And here comes my third build. After having built two quite powerful micros already, I wanted to build something slightly bigger that would be able to take 1080p footage. So I decided to build a 3” that could give home to a Runcam Split mini.

First, I ordered the Forester F130 frame from Banggood. The description said that this one could take 3” props and a reviewer was delighted that it could accommodate two stacks, so this sounded perfect for this little project. However, the quality of the frame was not what I expected. The side plates were too high, leaving a gap between the standoffs and the top plate and there was simply not enough space to spin 3” props. I’ll keep this frame as a spare in case I break my 125mm build.
The frame I used in the end looks like a shrunk-down Alien and I like the looks of it very much. It can accommodate only one stack, so I had to make it as tight a build as was possible. I just had to be a bit creative with how to stack the four boards (4in1 ESC, FC and two boards for the camera). Overall, the build went together fairly easily, but I could not use all eight standoffs that come with the frame to make it extremely sturdy. One set I could not install due to the solder pads of the 4in1 ESC being in the way (pads are oriented front & back). Unfortunately, the top plate was showing in the upper corners of the HD footage, so I filed that one down a bit and worked a little on the side plates to fit the camera a bit further out the front. Downside to this is of course a little less camera protection, but this should not be too much of an issue, as I’m running reverse motor directions, the props should sufficiently diminish the power of frontal impacts.

The weight of this build is a bit on the heavy side, coming in at 155g dry. However, the motors are powerful enough to deal with this and to be honest, I do like the inertia this adds when throwing this thing around. I tested the setup with different lipos (3s: 850mAh, 600mAh; 4s: 850mAh, 450mAh). On 3s it is a bit of a docile flyer, but still has plenty of punch to come out of steep dives. For me personally, this build really shines on a Tattu 4s 850mAh lipo, although this results in an all up weight of ~265g.