Airblade UAV Build (SirinFPV FC)

Whew, just completed another new build. I continued with another 130 sized build to keep a couple of the smaller quads in the fleet. I actually tore apart an older Airblade Assault to build this one. I really liked the Owl camera from RunCam for a small 130 build as it extends the flying ability into the night! It’s not the best for day flying, but I think it is better than many of the smaller pico/micro sized cameras (although larger and heavier). This build did add a few new elements I have not tried before (SirinFPV Flight Controller, FVT LittleBee Pro 4-in-1 ESC, and the AirBladeX 130) below I go into each of them in a little bit more detail!.

SirinFPV Flight Controller

This is going to quickly become the go-to for flight controllers! This flight controller features a STM32F3 processor, a integrated OSD, Blackbox SD Card port,  and an integrated video transmitter. It runs Betaflight and will soon be in the upcoming builds by default. It uses VCP so you still have access to all UART ports without interference with USB. Since Betaflight 2.6.1 and up you can run ESC pass-through on VCP! The OSD is pretty minimal, but that’s what you want in a racing quad.  The SirinFPV features the MPU6500 gyro/accel and is connected via SPI so it supports 8khz\8khz mode! It has the capability to run 6 motors aswell. The OSD and VTX are accessible via CLI, and the VTX can change the channels via OSD. It does require a 5v 1amp power supply!

It’s available for pre-order now!

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Tiny Whoop (Blade Inductrix)

The Tiny Whoop has become extremely popular FPV solution for indoor flying over the past few months. So what is the Tiny Whoop? It’s actually a RTF/BNF quadcopter where people throw on a little FPV Pod and fly it around! The official guide recommends upgrading the motors but I find it good enough to at least start with the stock motors. It has great flight characteristics for being so small and it’s not nearly as dangerous as many of the other setups that are available.

I actually feel this is one of the best ways to determine if this hobby is right for you. It’s relatively a cheap entrance to the hobby of FPV.

So if you are new to the hobby here are my suggestions:

Ready-To-Fly Blade Inductrix  – This is the quadcopter, charger, one battery (buy more!), and the remote. While the remote isn’t very “good” it’ll work for “learning” if you like the hobby or not. It’s a great starting point. If you already have a Spectrum radio or Taranis (with module) you should probably get the Bind-and-Fly (BNF) version instead and save the extra $20 for extra batteries or a better charger.

FX797T 5.8 GHz 40 CH Micro Cam VTX – This adds the First Person Video (FPV) aspect to the Inductrix. I recommend this Cam / VTX combo as it gives you all 40 channels available on the 5.8 GHz band, and it is ultra small and light weight!

Eachine VR-007 VR007 5.8G 40CH HD FPV Goggles – These are some of the cheapest FPV Goggles out there. They aren’t great but they are cheap. I’ve seen them as low as $50, as of this post they are $65. They do ship from China so please plan on waiting a couple weeks for them to arrive.

CL-0615-14-6x15mm Coreless Motors – Tiny Whoop suggests going with these motors as they are more powerful (and reliable) than the stock motors. Personally I am running the stock motors until they give out and then I plan on upgrading to these.

Now attaching the Camera to the Inductrix can be done several ways. There are several 3D Printed parts you can purchase or print if you can. I would imagine you could just use a rubber band or hot glue if you are in a pinch.

 

FloRotors 130 Build

So after losing my last FloRotors 130 off the back of my cart I wanted to build another. The last one I went with a few cheaper parts in the essence of time, this one I wanted to just throw the good stuff on it, the only thing I’m not sure about yet is the camera, a bit too wide of a FOV for me. The build was pretty simple, I skipped a PDB and just went with a wire loom I made. The quad flies really well out of the box, and I can go to 4S if the track is big enough. The Turnigy Bolt 850 HV 3S are nice, but too big imo. I think this quad would be great with a 500-600mah battery… yet so few batteries that size.

AUW: 246g
Frame: FloRotors 130
Motors: DYS 1306 4000kV
ESC: DYS XM20a
Props: GemFan 3″ TriBlades
Flight Controller: Lumenier Lux
Firmware: Betaflight 2.7.1
VTX: FX799T (200mw tx)
Camera: Micro 600TVL (170deg)
Receiver: FrSky XSR
Battery: Turnigy Bolt 850 3S

I’m sure those of you that are following my page closely will notice a few components are becoming my goto’s. Mainly the Lumenier Lux, FX799T, and the XSR. They are all rock solid components and am planning on throwing them in everything I build until something better comes along.