A few months ago I got started in the hobby with an iFlight DC2, a 2.5" micro with DJI air unit. That quad has been super fun to fly and learn on. However, it's fairly heavy for a 2.5", and I was always curious what a much lighter build using the same motors would fly like. So I decided to build this toothpick to find out!
Highlights
Notes & observations
Update 8/29/20: I've made some tweaks to this quad in the weeks following the initial post. As a result, I've updated the post, including the pictures to reflect the latest. Tweaks made:
Frame |
Simple X-120 FPV Drone Frame
(10 builds)
Flexrc.com
|
$14.96 |
Flight Controller |
SucceX-D 20A V2 Whoop F4 AIO Board (MPU6000)
(4 builds)
Shop.iflight-rc.com
|
$64.99 |
Motors |
4 x iFlight Xing Nano X1404 4600Kv Micro Motor - Camo
(39 builds)
Racedayquads.com
|
$67.96 |
Propellers |
HQ Prop T3x1.8x3 Tiny Prop(2CW+2CCW)
(5 builds)
Pyrodrone.com
|
$2.29 |
FPV Camera |
Caddx Nebula V2 Nano Digital HD VTX Air Unit Kit for DJI
(47 builds)
Pyrodrone.com
|
$134.99 |
Antenna |
MiniMortal T V2 for Crossfire - manufactured by TBS
(30 builds)
Fpvcycle.com
|
$3.99 |
Receiver |
TBS Crossfire Nano Rx FPV Long Range Drone Receiver
(1499 builds)
Pyrodrone.com
|
$24.95 |
Batteries |
Gaoneng GNB 4S 650mah 60C HV Li-Po Battery - XT30
Pyrodrone.com
|
$15.99 |
3D Printed |
Toothpick PicklePod2 : full options Toothpick/TP3 pod canopy by ledroneclub
(15 builds)
Thingiverse.com
|
See Site |
Hardware |
2mm FC Stack Hardware Pack
(2 builds)
Pyrodrone.com
|
$2.99 |
Misc Parts |
Battery Rubber Bands (10-Pack)
(4 builds)
Fpvcycle.com
|
$2.50 |
That canopy is sick - what kind of material & process did you use to print it? It doesn't look like a typical TPU print.
Thanks man. I actually ended up getting the same pod printed in SLS TPU from Jawstec, but went with orange and vapor polish. It came out looking great, but way too soft...like a gummy bear. I get really bad jello over analog FPV because the camera just jiggles around in the thing. You didn't have that problem? I'm getting the print redone in nylon now, should do the trick.
It's definitely on the softer side, but in my case, the canopy seems sufficiently rigid once the camera is installed and the canopy tightened down on the stack. However, it recently cracked at the narrow part where the mounting screws go in after a crash, so I ordered a couple more since that seems to be a weak spot. I'm really curious how your Nylon print turns out -- if it turns out well, I might go that route too for increased durability.
I will let you know! Check out some of daich's latest builds (https://rotorbuilds.com/profile/2745/). He uses the Nylon from Jawstec and reports so far so good.
AirbladeUAV has done it again and this time they've brought long range to the 5" class! Based on the popular Transformer Mini, the new Transformer 5" Ultralight adopts a lot of the same design philosophies with larger props and more payload capacity. It can fly upwards of 20 minutes on a 4 cell Li-Ion battery pack and in ideal conditions it's got a range of over 4 to 5 miles. In this guide I'll walk..
Read moreWith the release of the DJI FPV Drone cinematic FPV has become a lot more accessible, but you certainly don't want to crash a $750 drone! The QAV-CINE Freybott is a compact, lightweight cinematic FPV drone that can take a hit and keep going. It's a lot safer to fly indoors and around people. With a naked GoPro or the SMO 4k you can capture some great stabilized footage. In this guide I'll show you..
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How do you hold the camera plug to the board?
That particular plug has been staying in place okay for me on its own, although it did come loose once or twice in a hard crash. I'm thinking about making a custom spacer for between the boards that would help hold the connectors in place more securely though, without adding much weight back.
fwiw I put squeezed a small rubber spacer between the cam plug and top board. works like a charm.