately. I can’t get enough of my Lumenier QAV250. It is so fast and maneuverable that I can enjoy FPV flying just about anywhere. I use a Mobius Action Cam on it to record HD video of my flights and for the most part I am happy with the results. As much as I love it however, I do wish I could add a GoPro and brushless gimbal to the 250 for even better video footage but the quad is too small. So after visiting getfpv.com and taking a look at other options, I discovered the Lumenier QAV400 FPV Quad. The frame is larger and can utilize a GPS-enabled flight controller with large enough motors to support the weight of a GoPro FPV setup. Then I found out that they make a custom brushless 2-axis gimbal that specifically integrates into this quad, so I had to have it! It was as if Santa was answering my Christmas list. The QAV400 is considerably larger, but it is only 150mm wider overall. Most of the size comes from the length so it is still a perfect frame to get FPV flights in some of the tight areas that I love to fly. With the new brushless gimbal option, I can now get spectacular GoPro Hero3 footage that is PHOTOS BY DANIEL ROYER AND ERICK ROYER

SPECS READY TO FLY WEIGHT: 44 oz. SIZE: 400mm (motor shaft to motor shaft) BATTERY: Lumenier 3300mAh 4S 14.8V LiPo RADIO: Hitec 9X with Hitec Optima 7 receiver MOTORS: (4) Lumenier FX2216-9 1100kv brushless outrunners ESCS: (4) Lumenier 30 amp ESCs with SimonK firmware PROPS: (4) Graupner 8x5 e-props Powerful yet efficient Lumenier FX2216-9 1000kv brushless outrunner motors power the QAV400 and provide amazing performance.

FLIGHT CONTROLLER: DJI Naza V2 with GPS GIMBAL: Lumenier QAV Quick-Mount Brushless Gimbal Unit (Plug & Play) FPV CAMERA: Fatshark 600TVL VIDEO CAMERA: GoPro Hero3+ Black edition FPV VIDEO: ImmersionRC 600mW 5.8GHz transmitter FPV GROUND STATION: Lumenier 10.1 inch LCD with 32Ch Diversity receiver FPV GOGGLES: Fatshark Attitude V2 NEED TO COMPLETE: Four 2216 1100kv motors, four 30A ESCs, four 8x5 props, 3300mAh 4S LiPo and flight controller, Lumenier carbon fiber landing gear

FEATURES Thick and durable G10 main frame. Anodized aluminum booms. Bumpers on the end of the arms protect the motors during a crash. Integrated power distribution board for ESCs and FPV electronics. Easy LiPo access. Long flight time with 3300mAh 4S LiPo. Optional brushless gimbal makes the QAV400 an excellent aerial video machine.

perfectly stable. No more dizzying rides in front of my big screen TV. When equipped with a GPS flight controller like the DJI Naza-M V2, the QAV400 lends itself well to being a perfect machine for all kinds of aerial video work, along with search and rescue and more. It is a very robust frame that handles well in wind. The frame is also easy to see and maintain orientation in flight, unlike a typical X quad. The QAV400 is sold in a kit form but you can also buy it from getfpv.com fully assembled, which is how mine came. While I did not experience the assembly process, I did look through the manual, which is highly detailed with excellent close-up color photos. Having assembled a lot of quads, most of which having manuals that are Right: Lumenier’s Quick-Detach 2-Axis Brushlacking, this build seems very straightforward. There less Gimbal for the GoPro Hero3 fits perfectly are a lot of stand-oﬀs and screws, so just make sure on the front of the frame. It can be removed or reattached in 20 seconds or less. you have a clean work area and I recommend working on a rubber mat or a white towel so you don’t MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 53

PILOT REVIEW I LUMENIER QAV400 FPV QUADCOPTER

IN THE AIR I had a beautiful day for test flying the QAV400; it was warm and sunny with a slight breeze. I put a freshly-charged battery onto the frame and waited for the Naza to initialize and find satellites and its home position. Then I activated the motors and moved the throttle to center stick. The model launched into the air, a lot faster than I expected. There is a lot of available power from these motors which, when combined with the Graupner 8x5 props, develops an obscene amount of lift. My first flight was line of sight only. I wanted to get a feel for the machine, especially in manual flight mode. I also wanted to make sure that it was properly trimmed and that the gains were to my liking. It is a great flying machine. The design of the frame and layout of the arms make it very easy to see and maintain orientation in the air. I was completely impressed. I mentioned the power that it had with the Lumenier motors, but what I did not mention was how that translated into speed. This machine was quick. Flying line of sight, I swiftly ate up my entire available field in a flash. It was time to switch to FPV mode. The next flight was done with a pair of Fatshark Attitude V2 video goggles. It was time to go for a ride, and what a ride it was. I actually did the FPV ride two different ways. The first way, I attached a small Fatshark FPV camera to the front of the copter, under the gimbal and used the video from that camera to send to my goggles and just used the GoPro to record the flight. I did this because with the camera fixed to the frame and not stabilized, I got to experience the attitude of the frame in relation to the horizon and the ground at all times. This is the optimum setup for full-on FPV flying with goggles. For the second flight, I used the video output from the GoPro and the experience was quite different. When using the video from the gimbal/ GoPro, the ride is much smoother. However, because of that you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell if you are banking or pitching the machine because the gimbal is working to keep the camera level with the horizon at all times. It was great for being in a wide-open area, but I would not fly this way in tight spaces. Flying with the FPV camera was incredible. While not for the faint of heart, the experience is exhilarating to say the least. You can feel every command input and every bank, turn and bump from the machine. You can quickly maneuver in and out of tight spaces with author-

have to worry about screws flying oďŹ&#x20AC; the bench and getting lost on the floor. THE FRAME

The Lumenier QAV400 is made from rugged G10 material. And the booms 54 MULTIROTOR PILOT

ity. It is nice to have the GPS available as a backup. One time I had trouble seeing because my goggles were fogging up and I was able to simply hit the flight mode switch to GPS and it was sitting in space without any input from me while I wiped by goggles. The last flight I did was using a ground station monitor; a Lumenier 10.1 inch LCD monitor with a built-in 32-channel diversity antenna. I had this monitor mounted on a tripod. This time I was concentrating on flying line of sight while framing my shots with the monitor. I programmed a slider on the 9X to control the gimbal pitch control so I could perform

smooth video transitions as I flew. This is the common setup for flying aerial video and photo jobs like real estate. The machine was very stable as I was in GPS mode just about the entire time. I do like to use attitude mode so I can slide the copter around for smooth sweeping shots. After flying a couple of battery packs this way and examining the footage, I was convinced that this machine would work perfectly for this application. It rivals that of any 400-550 size machines I have ever flown.

The four ESCs are mounted between the lower two frame plates. The top plate doubles as a power distribution board with solder tabs that makes wiring power to all the electronics easy and keeps the installation clean.

are made from CNC-maTHE GIMBAL chined anodized alumiThe Lumenier QAV num…there is no flexing Quick-Mount Brushless on this machine! The frame Gimbal is available in a consists of four horizontal kit or Plug & Play form. plates. The bottom plate is The Plug & Play gimbal attached to the power districomes pre-assembled with bution plate via aluminum a genuine AlexMos gimbal stand oﬀs, which has solder controller that is tuned points for all the ESCs as with Basecam. The gimbal well as two additional ones sits on the front of the on either side for powering frame upside-down with FPV gear, LEDs, or other the camera above. Because electronics. The booms of the wide stance are attached to these two of the front arms and the plates and four carbon legs location of the GoPro, you support the quad on the don’t need to worry about ground; one is attached to the props getting into the each boom via an alumivideo. The gimbal is made num bracket. The four ESCs from machined alumiare installed between the num and anodized with a two bottom plates, which beautiful black finish. It is The Lumenier QAV Quick-Mount Brushless Gimbal comes in both a kit and Plug & Play form. It uses a makes the wiring very neat. controlled by high quality genuine AlexMos controller and provides amazingly stable GoPro video. It also can be attached and Only the three motor wires GX2208 brushless gimbal removed in a matter of seconds. run down each boom. motors from Lumenier. A The top two plates are also separated via aluminum spacers. The 30-pin GoPro connector is installed on the back of the mountflight controller, radio gear, battery and gimbal attach to these two ing bracket to allow you to charge the camera and it provides a plates. The top two frame plates are attached to the lower two via standard video output to feed directly into your video transmitter. rubber dampener standoﬀs. This is called a Clean/Dirty Airframe The gimbal uses a quick-attach system which allows you to install Seperation which is trademarked by Lumenier. It isolates vibration and remove it in about 20 seconds. The all up weight of the gimbal from the motors, allowing for stable video quality, especially when with the GoPro is around 250 grams. I used an ImmersionRC you are not using a gimbal. When using a gimbal these dampeners 600mW 5.8GHz video transmitter to send the video to my goggles/ work to prevent “Jell-O” in the video…and they work very well as my ground station. video quality was perfect. THE CASE THE POWER SYSTEM

To power the QAV400, I chose four Lumenier 2216-1100Kv brushless outrunner motors with four Lumenier 30A ESCs using SimonK firmware. The motors are spinning four Graupner 8x5 E-props. This is a very potent power combo for this quad. It provides tons of power and speed while still having very eﬃcient run times of around 10 minutes with a Lumenier 4S 3300mAh LiPo battery pack. FLIGHT CONTROLLER AND RADIO SYSTEM

Since there was plenty of room on this frame and these motors were not going to have any issue with me adding an extra ounce or two to the quad, I decided that I wanted a stable GPS flight controller so I installed a DJI Naza-M V2, which I love in many of my other machines. While this is an FPV machine, if I choose to take advantage of its versatility and use it as an aerial video platform, I wanted to have features such as GPS hold, return to home and intelligent orientation control (IOC). When flying all-out high-speed FPV, the controller can be switched to manual mode for a wide flight envelope, but I still have the confidence that GPS is there with the flip of a switch. The flight controller is mounted between the top two frames so it is protected in the event of a crash. To control the quad I used a Hitec 9X computer radio system with a Hitec Optima 7 receiver. I have become a huge fan of the Hitec 9X over the past several months. I love the programmability and capacity to configure the sliders and switches to various functions on my machine. The 9X is a very responsive radio system which it key when you are flying very fast FPV just inches away from obstacles like trees and rocks.

GetFPV.com has worked with Go Professional Cases to develop a custom and extremely rugged travel case for the QAV400. Inside the case is a water jet-cut foam insert that fits the frame perfectly. There is also plenty of room for several batteries, the radio and many other accessories. THE LAST WORD

My excitement for the QAV400 started because I could use their gimbal to get ultra-stable GoPro video of my flights, but it ended with me realizing that this could be an excellent machine for aerial photo, video and even search-and-rescue work. The frame is very robust and strong and it can accept a wide variety of power systems, though I recommend the setup I used for the best in power and eﬃciency. If you love FPV flying and would like something that can carry a gimbal while still flying like a hot rod, then the QAV400 is a top choice. = CONTACTS DJI NAZA-M getfpv.com FATSHARK horizonhobby.com GETFPV.COM getfpv.com HITEC hitecrcd.com IMMERSIONRC getfpv.com LUMENIER lumenier.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 55

Story and photos by Petr Hejl

Smash ‘em up, crash ‘em up!

Demolition Derby ... a View From aboVe

Motor sports rank high on the list of America’s favorite pastimes and the multirotor aircraft offers a great platform and seemingly endless possibilities to get some incredible shots of the action from never-before-seen vantage points. Being a bit of a motor-head myself, I could not pass on the opportunity to fly over and film the Demolition Derby and Double Figure Eight Race, organized by JM 56 MULTIROTOR PILOT

Productions, at the 2014 Goshen Stampede in Goshen, Connecticut. My “weapon of choice” for this project was my DJI F550 with T-motor upgrade (for more agility) and a GoPro Hero3 Black in DJI Zenmuse H3-3D 3-axis gimbal. The F550 is a great single-operator machine that offers the redundancy of a hexcopter (unlike its quadcopter siblings, it maintains flight even if one prop/motor/ESC fails), it is

small enough not to intimidate people, yet large enough to easily carry a GoPro and offer good stability in windy conditions. Its price also means one doesn’t have to wait until next Christmas in the event that the machine is damaged, which may be an important consideration for something brought to a demolition derby. This was a bit of a premiere for my H3-3D gimbal (I’ve flown H3-2D before), so I spent

an afternoon “practicing” and getting used to the third-axis-follow mode by parking my own car in the middle of a field and flying around it at all possible altitudes and angles. The stabilization capabilities of the H3-3D are simply amazing, but the “delay” that the third-axis-follow mode adds to the pan takes a bit of getting used to when trying to frame the shots circling around objects. Much needed disclosure: I am an experienced pilot and carry a UAV operator liability insurance policy. I did not get compensated in any way for creating this video. It was made for others to enjoy and to be a part of my portfolio. I encourage anyone getting into the UAS aerial videography to

practice flying in different environments and away from people before attempting to fly at larger spectator events. I highly recommend acquiring liability insurance in case something happens to go wrong. On the “menu” for the afternoon, there were a few rounds of figure-eight demolition derby races and a few rounds of classic demolition derby. While the objective of the demolition derby is pure destruction until the last car moving wins, the figure eight race winner is the first one to complete eight laps (which may not seem like much, but every lap means at least two good

opportunities to get t-boned out of the race). I set up on the side of the track that allowed me the best view of the entire area and after a compass calibration, I flew a practice battery pack to get familiar with it from above. Since this was a spectator event, I had to figure out how to capture what I needed while staying safely away from the spectator areas. Before the show, we put on a little “drone” exhibition for the spectators, which was received quite enthusiastically. Watching the demolition derby from above was quite spectacular. Since the track was fairly small, I had no problem framing in

entire sections, slowly moving the copter in various directions to add a bit of a motion feel while waiting for the action rather than following the cars around the track. The beauty of the demolition derby is that none of the drivers care about the copter getting too close, so I was able to get some pretty cool action shots of wild crashes and slick maneuvers, while having fun watching the cars slowly disintegrate as they progressed through the race. The copter happened to catch a few muddy roosts from the cars wheels and the props ensured even distribution of the mud splatters all over the machine. When I got it back, it was literally dripping mud (reminded me a bit of my 1/10-scale RC short course truck after an offroad race) and it took over an hour and a box of Q-tips to clean it properly. A small price to pay for all the fun and cool videos.  CONTACT NOTADRONE notadrone.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 57

PILOT REVIEW Words Joe Papa Photos Joe Papa & John Kopec

GRYPHON DYNAMICS

GD-X8 1400MM FOLDING FRAME

The professional aerial cinema arena is no place for the inexperienced or faint of heart. Multirotors designed for this extreme market are expected to fly camera gear valued easily at over $100,000. When outfitted with follow focus, HD transmitter, remote zoom and gimbal, the AUW (all up weight in the air) can approach 50 pounds or more. While many of the components that go into a pro heavylift cinema rig may be easily recognizable, the airframe is the foundation that harnesses the power and defines these

The massive, heavy-lift quad extreme machines. Gryphon Dynamics, a Korean manufacturer of professional airframes, has recently entered this market and captivated me with their jewel-like appearance and astonishing strength. Until recently, most pros have stuck with the Freefly Cinestar or Droidworx SkyJib. While certainly proven time and time again, I was a bit turned oďŹ&#x20AC; by the lack of portability, as traveling with these beasts is inherently part of nearly every job. FEATURES

Gryphon Dynamics GD-X8 is a coaxial octocopter. Though it appears to be a quad design, the eight motors allow this copter to maintain the redundancy of a flat octocopter,

Âť NEED TO KNOW MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR: Gryphon Dynamics TYPE: 1400mm X8 FOR: Professional, heavy-lift applications PRICE: $3,149.00 (frame only)

58 MULTIROTOR PILOT

SPECS FRAME SIZE: 1400mm (motor shaft to motor shaft) without the limitations of motor and prop size associated with the traditional design. Having more space between the props adds considerable stability in windy conditions and can accommodate up to a 32-inch prop. It’s also one of the only airframes strong enough for the mind-bending power of the T-Motor U11, U10, U8 and U7 brushless motors that have recently hit the market. The Gryphon is available as a “durable frame” or a “folding frame.” The durable frame is strong enough to support the weight of a full-size adult. Since I didn’t expect to be lifting 175 pounds, I opted for the folding model and kicked in for the FX model, which included the upgraded 2mm center plates as well as the absolutely stunning coaxial motor mounts that fit theses monster power plants now available.

WEIGHT: 14 lbs. (without camera and gimbal) MOTORS: (8) T-Motor 490kV U7 brushless outrunners ESCS: (8) T-Motor 70A HV Pro PROPS: (4) T-Motor 17x5.8 for upper motors and 18x6.1 for lower motors BATTERIES: (2) Pulse 6S 22000mAh LiPos

FOLDING BOOMS

Utilizing a brilliant design, the inner and outer booms connect when a concave pin enters a precision bore. By turning the red anodized latch, a steel shaft engages the concaved pin and locks the booms together. The inner and outer booms also have a male/female interlocking shape which makes the connection nearly bulletproof.

FLIGHT CONTROLLER: DJI A2 RADIO: Futaba 14SG with a Futaba R7008SB S.Bus receiver

UNBOXING

When it arrived, my first impression was that the box was lighter in weight than expected. All those aluminum parts should be heavy. To my delight, all the parts Red Dragon and Cook 14mm prime lens on a Movi M10 gimbal. were very well-lightened and pocketed in just the right places to eliminate excess weight while retaining strength. All the hardware is stainless steel. The carbon fiber booms are a sight to behold. Large enough to accommodate most ESCs inside, the booms are a tall hexagonal design nearly two inches in height. This not only contributes to its savage strength, but also its aerodynamics. The Gryphon booms are a combination of a roll wrap process on the inside and a traditional weave on

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 59

PILOT REVIEW I GRYPHON DYNAMICS GD-X8

IN THE AIR

After a bit of research and much deliberation, I dialed in the A2 for the following gain settings.

To make adjustments during flight possible, I assigned the basic gains to the Futaba center LD (left dial) BASIC ATTITUDE and the Attitude gains to the RD. Pitch: 225 Pitch: 100 With no payload, these gains were Roll: 225 Roll: 100 suitable, but from a conversation Yaw: 225 Altitude: 100 with Gryphon Dynamics, the long arms on the 1400mm X8 respond well to even higher basic gains, but lower attitude. With a payload, Gryphon recommended I use 280 for all basic gain settings. Before takeoff, I set the CG (center of gravity) for the A2’s IMU and GPS. With a payload, these numbers will change considerably and it’s so important to not overlook these adjustments. After an epic GPS dance with this nearly six-foot frame, I spooled her up and in attitude settled into a nice hover. After about 15 seconds in the air I smiled and noticed how quiet and stable it was. With no payload, I estimated in E-Calc that the U7 motors would hover at just about 20 percent throttle. This low rpm was very easy on the db scale. Hovering just feet away, I was able to talk with my friend at a normal level effortlessly. I blipped the throttle and watched the X8 climb, then pulled back hard on the throttle to see it descend. In disbelief, I nearly jumped for joy as the X8 lowered as if it were a Hollywood Jib. There was simply no evidence of any wobble or oscillation at all. This is one of the biggest advantages of an X8 Octo over all other current designs. Its absolutely astonishing flight characteristics are inherently stable due to the large distance between the props. After 20 minutes of hovering and basic movements, I landed and immediately checked the motor temps. The U7’s were barely warmer than the ambient temperature outside. I connected the battery to the charger and only replaced 13000mAh into the 16000mAh test battery. Since we would be running 44000mAh during normal flight, the possibilities here are staggering. For the next test flight, I called my partner John and told him to bring over the Movi M10 and Red Epic. Before mounting up this legendary cinema pro set-up, we wanted to get a baseline of flight time with just the two pulse packs and no camera. With cars stopping and a crowd forming, we took some time to answer questions and explain our tests to the onlookers. With an AUW of 25 pounds, I started to watch the ESC temps on the telemetry screen. With the fans off and static hovering, the temps seemed stable at around 140 degrees. While this may seem high, the normal operating range is actually as high as about 210 degrees. Knowing that we still had a camera and gimbal to add on, I was glad the fans were there. I clicked the toggle switch on my transmitter and within seconds, the temps dropped to just 110. After a full 30 minutes of flight, I landed and was absolutely amazed to find 40 percent still remained in the Pulse packs. We made the adjustments to the A2’s center of gravity, mounted both Pulse packs and rotated the 14SG’s left dial to get basic gains up to the recommended setting of 280. In the air, the additional payload was barely noticeable. We logged 12 minutes of flight, including some full throttle pull ups, and still had 36 percent remaining when we landed. With the Pulse packs not even broken in, there is no question that more than 15 minutes of flight with a Red Epic or Red Dragon camera is possible. Considering the cinema world is accustomed to about 4-6 minutes max, this is truly a monumental accomplishment. 60 MULTIROTOR PILOT

The top plate can be removed quickly to access the eight ESCs.

the outside. Roll wrap process is exceptional for structures that need rigidity in multiple directions. The finish is exceptional and requires nothing prior to assembly. These booms are flex-proof and should be incredible at damping vibrations. THE POWER SYSTEM

My first choice to power this monster was going to be the T-Motor U10 series with 12S LiPos and 29-inch carbon fiber props. Due to lack in availability, we settled on the 490Kv U7 motors with 17x5.8 and 18x6.1 props for the review. T-Motor recommends that this motor be paired with their 80 amp 6S ESC. Since we were going for a no-compromise approach here, we opted for their flagship 70amp HV Pro ESC, complete with heatsinks and 12S capability needed for the U10.

The bullet proof coaxial mount is direct fit for T-Motor U7 - U11 brushless motors.

ASSEMBLY

The build started with the coaxial motor mounts and each motor was bolted to the flat black plates. The black plates fit precisely into a “U” shaped red anodized piece. The assembly then bolts to the aluminum cap that fits on the end of the boom and the process is repeated for the lower motor. To add considerable strength to the entire assembly, a square piece fits into the front to join the top and bottom together. Before fitting this to the boom end, two small components are bolted temporarily to the end cap, so that when bolted in from the side the carbon structure is clamped together. The final assembly is the most rigid motor mount I have ever seen and the distance between the upper and lower props is larger than other frames in this class. This helps recover some of the eﬃciency lost in a coaxial design. The Gryphon product is a pleasure to assemble. The parts fit together with go/no-go clearance, which means that they are so perfectly sized that any additional material would no longer allow the parts to fit into one another. There are no tooling marks or surface imperfections. Truly a testament to precision craftsmanship, the Gryphon frame is the Bugatti Veyron of the multirotor world. The lower plate includes 12mm rails and aluminum mounts with the standard 155mm spacing to allow for easy mounting

of popular gimbals and accessories. All DJI Zenmuse and DSLR gimbals are a direct fit. To keep the center of gravity as close to the IMU as possible, two carbon fiber plates mount on red anodized stand-oﬀs over the upper plate. Their position is adjustable side to side. Also included in our kit was the Gryphon landing gear; however it isn’t a retracting style, so we opted to keep it for another time. It is beneficial to point out that while the tubes for the gear are only 20mm instead of the more typical 25mm, Gryphon’s superior construction techniques makes their smaller diameter tubes surprisingly strong.

DJI A2 MOTOR MIXER

The default motor mixer configuration for the X8 Octo on the A2 is a bit limiting. Normally each motor spins the opposite direction from its neighbor, but on a coaxial setup, all the top props spin counterclockwise and all the lower ones spin clockwise. This does make it very easy to keep all these motors straight in your head and when performing a motor test with the DJI App from my iPhone, 1, 2, 3 and 4 are the upper and 5, 6, 7 and 8 are the lower. The I used some extra DJI components that I had lying around to create a 12mm carbon tube GPS mount. problem is that most enthusiasts know that to overcome some of the eﬃciency loss in the coaxial configuration, it’s recommended to use a prop one inch shorter on the upper motors. When the T-Motor 17- and ELECTRONICS 18-inch props arrived, With the ESC’s installed on the inner booms, I added a set of Castle each pair included a Creations 40mm fans to each, as well as a Futaba telemetry temp sensor left and right hand for peace of mind. The DJI A2 IMU was mounted on the top plate for rotation blade, and I easy access and the A2 main controller took residence on the inner realized that I needed boom just outside the center. To keep the GPS antenna as far from the all left 17-inch and electronics as possible, I used a couple of DJI components to make a all right 18-inch. To super durable mount from a 12mm tube. When traveling, the lower overcome this issue, clamp can be released and the tube slides down to allow easy transport. my options were a custom motor mix in BATTERIES the A2 or to simply When flying a DSLR in the past, generally we flew three 5000mAh 6S alternate upper and The DJI A2 flight controller running firmware 2.3 is the heart of the Gryphon. The A2 is the only controller I LiPos in parallel for a total of 15000mAh. That battery setup weighed lower motors and trust on our large and expensive camera rigs. about six pounds, added a lot of extra make the connections and was good for only around direction of rotation mimic the DJI rotation. Regardless of 12 minutes of flight. Today’s battery the method you may choose, they are all less expensive than technology is opening up new possibilities. buying 16 props and not using half of them. The 6S Pulse 22000mAh packs we chose for this project each weigh approximately THE LAST WORD six pounds, yield nearly 32 percent more Though some find the Gryphon design to be overcapacity for the same weight, yet take up engineered, I like knowing it’s stronger than it needs to considerably less space than the equivalent be without being heavier than I’d like. During all my number of 5000mAh packs. Previously, flights, we never experienced a component fail or anything I would have had to try to fit nearly nine loosening and despite being a folding design, the booms 5000mAh packs on top to equal the energy are more rigid and reliable than any other folding copter from two Pulse packs. The Pulse batteries I’ve seen. For those wanting the ultimate in strength, the save me almost six pounds and simplify lower cost and durable design allows easy breakdown and Pulse 22,000mAh packs save weight and space compared to the equivalent capacity in my charging process. transport by removing only four screws per arm. While 5,000mAh packs. the Gryphon isn’t the only large X8 frame available, its incredible construction and stunning appearance make it a top contender in the pro market, and is competitively priced with the others in this class. If you want to set yourself apart by oﬀering your client smoother footage, larger payload capacity and record flight time, check out the Gryphon Dynamics product line today. = CONTACTS CASTLE CREATIONS castlecreations.com DJI empirerc.com FUTABA futaba-rc.com GRYPHON DYNAMICS gryphondynamics.co.kr PULSE helidirect.com The Gryphon was used on a commercial shoot in the carribean. It carried a Red Dragon and a Movi gimbal.

T-MOTOR getfpv.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89. MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 61

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

» NEED TO KNOW

by Petr Hejl Photos Petr Hejl & Joe Papa

DJI

H3-3D Gimbal

The smoothest GoPro footage yet! One of the most anticipated arrivals of this season in the amateur AP (aerial photography) market was indeed the three-axis DJI H3-3D gimbal for the GoPro Hero camera line. DJI has practically mastered the technique of working up the anticipation by the usual long wait time between the product announcement and its release. Its two-axis predecessor had become a “gold standard” in GoPro stabilization last year for its capabilities, easy installation and setup, and the two-axis gimbal market was quickly flooded by many other manufacturers. Some three-axis gimbals started arriving on the market late last year, but these were mostly Basecam board-controlled gimbals that didn’t really oﬀer a great platform for beginners or anyone looking for a gimbal that was easy to set up and operate. To me, DJI is like the Apple of the

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

Gimbal GCU (gimbal control unit) GCU-to-gimbal wire ribbon Mounting bracket Rubber vibration dampeners Extra GoPro USB plug and ribbon Video-out cable Screws PROS

Easy to install and set up Clean design, great materials and finish Really, really, really smooth Great value for the price Uses flight controller’s IMU sensors to operate GCU works on 2-6S battery CONS

Limited tilt control, absence of any speed adjustment and stick rate mode Third axis in follow-mode only, two operator setup almost impossible The ribbon connecting to the GoPro can easily be damaged Only works with DJI Flight Control systems

multirotor world. Their equipment is wellmanufactured, works great and offers fairly intuitive user interface. However, it does not offer as many options and possibilities to customize its functions as some of the competing products do, such as different control modes for tilt or any control of the yaw axis (for two-operator setup). While the third-axis stabilization works flawlessly, it only offers follow-mode with no possible control of the yaw. The functional angle of the yaw axis is about 35 degrees, which seems plenty for a follow-mode gimbal. Two-operator setup is possible in home or course-lock modes while allowing the camera operator to control the yaw axis of the copter and tilt of the gimbal, however this style of use is a bit limited and impractical. INSTALLATION

My platform of choice for a GoPro camera is a DJI F550 Hexcopter with Aero-X-Craft landing gear. The H3-3D replaced my H3-2D and the installation was a breeze. I positioned the gimbal forward and as low as I could to avoid props in view even under a heavy pitch forward. The gimbal connects to the GCU (Gimbal Control Unit) via an 8-wire ribbon and the GCU connects to the Can-Bus port on the PMU (Power Management Unit) of 62 MULTIROTOR PILOT

the Naza system. It is important to mention that this gimbal will only work with DJI flight control systems. The video feeds from the GCU unit via a “headphone jack” and simply connects to the video transmitter (or an OSD unit if used). The box contains a few diﬀerent rubber dampening blocks which vary in softness. I used the white/soft blocks for mine and am happy with the results as there is absolutely no “Jell-O” in the picture. While the rubber blocks help alleviate the “Jell-O,” the best way to eliminate it is to keep the props balanced using a good balancer. Clear plastic lock pins are provided to help keep the gimbal in place in case of a hard landing or crash. Without being secured by these pins, the blocks pop oﬀ easily, which may result in damage to your gimbal or camera. The pins may also interfere with the yaw motion of the gimbal if not installed properly so pay close attention to this when installing your own. The GoPro is held in by a bracket secured by two screws while a mini-USB plug along with a ribbon is provided to plug the GoPro into the gimbal. This plug feeds 5V into the camera and feeds the video out to the transmitter. The ribbon is quite delicate and could break easily if not installed or handled properly. DJI provides one extra ribbon and plug in the box. I downloaded the gimbal assistant app from DJI’s website, plugged into the GCU via USB port and installed the necessary upgrades. Then, I made sure my Naza firmware was up-to-date and performed the advanced calibration using the Tools tab in the Naza assistant app. All firmware must be up-to-date and the IMU calibrated for the gimbal to perform well. Without doing this, it may not level properly or it can slowly drift in one direction. The gimbal tilt control is assigned to the X1 port on the Naza controller, so I assigned a lever on my Futaba transmitter to a channel controlling the X1. The tilt control only works in a “position” mode, where the position of the gimbal matches the position of the lever. It moves between positions at constant (and fast) speed and this makes it impossible to achieve slow and smooth tilts. On Futaba controllers (14SG) with a Multirotor menu, the speed of tilt can be set in “Servo Speed” menu. On other Futaba models (8FG), the speed of the gimbal tilt can be adjusted by setting up the channel as “motor.” This will still not deliver the smoothness and control of the “stick rate” mode (mode in which the position of the lever decides the speed of the tilt in corresponding direction. The lever needs to be brought back to center to stop the tilt motion in desired position), but allows it to slow down and somewhat adjust the speed of the gimbal tilt. To me, the tilt control is the biggest drawback to this excellent gimbal, I feel that DJI has a little bit of catching up to do with their “cheaper” competitors who seem to have figured this feature out in a much better way. IN FLIGHT

The gimbal goes through a quick calibration “dance” when powered on. It is possible to push the buttons on the GoPro with the gimbal on, if too much pressure is applied, the gimbal locks out for a second and comes right back on. The gimbal acts a bit wild when performing the Nazadance (compass calibration), but it does not seem to hurt it. When I took oﬀ with this gimbal for the first time, I simply could not

believe how smooth it was. Even with me deliberately shaking the copter, the image on the screen looked as if it was “frozen.” After spending a season flying with two-axis gimbals, the third axis follow-mode took a bit getting used to as it adds a slight “delay” to the pan (yaw) motion. When framing the shots using the screen, the pan motion of the image no longer matches the yaw motion of the copter. After a bit of a practice I managed to account for this by remembering not to be overly aggressive on the yaw stick input and stop the yaw a few degrees before the point at which I needed to stop the camera. This gimbal uses the Naza flight controller’s IMU sensor input, which helps achieve immediate response to any movement of the copter. As I previously noted, the only big limitation of this gimbal is the tilt function which only works in stick position mode. While it is still possible to adjust the speed on some RC transmitters, I would like to see such adjustments possible through the assistant app, along with the stick rate mode option offered by most competitors. I also noticed that the gimbal will start to slightly “wobble” when tilted directly down and the copter on full roll (flown sideways at maximum angle) in the “atti” flight mode. It will not behave this way when flown in full pitch, or smaller roll angles. This observation is based on two different gimbals on two different machines. I also managed to lock the gimbal out a few times by performing some fairly brisk maneuvers. The gimbal disables the motors when too much pressure is applied to them, protecting itself from damage to the electronics, be it during crash or if too much pressure is applied while trying to press the GoPro buttons. It resets after couple of seconds without a need to land and restart by unplugging it. I was quite blown away when I saw the footage from my first flight with the H3-3D. I recorded it in 2.7K Wide (GoPro Hero3+ Black), played it back on the 27-inch screen and saw absolutely no wobbles or “Jell-O” in the picture. I have never seen such a smooth footage out of my GoPro before. THE LAST WORD

This gimbal saves a lot of time over the two-axis gimbals by removing the annoying side-to-side wobbles that can ruin the shot and make us want to repeat the same shot many times to get the perfect frame. It oﬀers the ability to obtain very-long and smooth shots that have only been reserved for larger cameras and more expensive gimbals before and does so at a reasonable price. It is a no-brainer for anyone looking to stabilize a GoPro on smaller frame copters with single-operator setup. It is easy to install and nicely integrates with DJI flight control systems. It is pretty amazing to see DJI evolve in just one year from a $700 two-axis Zenmuse to this little 3-axis marvel at half the price. Well done DJI…well done indeed. = CONTACTS DJI empirerc.com NOTADRONE notadrone.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 63

PRODUCT REVIEW by Joe Cannavo Photos by Walter Sidas

Quanum

DIY FPV Goggle Set with Monitor » NEED TO KNOW MANUFACTURER: Quanum DISTRIBUTOR: HobbyKing PRICE: $29.99 (International Warehouse)

Have you always wanted to give FPV flying a shot, but perhaps the expense of the mainstream goggles on the market has scared you oﬀ? There are a lot of DIY solutions on the internet where people modify a pair of ski goggles and make a homemade shroud with a small video monitor and while some may work well, I have not seen too many that don’t look hokey. HobbyKing just released the new Quanum DIY FPV Goggles that can bring the FPV experience to you for less than 30 bucks. Of course, you still need a video camera, transmi er and a receiver, but you can certainly get started with FPV flying for around half the cost of other FPV video goggle solutions in the market. 64 MULTIROTOR PILOT

FPV for under $30 bucks! The goggles come as a kit that will take you 20 minutes or so to make flight-ready. In the kit you get a EPP foam housing, head strap, adhesive foam strips to custom fit to your face, a Fresnel lens and of course, the heart of the goggles, a non-blue screen 4.3-inch TFT monitor. The Fresnel lens is adjustable to your preference, giving you a crystal-clear picture with a minimal viewing distance. Three lenses are included so you can find the most comfortable viewing experience. The monitor gives you a clear, bright, non-blue image at 480dpi resolution and can be setup to either the 16:9 or 4:3 video formats. It works with either PAL or NTSC, so you are set no ma er what part of the world

you live in. There is a provision on the top of the frame for an optional top head strap. Due to the curved design of the top case, you can even a ach the goggles to the brim of your favorite ball cap. The monitor uses standard RCA plugs for video and it comes with a mini JST plug for connecting to a ba ery. ASSEMBLY TIPS

• I tried all three lenses and I made sure to use a couple pieces of Scotch tape to hold my preferred lens in place on the lens holder. • After a aching the lens holder tabs with CA glue, I used my Dremel tool to shorten them by about 8mm so I could easily

SPECS MONITOR SCREEN: Non-blue TFT LCD SCREEN SIZE: 4.3 in. (16:9 or 4:3 switchable) FORMAT: PAL/NTSC supported SUPPLY VOLTAGE: 7-13 VDC RESOLUTION: 480 pixels FRESNEL LENS: 3X and 4X included SIZE: 140x95x120mm WEIGHT: 6.9 oz.

ing myself that they are only 30 bucks. I tried my first flight with a FPV multirotor and I enjoyed the experience. I had no problem making out objects and the field of view was great. The monitor was surprisingly clear despite only being 480dpi. One thing I did really like about them was that they did not seem to fog up. It was pre y warm and humid the first day I tried them and usually halfway through the first flight, my other goggles fog up and can make it diﬃcult to make out the screen, but on these I did not have any fogging issues despite the fact that my head was sweating.

slide the frame out if I ever needed to change the lens. • The yellow RCA jack is the main video-in feed. There are no speakers on the monitor, which made me believe that the white is NOT for audio. I connected a video feed to it and it turns out that it is actually a second video input. Although I am not sure why you would need that, at least you know that it is not for audio. • I powered my goggles with both a 2S LiPo from a pair of FatShark goggles that I had as well as a 3S 1200mAh LiPo and both worked flawlessly. HOW DO THEY WORK?

I have spent a lot of time flying FPV both FatShark and Zeiss Cinemizer FPV goggles and they both provide a diﬀerent experience and both work very well. I wasn’t sure how I would like the design and video quality, but I was excited to find out. I spent a li le while adjusting them with the adhesive foam strips and head strap until the fit was comfortable. They are very light (around seven ounces); much lighter than they look, so they were comfortable and didn’t feel heavy on my face. I applied a video feed to them via an Immersion 5.8GHz video receiver. The video was coming from a Mobius action camera and transmi ed by an Immersion 5.8GHz 600mW transmi er. The video quality was very good. It took me a few minutes of fiddling with the lens to adjust it properly to the clearest picture. Once I did, the experience was very diﬀerent than the Zeiss or FatShark goggles. The screen seemed much larger and closer to my face, which made it easy to make out details. It’s like si ing in the front row of a movie theater, compared to si ing 10 rows back with the FatSharks and 20 rows back with the Zeiss.

THE LAST WORD

For 30 dollars how can you go wrong? They assemble quickly and are lightweight with a very good picture quality. They don’t have an integrated video receiver but in many cases, that’s be er because you have more flexibility as to what you use them with. They worked great for FPV flying and also make an extra second set of eyes for taking spectators along for the ride. = I am sure they did not look too sexy on my face. It was kind of like having a small foam cooler a ached to my face, but what did I care? I am not looking at me; I am concentrating on the video inside the goggles. It was hard for me to consciously pick these goggles apart and find negative things to say because I had to keep remind-

CONTACTS IMMERSION RC hobbyking.com QUANUM hobbyking.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT by Joe Cannavo

350 QX

BLADE

CARRY CASE

The Blade 350 QX is my go-to machine for grabbing a few quick flights at lunch, whether it's for aerial video or FPV. I always keep it on the back seat of my SUV along with a few battery packs, a DX6i transmitter and a charger. It is not uncommon in my vehicle to hear items hitting the back floor when I have to stop abruptly and I always worry about â&#x20AC;&#x153;car rashâ&#x20AC;? or broken blades from just having it sitting there. Blade recently introduced a new carry case for the 350 QX which solved my problems and allows me to safely store it in my vehicle, having everything neatly at the ready come lunch time. The case is very durable brushed aluminum with bright graphics, the foam insert is cut to accept the 350 QX with a long landing gear and it will be ready for the new gimbal-equipped 350 QX2 AP combo that will be released soon. It holds up to six flight batteries, each in their own pocket. There are additional spots to hold the charger, tools, spare blades and other accessories. Best of all, it has a special area designed to hold Spektrum transmitters, from the DX5e to the DX18. I love this case (almost as much as I love my Blade 350 QX) and it now has a permanent spot in my vehicle. Part# BLH7849, Price: $139.99 = CONTACT BLADE bladehelis.com. For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

66 MULTIROTOR PILOT

PILOT REVIEW Words Eric Jordon Photos Candy Jordon

HELI-MAX

230 Si

The 230 Si lined up next to its smaller camera carrying sibling, the 1 Si, for size comparison. The sleek new canopy is rigid plastic to protect all the internal components.

SERIOUS FUN FOR ALL QUAD PILOTS

In Auto Hover mode, the 230 Si reaches a maximum altitude of 10 feet off the ground, keeping the limits of the little quad in check for novice pilots.

Heli-Max has been producing aﬀordable, quality quadcopters for some time now with the latest addition being the 230 Si. It’s a midsize quadcopter packing a ton of great features such as several flight modes to choose from that will appeal to just about everyone’s flying preferences. The 230 Si also has a LED light setup integrated into the arms which would be good for low-light flying conditions. The frame and landing gear appear to have a solid construction and should be able to take a few tumbles before any major damage could occur. All the other accessories were neatly MANUFACTURER: Heli-Max packed away separately and easy DISTRIBUTOR: Hobbico to locate. TYPE: RTF quadcopter

» NEED TO KNOW FOR: Everyone

IN THE AIR

PRICE: $179.97

With a fully charged pack, I decided to try the 230 Si outside in my front yard first to give myself plenty of room for maneuvers until I became more comfortable with the machine and its flying characteristics.

68 MULTIROTOR PILOT

SPECS FLYING WEIGHT (without camera): 127g (4.4 oz.) Sliding the throttle slowly up, the blades began to spin and the quadcopter was rising oﬀ the ground in just a few quick seconds. I immediately found that hovering the 230 Si was a no-brainer, as the 3-axis gyro system works perfectly. I moved the right stick on the controller up and began doing some slow forward flight in low rates, making large circles around the yard. After a couple passes, I can say that in low rates a novice pilot would be well in their comfort zone, as the 230 Si was very stable. Coming back to a hover, I tried pirouettes in

FLYING WEIGHT (with camera): 132g (4.7 oz.) LENGTH: 306mm (12.05 in.) HEIGHT: 75mm (2.95 in.) WIDTH: 306mm (12.05 in.) DIAGONAL DIMENSIONS: 230mm (9.1 in.) ROTOR DIAMETER: 144mm (5.7 in.) RADIO: HMX 465 SLT 4-channel 2.4GHz GYRO: TAGS-FX 3-axis gyro with three accelerometers DURATION: Up to 15 minutes BATTERY: Heli-Max 1S 3.7V 1200mAh LiPo

FEATURES The Heli-Max 230 Si has Actual Direction Control. When turned on, the quadcopter will go in the direction that you move the sticks no matter what the orientation is. There are a few different flight control modes to assist in orientation, altitude and position hold.

The LED lights that are mounted on the bottoms of the arms of the 230 Si really give it low-light and night flying capabilities.

both directions. The quad handled the pirouettes well and I was already thinking that it was time to put it through its paces. Switching to high rates, I began with fast forward flight, making sharper turns while navigating around the yard. The bank angle was definitely greater in high rates and I did a couple of figure-eight maneuvers with ease. My confidence level grew with each pass and I was quite happy with the performance of the quadcopter so far. Perhaps the best part about the 230 Si is the diﬀerent modes it utilizes for flight. There is a limited altitude hold mode that will limit the height at which the machine will fly, an altitude hold mode to assist in capturing steady video or pictures and a return to pilot mode in case orientation is lost. Quite handy for novice pilots. The onboard camera is able to capture still images in JPEG format or video that is recorded in AVI format at 1280x720 resolution at 30 fps. The pictures and video are stored on a micro SD card that can be transferred easily to a PC.

Author’s Opinion I was very impressed with the way this mini quadcopter handled. Indoor flying was a little tight in my living room, but I had no problems whatsoever out in the yard. The 230 Si is also very durable, being able to withstand bumpy landings and keep on going. With beginner and expert flight modes, virtually anyone could have a great first flight with the 230 Si. Being ready to fly out of the box was a big plus as there was no assembly required. Just install the four “AA” batteries in the transmitter, charge the flight battery and the fun begins.

THE LAST WORD

Let’s tally this one up. The 230 Si is a durable little machine that is fun to fly for all skill levels and can be obtained with or without a camera for under 200 hundred bucks. I’d say Heli-Max hit the nail on the head with this one. There’s no setup to do, simply charge the battery, power everything up and start having fun with this diminutive beast. Small machine, small price…Big Fun! =

The transmitter has built-in beginner and expert flight modes, giving you choices that best fit your flying preferences and skill level.

PROS Beginner and expert flight modes Fail-safe feature if radio signal is lost Solid construction which can handle bumpy landings LED lighting system is great for orientation during low-light flying Optional on-board camera

CONS Flight mode indications are easy to mix up at first so keep the manual close at hand on the maiden

CONTACTS HELI-MAX helimax-rc.com HOBBICO hobbico.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 69

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT by Jon R. Barnes

Secraft

Radio Transmitter Tray Part of the draw of this hobby, and for that ma er ANY hobby, is the challenge to improve. Most of us enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from being able to do something that was previously beyond the scope of our abilities. The sheer variety of genres that exist within the radio control hobby, coupled with the impressive technological advances of the last few decades, has managed to keep me both smi en and passionately engaged for most of my adult life. One area in which I have always found myself lacking is helicopters. Though I have owned both nitro and electric helis over the years, I have never sufficiently focused my a ention on developing my heli proficiency to any respectable level. About a year ago, I decided that it was high time to address that deficiency and made a decided and determined effort to start logging regular, daily flights. On top of that, I have recently found myself extremely a racted to and affected by the multirotor rage. My interests in them are mostly related to the fact that they are truly a game changer when it comes to being able to shoot near-Hollywood quality aerial photography and videography on a budget. There are many differences and similarities to flying helis and multirotor aircraft but in the end, flying both of them led me to the realization that it was time to make some wholesale changes in the way that I have approached my

The age-old, burning question when it comes to RC flying styles is: thumbs or pinchers? For my entire life of RC flight, I have been solidly rooted in the former… two thumbs perched atop the radio sticks while the rest of my fingers hold the transmi er. The other style of flying involves pinching the radio sticks between your thumbs and forefingers. And I stuck with

» NEED TO KNOW MANUFACTURER: Secraft DISTRIBUTOR: Esprit Model PRICE: $92.00; accessory prices vary

flying for the last three decades. 70 MULTIROTOR PILOT

my method for all of these years mainly because it just felt right for me. I read every article in Fly RC magazine each month, mainly because I am still hungry to learn and I quite often glean new tips and techniques from my peers and the experiences of others. A few months back, I read an article where Dave Sco , touted as the world’s most experienced RC flight instructor, summarily said that one of the first things that he teaches his students is the non-negotiable need to pinch the sticks. He avers that this method, unlike the allthumbs approach, is more precise and controlled and assuredly leads to overall be er piloting skills. Since Dave’s credentials as the chief instructor and owner of the 1st US

Flight School are undeniably impressive, his words caused me to pause and rethink my long-held approach. And since my ultimate goal has always been to improve my flying skills, I decided to make the switch. Switching to this method, however, has been fairly challenging. My two forefingers have been the anchor members of my radio transmi er support crew for thirty-plus years! Moving them to the sticks resulted in me feeling like I was always about one second away from flat-out dropping my transmi er. Determined to stick with my eﬀort to refine my methods, I decided that perhaps a radio tray would be the answer. I had previously noticed that Esprit Model carried a unique and varied selection of fine looking aluminum radio trays and accessories from Secraft. With a fresh discount coupon in an email from Esprit in my inbox, I ordered up a tray. Esprit carries two diﬀerent sizes of this radio tray and it is available

in black, blue or red. The determining factor as to which size you will need is determined by the dimensions of the transmi er on which you want to use it on. It is all clearly explained on the Esprit website. There are also more than a few matching transmi er and tray accessories available from Esprit. My tray flew all the way from Florida to California in record time, thanks to Esprit’s use of USPS Priority shipping. The tray and its associated hardware are all contained in a compartmented plastic bag. No assembly instructions are included but Esprit provides ample close-up photos of the tray from a variety of angles on their comprehensive website. Using these photos, I had the tray assembled in a few minutes. I was duly impressed with how feathery-light the anodized blue tray felt in my hands. My primary rotary winged model transmi er is a Futaba 14SG. I like to use its built-in telemetry feature to receive real time in-flight data from some of my multirotor aircraft. It is not by any means a small transmi er dimensionally; and I was cursed to receive my momma’s li le hands! Slipping the 14SG into the Secraft tray is easy and it locks firmly into place, with no fears that it could ever come out of the tray on its own. My first flight using the tray had me instantly wondering why and how I ever flew without it. The tray bears the full weight of the radio and the fingers that I previously tasked with holding my transmi er have since been relieved of duty. Using a tray makes

the pinch method of stick control much easier. The tray even allows me to completely remove my hands from the sticks while in flight, allowing me to easily access telemetry data on my radio or just give them a breather. I have since accessorized my Esprit tray even further, adding the optional hand rests, the LCD FPV monitor holder and the four-point harness strap. The hand rests are especially fantastic. I feel like my hands are now relaxing in a pair of La-Z-Boy recliners when I am flying. The hand rests completely support your hands in a most natural position possible and at the perfect elevation. I did have to slightly modify the LCD display holder to properly accommodate my particular monitor, but I love having the FPV display right there above my transmi er. The angle of the LCD can be easily adjusted using a pair of anodized quick-release levers. The four-point harness strap does a great job of properly distributing the weight across your back and really contributes to the entire ensemble hanging comfortably and in the right position. My wife chuckles every time she sees her favorite nerd wearing what she refers to as his “flight controller command station” but this tray has been pivotal to this nerd making good on his determination to switch to the pinch style of radio control. The anodized-aluminum Secraft trays are lightweight, the machining and hardware are first-rate and enough customization options and color choices exist to allow each pilot to outfit their tray until it feels and looks just right to them. Though I used to think radio trays were only used by European pilots and old timers (and I am well on my way to being the la er), I have tasted what they can do and it is truly amazing. Good luck trying to pry this game changing transmi er tray out of my pinch grips. = CONTACT Esprit Model espritmodel.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

HOW TO by Joe Papa

Joe Papa is a an accomplished pilot in the multirotor arena. He has flown some of the most expensive and highly technical aerial camera rigs available. Joe’s mechanical and electrical design background combined with his passion for multirotors makes him an integral part of the Multirotor Pilot team where he serves as our technical editor and test pilot.

Prevent a Crash

With Telemetry

Taking the controls of a multirotor can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences available in RC. Unfortunately, new pilots can get overwhelmed while trying to fly, control a camera and monitor their surroundings. Most crashes can be avoided and anything that helps avoid a crash, protects your investment and keeps you having fun is well worth looking into.

As a new pilot, it’s very easy to experience a bit of sensory overload. Managing to control your model can be enough for most, but when you add a camera, FPV monitor, an OSD (on screen display) and Ground Station waypoint capability, it can leave a pilot distracted and overwhelmed. It’s those few critical seconds that can make the diﬀerence between a successful flight and a really bad day. Another reason to consider telemetry is that you’ll never leave home without it. Many times I’ve flown for fun without a camera installed to make ge ing in the air easier. Not having to lug FPV gear, ba eries, monitors, etc., can lighten the load. It also breaks your link to these secondary sources of information. As a new pilot, I also remember staring at the FPV monitor while I tried to decipher the gamut of information before me. LED WARNING

Recently, DJI modified the firmware and eliminated the yellow 1st level warning that your ba ery voltage was ge ing low. If you fly with a LightBridge, that 1st level warning is eliminated. What if you are just too high or far away to see it? Nearly all manufacturers oﬀer radios with Telemetry or the ability to add it. Today I will be discussing the Futaba 14SG. This radio has become the standard for multirotors in the professional realm and has industry-leading telemetry capabilities. Most Futaba sensors are designed to plug into the S.Bus port on the receiver. To use more than one sensor, a parallel adapter is required. The included 7008SB receiver has an external voltage port. By connecting power directly to this port with the optional cable (Futaba-CA-RVIN-700), the receiver will now send this info directly to your transmi er. You can set the voltage you would like the warning to be triggered at and when it’s time to land, the 14SG will vibrate in your hands. BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP

Yet another reason to consider adding at least ba ery level telemetry is for backup. In the event you go out of FPV range with your machine, you can feel safe know72 MULTIROTOR PILOT

TEMP

This sensor is great for keeping an eye on motor, ESC or ba ery temps. Since most flight controllers can’t be used below certain temps, this can also help you avoid flights in weather that is too cold. GPS

The GPS module is capable of giving you warnings for speed, distance, altitude and vario (rate of ascent/descent). The GPS module is an information powerhouse. I personally own this sensor and in the event of a crash or lost model, I can easily pull up the latitude and longitude GPS data and use it to locate the model. THE LAST WORD

Futaba’s telemetry is a highly evolved and precise set of sensors. Its elegant design intuitively keeps you aware of your model’s ing you’re not flying in the dark. Recently, a friend asked me to get some GoPro video of a rooftop party he was having. I packed my Flamewheel 550 with the new GoPro Hero+ and 3-axis Zenmuse. After the first flight I unplugged the li le USB connector from the camera to remove the memory card and the ribbon cable broke in half. Without the cable, I had no video signal and no power for the camera. I literally had to fly blind and with the sun se ing in the distance, I couldn’t always see the Naza M v2 LED. Having the telemetry screen with real-time flight pack voltage was a lifesaver. As soon as the radio began to vibrate, I knew I had roughly three minutes to get back and land. It allows me to keep my eyes on the copter, which is especially important when you’re piloting around objects or low elevation. S.BUS

Futaba radios also offer S.Bus-compatible telemetry sensors for monitoring temperature, rpm, altitude, GPS, voltage and more. Connections are nearly effortless and the 14SG can display the data from 12 sensors on the telemetry screens. For each sensor you can choose the type of alert you would like as well as a maximum or minimum value to trigger the alert. Futaba even allows you to assign a switch to that particular telemetry sensor, so you can turn the alert on/off. ATMOSPHERIC SENSOR

With this sensor installed, you can be alerted by voice, vibration or audio melody when your model is gaining or losing altitude. I personally witnessed a crash when

a new pilot, completely mesmerized by his new FPV monitor accidentally pulled back on the thro le while turning his head to look at his screen. By the time he realized it was coming down, it was too late. The onscreen display was showing his altitude, but he was too busy trying to watch where he was going on the monitor. Needless to say, he landed in a tree at least 100 feet high. If his copter had this sensor, it would have played descending musical tones to let him hear that he was falling. This is great when you are piloting less than 20 feet oﬀ the ground and heading away from you, as it can be very diﬃcult to determine if you are maintaining your altitude.

flight status and the alerts can be set to your taste and preference. The seconds leading up to a crash can be hectic or even panicstricken. These are the moments you are least likely to be able to think clearly. Radio telemetry alerts like audio tones, voice prompts or vibrations are nearly impossible to miss and that can be all the diﬀerence in the world when every second counts. = CONTACT FUTABA futaba-rc.com

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 73

PILOT REVIEW Words Matt Maziarz Photos by Walter Sidas

3D Thrill Machine!

ENCORE RC

INVERTIX 400 »

NEED TO KNOW

MANUFACTURER: Encore RC DISTRIBUTOR: Encore RC TYPE: 3D Quadcopter FOR: Intermediate to advanced pilots MINIMUM FLYING AREA: Any outdoor flying area PRICE: $429.98 (Carbon fiber kit version)

78 MULTIROTOR PILOT

If multirotors may have piqued your interest, but the prospect of trolling smoothly through the skies isn’t quite your cup of tea, the Invertix 400 is probably right up your alley. In a world of GPS-enabled machines with autopilot systems and super-advanced flight control boards, there are really only two options for quadcopters that are fully 3D-capable. Sure, there are a number of machines that are adept at performing stunts such as flips, rolls and loops, but to date, there are only two on the market that are able to roll inverted and stay there. 3D RC heli guru Bobby Watts started his own company, Encore RC, to design, develop and bring the Invertix to market and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. The multirotor facet of RC has adopted many new pilots from all aspects of RC, but the hardcore 3D heli guys had always wanted a little something more in the performance department and this little quad is sure to give them what they’ve been asking for. Ditch the gimbal-mounted camera and strap up your boots for some awesome 3D action with a modestly priced machine that’s both easy to fly and cheap to fix. In the past, 3D capable rotary winged aircraft had always relied on some form of collective

SPECS FLYING WEIGHT: 635g (CF version without battery)

Authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Opinion While the current trend in multirotor airframes is to produce and fly large, lumbering machines that provide a stable platform from which spectacular aerial images and video can be captured, there are a few builders and designers that are still focusing on the fun factor of the flight itself. Designed by Bobby Watts, the Invertix is all about 3D flight, providing a pure adrenaline rush and breaking the mold when it comes to quadcopter flying characteristics. The frame is extremely light, yet rigid and once itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all buttoned up, it looks awesome. The optional LED light strips allow for some after dark action so exhilarating flight is always an option, no matter what time of day it is.

LENGTH: 405mm HEIGHT: 123mm WIDTH: 405mm PROPS: (4) 8 in. Neo 3D props included MOTORS: (4) Outlaw 2212-1400Kv brushless motors ESCS: (4) Outlaw Reverse3D 25Amp Opto ESCs RADIO: Spektrum DX9 transmitter and Spektrum Spektrum DSMX remote receiver FLIGHT CONTROLLER: NanoWii flight controller BATTERY: Turnigy 3S 2200mAh LiPo DURATION: 5 minutes NEEDED TO COMPLETE: Minimum 5-channel transmitter with helicopter programming, 3S 2200-2600mAh LiPo and a Spektrum satellite receiver. (There is an option to purchase a kit that can be used with external receivers as well as an RTF version).

PROS pitch design. The fact of the matter is that in RC helicopters, the main blade is so large when compared to the airframe itself. For this reason, the rpm of the head needs to stay at a consistent rate and direction while relying on changes in the pitch of the main blades to achieve a

Quick and easy assembly thanks to the design and intuitive manual Pre-programmed flight control board Satellite receiver version allows for a cleaner, lighter install 3D capable without all the extra collective pitch linkage

CONS Landing gear and bottom plate are difficult to disassemble for repairs and maintenance The optional LEDs available from Encore RC really make this little 3D beast sparkle in addition to making night flights possible.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 79

PILOT REVIEW I ENCORE RC INVERTIX 400

IN THE AIR Prepping the machine first its first flight, I had to keep reminding myself, “mid-stick to land, mid-stick to land.” Basically, once the motors are armed, anything above 50 percent throttle is positive rotation while anything between zero and mid-stick is negative rotation. I assigned the motor arming switch duties to the H-lever on my DX9, which is the same switch I use for throttle hold on my CP helicopters, so if all else failed, I would simply disarm the motors if a crash was imminent in order to limit the damage to the airframe or its components. I set my radio up according to the manual with low rates around 100 and highs at 125 for the rudder, ailerons and elevator. Throttle was set to 125 for both rates. With two fully charged packs in tow, I headed out to the local field with staff photographer Walter Sidas. After arming the motors, I again reminded myself that I was, more or less, flying a machine that was always in idle up and a machine without any sort of GPS or altitude hold. I advanced the throttle and the Invertix lurched skywards. In low rates, the machine was very stable, almost locked stationary without any input. The throttle took a little getting used to as it is very responsive, but that’s to be expected for a 3D platform. I spent the first battery pack flying circuits around the field in an upright orientation to get myself familiar with the flight characteristics. Slow forward movements were precise and easy, but high speed circles required a bit more attention. Because there is no system limiting the angle of the machine when pitched forward, it can

collective response. While this method has been simplified to a great degree with the advent of flybarless control systems, there is entirely another option in the world of multirotor aircraft. The idea of reversing prop direction in the blink of an eye might not be a plausible option for single rotor helicopters, but the inherent stability and relatively small prop sizes on a multirotor are the perfect grounds for such a design. The fact that the props on a quad are 80 MULTIROTOR PILOT

move out with authority. At the five-minute mark, the battery started to lose its pep so I landed it gently at mid-stick…hooray! I allowed the ESCs and motors to cool a bit, as it was a fairly hot and humid day, before strapping a fresh Encore RC 2600mAh 3S to the belly of the Invertix. Popping it up to twenty feet, I switched into high rates and buried the throttle to enter into a large nose over arch. Once the machine was completely inverted, I brought the throttle down to twenty five percent and within the blink of an eye, the props reversed direction and sent the Invertix towards the clouds belly up. I performed a few more wide rolls and loops before getting closer to the ground, just to get a feel for how it would react to aggressive throttle inputs. Much to my amazement, the machine exhibited no ill effects from the props reversing direction so quickly. There’s something to be said for the counter rotating design of multirotors in that they offer a far superior platform stability-wise than their CP helicopter counterparts. Holding the Invertix inverted for an extended period was a breeze compared to some of my helis and when stopped at the apex of a flip or roll, it’ll tick tock until the cows come home. Inverted hurricanes were also much easier though I had to keep them in close as orientation is not as easy to discern on a small quadcopter as it is on a pod and boom helicopter. I’ve finally got the tool I so desperately need to perfect my piro-flips without worrying about stuffing one of my larger, more expensive and less durable helis!

spinning in opposing directions means that the reverse in direction will do nothing to disturb the yaw center of the frame itself. Such an innovative design coupled with a skilled set of thumbs is sure to draw more than a few 3D freaks into the realm of multirotors. SETUP ASSEMBLY TIPS The

assembly instructions advise

placing the ESCs on top of the frame, but we opted to hide ours on the bottom of the top deck for a clean look. If you’re going to do the same, be sure to either file the frame edges down or to add spliced fuel line tubing to prevent the wires from chafing on the frame edges. Routing all of the wiring between the top and bottom frame plates requires moving the ferrite cores on the ESC leads closer to the ESC itself. Long-nosed hemostats are a great deal of help when plugging in each ESC as the distribution board is sandwiched between the two frames. With all of the electronics tucked beneath the top deck, the layout looks nice and tidy. The carbon fiber version also gives the Invertix killer looks.

Do not zip-tie the wiring underneath each boom until you’ve tidied up all the internal wiring and the optional LEDs. The LED strips are small, but not so much that they will fit between the motor mounting bolts. We opted to mount ours diagonally between said bolts so that they point straight backwards and forwards as the Invertix is flown in X configuration.

Notice the long length of silicone fuel line on the bottom deck as well as the two small sections on the top one to protect the wiring from the sharp edges of the frame plates.

Encore RC has incorporated rubber grommets into the top deck of the frame to route the wiring down to the distribution board. We, however, chose to shoe-horn the ESCs on the bottom for a cleaner look from the top side. To do this we sliced open sections of nitro fuel line open and glued them to the frame edges where the wires would travel. THE LAST WORD

So if you’re a die-hard 3D kinda guy in the rotary winged world and have put oﬀ on getting into multirotors because of their general lack of agility and inability to hover inverted, your time has come with the release of the Invertix 400. It combines all the maneuverability of a collective pitch heli with the stability of a self-centering multirotor. The build is easy, there is no programming and the machine flies just plain awesome. The construction itself should prove to be very durable should any close encounters with the ground occur. Replacement parts are priced at an economical point so spares can always be kept in the parts box. The manual for the build and setup is second to none and Encore RC even has a build video by Bobby Watts on their website. I’m not really a camera and gimbal kind of guy and it was refreshing to see a manufacturer come out with such an innovative machine at such a modest price point. Well done Mr. Watts and Encore! =

WE USED TRANSMITTER: Spektrum DX9, SPMR9900 RECEIVER: Spektrum Remote Receiver, SPM9645 BATTERY: Encore RC 2600mAh 3S LiPo The props on the Invertix have a ridiculously steep pitch and a unique, hourglass shape. Such a design is required for a machine that uses reversing motor rotation to achieve inverted flight.

CONTACTS ENCORE RC encorerc.com HOBBYKING hobbyking.com SPEKTRUM spektrumrc.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

ESC: (4) Outlaw Reverse3D 25Amp Opto ESCs, OLESC-25A3D (included) MOTOR: (4) Outlaw 22121400Kv brushless motors, OLMOTO2212-1400 (included) PROPS: (4) 8 in. NEO 3D Fixed Pitch Propellers, NEO-3D8B (included) FC BOARD: Factory-tuned NanoWii, FLDUNW1.5S (included)

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 81

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT by Joe Cannavo Photos Joe Papa

Real-time flight data made easy

DJI

iOSDs-Mark II and Mini

Whether you are flying full-on FPV with video goggles or are flying line of sight while framing your shots using a video monitor, an OSD (On Screen Display) is a critical tool to have on your copter. Even though you are flying and able to see the video from the copter, you are still essentially flying blind. There is vital information that an OSD can send to your monitor to let you know the status of your batteries, your distance from home, the attitude of your copter, your altitude and more. DJI oﬀers two separate iOSD units; the iOSD Mini and iOSD Mark II. Both units overlay the same data to your video signal in real time. That information includes: Total voltage of the Naza, WKM or A2 PMU (battery voltage) Distance to home location Altitude Your flight mode (GPS, Attitude, Manual) Failsafe status (Failsafe, GoHome, APT Ground Station) Pitch and roll degrees Ground speed in meters/second Number of satellites Nose direction to home Vertical speed in meters/second Artificial horizon line Azimuth angle (heading in degrees) Video channel (Mark II only) Compass error indicator Airport alert lets you know when you are in a no-fly zone

SPECS iOSD Mark II DIMENSIONS: 52mm x 41mm x 11mm WEIGHT: 56g VIDEO INPUT/OUTPUT: PAL/NTSC VOLTAGE: 3S-6S (via integrated BEC) CURRENT: 60mA@25.2V; 103mA@12.6V CONTROLLER SUPPORTED: A2, WKM, Naza-M, Naza-M V2 BUILT IN FUNCTIONS: - iOSD information transmission - Video transmission, two video signal channels input and switch - Channel switch supported for the DJI wireless video transmitter module - DJI Z15 gimbal supported - Flight log function INCLUDES: Z15 cable, two CanBus cables, a video input cable, a video output cable and a two to three-pin cable

The software assistant allows you to set warnings for number of satellites, altitude warning and distance from home point. It also allows you to move the data to the left or right, but it does not allow you to position the data to suit your needs. IOSD MARK II

iOSD Mini DIMENSIONS: 33.2mm x 28.2mm x 10.55mm WEIGHT: 14g VIDEO INPUT/OUTPUT: PAL/NTSC VOLTAGE: 6V CURRENT: 180mA@6V CONTROLLER SUPPORTED: A2, WKM, Naza-M, Naza-M V2 INCLUDES: 200mm cable for Naza-M or WKM

82 MULTIROTOR PILOT

The iOSD Mark II utilizes an integrated design that includes a lot of functionality in a compact unit. It is designed to work in conjunction with the DJI flight controllers (A2, WooKong-M, Naza-M or NazaM V2). Data is passed along via the DJI CanBus system to give you fast, reliable and accurate flight data information. The Mark II supports dual video source inputs that are switchable during flight. Each input can be either PAL or NTSC and you can assign a 3-position transmitter switch

FUNCTIONS

iOSD MARK II

iOSD MINI

Supported DJI flight control system .................................................Wookong-M, Naza-M, Naza-M V2 ..................Wookong-M, Naza-M, Naza-M V2 Superimposed real-time flight data over the video signal ....................................... YES .........................................................................................YES Support for two video source inputs, switchable during flight ................................ YES ..........................................................................................NO Remote switching of video link channels in real time.............................................. YES ..........................................................................................NO Upgradeable online – free ....................................................................................... YES .........................................................................................YES Built-in BEC module, supports 3S-6S LiPo............................................................... YES ..........................................................................................NO User-friendly assistant software ............................................................................. YES .........................................................................................YES Flight log functionality ............................................................................................. YES ..........................................................................................NO Provides power for camera and DJI video link ........................................................ YES ..........................................................................................NO

to remotely select the input you want. This allows the pilot to switch between the aerial camera and FPV camera which is very useful in single operator setups. If your multirotor has a 3-axis gimbal such as the DJI Z15 that can continually rotate 360 degrees and you are viewing that source, it will be very difficult to know the position of the nose of the aircraft and can make controlling the copter difficult. Being able to switch to a fixed, forward-facing FPV camera will allow you to monitor the direction that the machine is traveling to reposition the copter and then safely return to filming. The transmitter switch can also be used to remotely change the video transmitter channel when using a DJI video transmitter. This is useful when you are experiencing video interference on the ground that can affect your flight; you can simply change to a cleaner channel. The Mark II also has the capability of recording flight log data which keeps track of the input and output information from every channel, GPS signal, power voltage, home distance, height and more. This data can be recalled and viewed from the assistant software after the flight. The built-in BEC module allows the Mark II to support from 3S to 6S LiPo batteries and it also provides the power supply to the camera and main controller improving reliability. There are three CanBus ports on the Mark II, which give you flexibility of expanding your system to include other DJI components like a BTU or the Ground Station Data Link without the need to install a CanHub.

real-time data overlaid on your video feed as the Mark II. They kept the cost down by eliminating some of the features like data logging, multiple video sources, remote channel switching and the BEC. However if you are flying a simpler machine you might not need these features. The input voltage for the Mini is limited to 6V which is supplied via the CanBus cable. The lack of BEC means that you cannot provide power to the camera or video transmitter from the OSD. The only connectivity on the Mini is the video input and output and a single CanBus port. You can also still use the Mini with other DJI components, but it only has a single CanBus port so you would need to install a CanHub to give you the expandability that you might need. ASSISTANT SOFTWARE

Both iOSD units can take advantage of the Assistant Software which allows you to upgrade to the latest firmware as well as set parameters and warnings for the unit. They connect to a Windows PC via a USB mini cable. You can download the software and required driver from the DJI website’s support section. Using the software you can adjust the horizontal position of the data overlaid on the screen to ensure all of the data is in view. The number of satellites warning can be set to alert you if you fall below

IOSD MINI

The iOSD Mini is an inexpensive solution to give you the same MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 83

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT I DJI IOSDS-MARK II AND MINI

a specified number of satellites thus, preventing GPS positioning from not working. You can set a warning for the maximum distance from the starting point (home) which will prevent you from flying out of video signal or worse yet, radio control range. You can also set the height range which will alert you if you fall below or fly above preset heights. THE LAST WORD

No matter what DJI controller-equipped machine you are flying, if you are using video either for FPV or aerial video work, you can benefit from a DJI iOSD unit. Which unit you choose depends on your needs. The iOSD Mini retails for $69.00 and it provides all the same flight information as the more expensive, $255.00 iOSD Mark II. The Mark II has additional features that are useful on higher-end, like dual video source and remote channel switching as well as data logging and an integrated BEC to supply power to your video gear. No matter what you need, DJI has a solution for you. Stay in the know; know what is going on up there at all times. =

84 MULTIROTOR PILOT

CONTACT DJI empirerc.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 85

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT Gens Ace batteries —for all your UAV needs. Our LiPo batteries and the brand new TATTU line have extraordinary capacity and reliability—and are used by top UAV pilots worldwide!

gensace.de/

You do the flying! Leave the heavy lifting to Gens2014 Ace!87 MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

Multirotor Source Guide Please check with your local hobby store to find products reviewed in Multirotor Pilot Magazine. Additional sources are listed below. ARES Distributed exclusively by Hobbytown USA www.ares-rc.com Email: customerservice@ hobbytown.com Blade Distributed by Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Road Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: (800) 338-4639 www.bladehelis.com Castle Creations 540 N. Rogers Road Olathe, KS 66062 Phone: (913) 390-6939 Fax: (913) 390-6164 www.castlecreations.com Email: info@castlecreations.com DJI Phone: (818) 235-0789 www.dji.com Email: us.sales@dji.com ElectriFly Distributed exclusively by Hobbico P.O. Box 9021 Champaign, IL 61826 www.electrifly.com CustomerLink Hotline: (800) 682-8948 Available at your local hobby store, or online at www.towerhobbies.com Encore RC 175 Semoran Commerce Place, Suite D Apopka, FL 32703 eFax: (866) 724-2777 www.encorerc.com

Esprit Models 1240 Clearmont St. NE, Unit #12 Palm Bay, FL 32905 Phone: (321) 729-4287 Fax: (321) 725-8920 www.espritmodel.com Email: sales@espritmodel.com

Hobbico P.O. Box 9021 Champaign, IL 61826 Phone: (217) 398-3630 www.hobbico.com Available at your local hobby store, or online at www.towerhobbies.com

Mobius www.hobbyking.com

Fat Shark RC Vision Systems Distributed by Horizon Hobby Distributors 4105 Fieldstone Rd. Champaign, IL 61822 Toll Free: (800) 338-4639 www.fatshark.com www.horizonhobby.com

HobbyKing www.hobbyking.com

Pulse Heli Direct 730 Eastern Ave., Unit 096 Malden, MA 02148 Phone: (877) 439-4354 Fax: (781) 723-6172 www.helidirect.com

Futaba Distributed exclusively by Hobbico P.O. Box 9021 Champaign, IL 61826 www.futaba-rc.com Phone: (217) 398-3630 Available at your local hobby store, or online at www.towerhobbies.com Gemfan www.gemfanhobby.com Email: sales1@gemfanhobby.com GetFPV 1127 Goodrich Ave Sarasota, FL 34236 Phone: (941) 444-0021 www.getfpv.com GoPro Phone: (888) 600-4659 www.gopro.com Gryphon Dynamics www.gryphondynamics.co.kr

MULTIROTOR ADVERTISER INDEX A Main Hobbies ............................... 14-15 Academy of Model Aeronautics ..... 28-29 ARES ......................................................51 Atlanta Hobby ........................................76 Blade ...................................................CV4 BP Hobbies, LLC. ...................................89 Castle Creations, Inc. .............................41 Designatronics, Inc. ...............................85 Du-Bro Products ....................................85 Empire Hobby........................................39 FMA Direct .............................................66 Gensace Batteries ..................................87 Graupner/SJ USA ..................................49 Heli-Max ..............................................CV2 Hitec RCD USA, Inc. ..............................35 HobbyKing ....................................CV3, 75 Hobby Pro USA .....................................84 JR Americas...........................................11 KDS Models USA ..................................88 Landing Products...................................86 Max Amps................................................7 Motor City Drone Company ..................13 ProtoX SLT ...............................................3 Range Video ....................................19, 77 RobotShop Inc. ......................................67 Spektrum ............................................. 4-5 Thunder Power ......................................50 UAV Direct .............................................86 Unmanned Experts................................87 Windsor Propeller..................................86 XAircraft America ..................................74 XHELI.com ...............................................9

Heli-Max Distributed exclusively by Hobbico P.O. Box 9021 Champaign, IL 61826 Phone: (217) 398-3630 www.helimax-rc.com Available at your local hobby store, or online at www.towerhobbies.com Hitec RCD USA 12115 Paine Street Poway, CA 92064 Phone: (858) 748-6948 Fax: (858) 748-1767 www.hitecrcd.com Email: service@hitecrcd.com

Hobbytown USA www.hobbytown.com Email: customerservice@ hobbytown.com Hobbywing www.falconsekido.com Email: Sales-us@hobbywing.com Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Rd. Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: (800) 338-4639 www.horizonhobby.com HPHeli 18480 Bandilier Circle Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Phone: (800) 854-8471 International: (714) 963-0329 www.hobbypeople.net Email: etail@hobbypeople.net HRP Distributing www.hrpdealer.com Immersion RC www.immersionrc.com Email: info@immersionrc.com JR Americas P.O. Box 8757 Champaign IL 61826-8757 www.jramericas.com KDS Models USA 1730 Preston Ave., Suite E Pasadena, TX 77503 Phone: (713) 475-5855 www.kdsmodelsusa.com Lumenier 1127 Goodrich Ave Sarasota, FL 34236 Phone: (941) 444-0021 www.getfpv.com Mars Parachutes Phone: (562)267-9452 www.marsparachutes.com Email: info@marsparachutes.com

Notadrone Phone: (860) 480-1982 www.notadrone.com Email: petrhejl1@me.com

Quantum Motors Phone: (877) 439-4354 www.quantummotors.com Email: sales@quantummotors.com Revolectrix Distributed by FMA Direct 3520 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite F-03-121 Urbana, MD 21704 Phone: (301) 798 2770 Fax: (301) 798 2772 www.usastore.revolectrix.com Email: sales@revolectrix.com Sky-Hero www.sky-hero.com Sales Email: patrick@sky-hero.com Spektrum Distributed by Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Rd. Champaign, IL 61822 Toll Free: (800) 338-4639 www.spektrumrc.com www.horizonhobby.com T-Motor 1127 Goodrich Ave Sarasota, FL 34236 Phone: (941) 444-0021 www.getfpv.com Turnigy www.hobbyking.com Ultimaker www.ultimaker.com Email: info@ultimaker.com Youmagine www.youmagine.com Email: info@youmagine.com

MULTIROTOR PILOT OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 89

RETURN TO HOME by Matt Maziarz

Parachutes aren't just for skydivers anymore! Sure as the sun will come up tomorrow…crashes will happen to anyone and everyone at some point or another. Whether it’s from mechanical failure, electrical problems, low battery voltage or plain old dumb thumbs, if you fly fairly regularly, it’s bound to happen at some point or another. So what’s the point, you may ask? Why take the risk when so much time and money is invested to get your machine outfitted and flying to the point where you’re happy with it when it could all be lost? It doesn’t have to be something major either. It could be something as simple as one single prop nut loosening or a single wire becoming frayed that could down a large and expensive machine. Like I said before, no matter what your experience level or how diligent you might be at building and maintaining your rig, unexpected landings due to a failure is inevitable. After all, whether you’re flying an airplane, helicopter or a multirotor, they all have that built in “return to earth” function…it’s called gravity. But fear not, there is a solution for those of you who have been grounded by worrying about damaging your precious machines. Mars Parachutes out of La Habra, CA, has come up with a failsafe system that they have given the moniker M.A.R.S. (Multirotor Aerial Recovery System). Basically, it is a spring-loaded parachute that is mounted on the top of your multirotor platform that is triggered by a two-way switch on your

90 MULTIROTOR PILOT

transmitter. The manufacturer markets three different sizes of systems. The Mars Mini is rated for machines weighing up to four pounds and utilizes a 36-inch parachute, the Mars 58 is rated for machines up to 10 pounds and uses a 58-inch chute while the Mars 120 is rated up to 25 pounds and uses a 120-inch chute. The prices of each unit might seem a bit high, but considering how much we put into and onto our multirotors, I’d say the price is well worth it. Are they guaranteed to slow the descent enough to where the machine will not be damaged? No, but I’ll take what I can get when it comes to protecting my investment. Will they work if there is a loss of signal between the transmitter and machine? No, the system needs to be deployed by operating a two-way switch on the transmitter. What if my machine is falling in inverted orientation or even worse, tumbling in descent? While an optimal release angle is straight up, the springloaded mechanism ejects the entire chute and rigging, so even in less-than-optimal conditions, the chute should open cleanly. Like I said before, I’ll take what I can get. There is nothing worse in the world of multirotors than watching your machine hurtling towards the ground and not being able to do anything to stop or slow it down. Mars Parachutes is not an anomaly in that respect either. There are a few other manufacturers out there that are working on similar systems and even some that are more advanced. Some of these designers are looking to combat the problem of losing radio contact with the machine. Most flight control systems disarm the motors if radio signal is lost. The trick is to get the parachute to deploy in such instances. Whatever the case may be and regardless of the company producing these systems, they are a welcome addition to our hobby and are sure to negate some of the jitters involved with flying such pricey machines. = CONTACTS MARS PARACHUTES marsparachutes.com For more information, please see our source guide on page 89.