Squashed Frog (1S, Brushless, 2", 1103, 26x26)

By crisat on Nov 26, 2018

5 401 6

I wanted a very robust 1S 2 inch brushless quad for outdoor fying, to learn flying 5 inch drones.
A whoop style quad was not an option, because propeller guards not only give a different flying feel than larger quads but also are very difficult to clean when grass stains them. Also the plastic frame, 703 motors and 40 mm props seem very delicate.
2S batteries are difficult to charge in the field. Instead 1S batteries can be easily charged with a power bank. 2S are also too powerful for my flying skills.
I tried various 16x16 FC + Esc, but they have too many parts and soldered cables that end up breaking soldering pads.
As far as I know, this is the first time a whoop style FC (i.e. with 26x26 mounting holes) is fitted in a frame with 20x20 mounting holes.
It flies for 3 min, when 260 mah batteries are charged up to 4.2V.
It weighs 42.3g.
I built a 20x20 to 26x26 adapter by hot glueing 8 nylon 2.5 mm screws.
It is very flat and compact: it seems robust and easy to clean.
A better FC adapter could be 3d printed.
We could use a lighter carbon fiber frame (the bottom plate I used is 10g) or a 3d printed one: for example the tiny shark frame is 4g less.
Using the Pro version of the same FC (the one used in the Mobula 7), it could fly with 2S (i.e. 1S+1S).
A lighter AIO camera can also drop the weight by another 1g.
Perhaps lighter props can also be used.
Additional mischellaneous parts not listed below are 4 x Jst 3 pin 1.25 mm pitch female connectors and 2 x nylon standoffs with 2 mm screws.
The orange Sainsburys color is ideal for camouflage in the autumn leaves, so that the drone can be lost easily.

Photos

Part List

Frame	Happymodel Toad90 90mm Micro 3K Carbon Fiber FPV Racing Frame Kit with CNC Aluminum Camera Mount for RC Drone (7 builds) Banggood.com	$13.44
Flight Controller	Racerstar Crazybee F3 Flight Controller UR65 4 IN 1 5A 1S Blheli_S ESC Compatible Frsky D8 Receiver (7 builds) Banggood.com	$35.10
Motors	4X Racerstar Racing Edition 1103 BR1103B 8000KV 1-3S Brushless Motor Black For 50 80 100 RC Drone FPV Racing (18 builds) Banggood.com	$45.98
Propellers	8 Pair DYS 2030 1.5mm Hole 2 Inch 3 Blade Propeller Triblade Bullnose Prop For 1102 1104 1105 Motor (18 builds) Banggood.com	$3.89
FPV Camera	Caddx Firefly - Micro FPV Camera w/ VTX (12 builds) Getfpv.com	$24.99
Batteries	GAONENG 3.8V 260mAh 30C/60C Lipo Battery for Blade Nano QX CPX and Tiny Whoop (2 builds) Banggood.com	$5.99

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Discussion

le_vinsky Nov 29, 2018

I love the hotglued adapter and the camo.

DPJ Nov 27, 2018

I really like the idea behind this. After just finishing my 2 Inch ELF build, and it being a giant pain in the backside, I wish i'd seen this earlier haha

crisat Nov 27, 2018

Thanks. What I like of this build is the simplicicy, the robustness and that it is very flat.

Jodie Froster Nov 27, 2018

It flies with just one screw per prop? vibrations aren't crazy?

DPJ Nov 27, 2018

I noticed that. The balance would be off surely?

crisat Nov 27, 2018

I flew it with one screw per motor with not much vibration. But I will add 1 more and see how better it is. I did not know it could affect the flight quality. Thanks for the suggestion.

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