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Scratch built Peace Drone

Posted on January 24, 2012

There's a guy on YouTube (Ed) with some videos showing his scratch building techniques using foam board from the Dollar Tree and packing tape. He also shows some details on a place he calls the Peace Drone that he uses for FPV. I liked what I saw, so I thought I'd give it a shot and see if I could build one. Here's what I got!

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LayerLens, light weight protection for your GoPro!

Posted on January 13, 2012

Anyone who's ever scratched the actual camera lens on their GoPro and not the protective lens in the housing will tell you how unpleasant it is to replace! Not to mention costly, when you can find the lens. That said, I still fly my camera out of it's case on some planes to save weight and drag. Call it a calculated risk. I've had to replace the lens once after a crash, and don't really want to do it again. So when I saw the LayerLens, I was all in! All the lens protection of the full case, and far less size/weight. It's perfect for FPV, or any other application where you want your lens protected but need to save weight, size, and drag. Read the rest of the article as I go through each step putting the LayerLens together, and to see it mounted on one of my planes!

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Another fun flight!

Posted on January 7, 2012

Nothing new or groundbreaking here, just a fun filled flight with the Easy Star. I should note that the van was in on the antics and knew what was up. Don't go buzzing unsuspecting strangers on the road, it could get dangerous.

This is the ground recording of that same flight by the way. It was recorded using the FPV-Japan DVR. I'm really liking this little thing and looking forward to putting the review together! I've been asked to wait though, so keep watching for it...

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New twin, nearing it’s test flight!

Posted on January 1, 2012

Last year I bought this plane with intentions of using it for FPV. I haven't seen anyone using one, but all the specs looked good and I liked what I read online from people flying it. I got it and flew it stock a few times, then put it away. So over the past few weeks I've finally been working on it a little at a time, and I think it's finally ready for a test flight. Here's the specs and what they are supposed to look like:

Wingspan:1470mm
Fuselage length:980mm
Wing Area:24.6dm2
Wing loading:48.8g/dm2
Flying weight:1200g
Servo:9g*4
Battery:11.1V 2200mAh 15C Li-Po
ESC:40A*2
Brushless Out runner Motor:KV:1100

So with the landing gear removed, cowlings removed (they broke in short order, thin flimsy plastic), and the FPV gear all fitted, the CG came in perfect on mine, and it weighs in at 1236g, only slightly above the intended weight. Full throttle pulls 20-25A, so I'm banking on the included 40A ESCs (one on each motor) to hold up just fine. Here's what I've got as of now:

Right now the camera is just my old $25 Sony camera from eBay, which is more that adequate for the job. I put an EzOSD in it, and borrowed the 2.4/500 Immersion transmitter off of the Maxi Swift since it's plug and play. Receiver is a Corona 8ch. 72MHz one. This should be more than enough to get me in the air and test fly it. If it works out I'll be upgrading the camera and receiver eventually.

Stay tuned! Flight report as soon as the weather allows, be it good or bad. lol Edit: video below!

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New Ground Station on the Cheap!

Posted on December 31, 2011

My buddy Pat (h0tr0d) and I were talking about some gun cases and how they would make a nice ground station for FPV. He mentioned a Plano case that was on sale at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago, but hadn't been able to find them there locally. Today I was in my local store and saw them, so I picked one up. It's a Plano model 108360 "All Weather" 36" Gun Case. Outside dimensions are 40" x 16" x 5.5", while inside is 37" x 13" x 5". They were on sale for just under $40. I got home tonight and quickly threw my gear in it. It's in no way "perfect", but will work for me as is, and I can make changes later on. For the cost and time involved, I'm very pleased! The only thing missing to fly is a plane and a tripod. I'll probably put some straps on the case lid to hold the tripod. Here's a list of what is inside: