Hello!

CowboyDan

Member
Hi I'm Dan, I'm a pro photographer looking to add a new dimension to my business.. aerial is basically non-existent where I'm based, and I don't have enough money to buy a real helicopter :) I have a lot of RC experience but only with cars, never played with planes/helis/multis. A buddy of mine in Aus bought a phantom a while back and has just finished building and testing his S800 and I'm super jealous and simultaneously getting loads of business ideas.

I'm looking to do this a little bit on the cheap though so I am thinking of starting with an HK X666 to learn to fly, then upgrading (with the same motors and stuff) to Rusty's UAP2. I will learn to fly on the 666 then move on to something bigger although if I can set up the HK in a X8 pattern I might just stick with it. I do like the way it folds up (I travel a LOT).

If the idea takes off in my area and there is money to be made I will look into building something bigger or upgrading to something hardcore like the S800. I do like the idea of building it myself though, so that's why I'm leaning towards the UAP2 as a final solution because I can modify it into whatever I want.

Currently looking at the x666, openpilot cc3d, orangeRX TX/RX. Motors/ESC/props/batteries I am still thinking about, I have a few questions so I'll probably post something in the general forum soon. I am new to LiPo technology (when I raced RC NiCad was standard and NiMH was the new big thing lol) so need to get a bit of info there.. and I need to learn how kv / rpm / voltage is related to thrust... plenty of research to do but I'll post something in general soon as I am getting a bit stuck in a few places..

Cheers :)
Dan
 
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CowboyDan

Member
After reading two pages of ramblings that aren't really related to what I want to do with my multi.... yes, I am still interested.
 

ChrisViperM

Active Member
Ok then....As for KV / RPM /thrust have a look here....http://www.ecalc.ch/xcoptercalc.htm?ecalc&lang=en
it's a pretty good tool to play arround with different equipment combinations.

For Flight Controller also have a look at the ArduCopter: http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/ArduCopter?tm=6

Do yourself a favor and stay away from the S800....just headache. Search on the forum, you will find out yourself....

For training, get a Walkera Ladybird or a Blade MQX.....small, cheap and hard to destroy...even seasoned pilots here are still using them to train their skills.

Hope this is more useful info for you.....


Chris
 

CowboyDan

Member
Thanks Chris, I am not all that interested in the S800, just a buddy of mine has bought one and it seems to be doing pretty well. But I would prefer to build something myself. The UAP2 platform seems like a good way to go, although I am looking to start with the cheap HK x666 and loads of spare bits :)

Saw the ecalc, have been playing with that for a couple of hours trying to get motor/blade combos that give me maximum hover time (since that is what I expect to do the most of). Few questions on some of the tech stuff, I posted them in the general discussion thread.

As for the ladybird etc I don't really have the luggage space to cart multiple choppers around, I am looking to build an entry-level multi that I can upgrade to become a reasonable gopro platform.... when I outgrow that I will replace it. I really only have the space to carry one multi at a time.

Cheers for the tips :)
 

Hi I'm Dan, I'm a pro photographer looking to add a new dimension to my business.. aerial is basically non-existent where I'm based, and I don't have enough money to buy a real helicopter :) I have a lot of RC experience but only with cars, never played with planes/helis/multis. A buddy of mine in Aus bought a phantom a while back and has just finished building and testing his S800 and I'm super jealous and simultaneously getting loads of business ideas.

I'm looking to do this a little bit on the cheap though so I am thinking of starting with an HK X666 to learn to fly, then upgrading (with the same motors and stuff) to Rusty's UAP2. I will learn to fly on the 666 then move on to something bigger although if I can set up the HK in a X8 pattern I might just stick with it. I do like the way it folds up (I travel a LOT).

If the idea takes off in my area and there is money to be made I will look into building something bigger or upgrading to something hardcore like the S800. I do like the idea of building it myself though, so that's why I'm leaning towards the UAP2 as a final solution because I can modify it into whatever I want.

Currently looking at the x666, openpilot cc3d, orangeRX TX/RX. Motors/ESC/props/batteries I am still thinking about, I have a few questions so I'll probably post something in the general forum soon. I am new to LiPo technology (when I raced RC NiCad was standard and NiMH was the new big thing lol) so need to get a bit of info there.. and I need to learn how kv / rpm / voltage is related to thrust... plenty of research to do but I'll post something in general soon as I am getting a bit stuck in a few places..

Cheers :)
Dan

Hobby King is a good place to start. I would suggest starting small and work your way up. It will save you time and money in the long run. The X666 is not a bad frame. Understand that these things are not as difficult to fly as traditional Hellis however they can bite you when you least expect it. Many crashes happen when prople fly too far out and over control them to bring them back. LiPo battery knowledge is extremely important. This is the life blood of the system. You need a proper voltage monitoring circuit and the ability to alert you when the battery is going below safe limits. They are harder to descend than climb due to the props stalling in their own thrust if you bring it down too fast in a straight column. I would invest in better RC equipment, such as Spektum, JR, Futaba or Graupner. The RC transmitter and receiver is not something to skimp out on. I have had one those Oranges from HK fail on me on my test bird, luckily it was at start up so I did not crash. For your application you probably want to use 700-1000 Kv motors rated at 30A continuous using 40 A stable ESC's such as Turnigy plush 40A. 14 Inch APC props will be sufficient.

I would highly suggest getting a starter copter like the Blade MQx and a flight simulator. The blade mqx will give you the muscle memory to fly the bigger ones better. Mqx's you can crash into things and the damage is minimal, replacement parts are cheap.

Shaun
 

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