Do you have a multi-rotor?

[David Ashby - Moderator]

This one was my idea after speaking to a couple of retailers this week who've noticed the quad and multi-rotor craze starting to get serious. One commented that it's bringing in a new type of customer so I wondered how many have or intend to get a multi-rotor machine in the future.

 

 

 

 

Edited By David Ashby - RCME on 27/11/2013 13:16:05

[steve-richards]

I have a DJI Flame Wheel 450 with a naza and gps

Still trying to understand it all

Steve

[Dave Bran]

How do those with a range of various use multi's vote?

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Dave, your wish is my command, I've just added a 'various' line to the intermediate size on the assumption that these are more likely to be put to work?

 

 

Edited By David Ashby - RCME on 27/11/2013 13:44:37

[Dave Bran]

Posted by David Ashby - RCME on 27/11/2013 13:42:48:

Dave, your wish is my command, I've just added a 'various' line to the intermediate size on the assumption that these are more likely to be put to work?

CHEERS!!

[Paul Marsh]

I was the first person to vote in this pole. Do I win a prize?

[stu knowles]

I bought the Hubsan X4, palm sized quad at the Gaydon event. I am amazed by the stability and controlability. I have only flown it indoors but it is very impressive and makes me want to try a larger outdoor capable multirotor pretty soon.

stu k

[Dave Bran]

Posted by stu knowles on 27/11/2013 16:31:04:

I bought the Hubsan X4, palm sized quad at the Gaydon event. I am amazed by the stability and controlability. I have only flown it indoors but it is very impressive and makes me want to try a larger outdoor capable multirotor pretty soon.

stu k

The x4, being heavy for its size and with small fast revving props, is more outdoor friendly than you might think, give it a try!

[brfc7]

No and doesn't interest me to be honest

baz

[Chris Jones 7]

Yup and it has become my primary flying activity. The list is

hK Pocket Quad

Eflite Nano QX

Flamewheel 330

Flamewheel 450

HK Deadcat with GoPro and FPV

HK Y3 tricopter

Soon to be added to the list is are a large Hex and a waterproof frame for the 450 equipment, also going to be re-flashing the ESCs on the F330 to enable reverse motor direction and 3d flight. Think I might be a bit addicted!

The F330 is my go to model to leave in the car for the odd stolen flights. Flys great and can be flown more like a plane or more like a Heli depending on mood. Highly recommended and pretty cheap to get into the air.

[WolstonFlyer]

Yes but only a Hubsan X4.

[Bob Cotsford]

No, can't say they interest me in the least - at the moment!

Never say never

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Can't really see the point unless you want to use one for aerial photography but I'd rather have a helicopter - and they don't interest me very much...

[Shaunie]

Hubsan X4, remarkably good and does well outside, be aware that outside it is very easy to run out of range so keep it close. Great fun and a hoot to fly in expert mode, just turn everything up to full rate.

Otherwise we are about to build a hexa for Search and Rescue so in a few months I could have answered "high-end".

Shaunie.

[Levanter]

Curiosity will probably lead me to get one sometime. Like Martin I would rather have a helicopter.

[Mark Stevens 1]

I don't have one and have no intention of doing so - I've got more than enough rotors with 9 Heli's !!

Mark

[Depron Daz]

I have no interest either, but enjoy learning about the electronics that some people use in them, and how they can program a specific route and time how long it will stay in that position before moving off again to another position/altitude, very clever.

[Dave Bran]

Having experienced quite a few differing multirotors for quite a while now, I'm with a lot of people here personally in that novelty over they are pretty tame, even without GPS and get you home, unless being used for a specific purpose like photography. When one appears (as it will) that can do a full smooth F3C aerobatic schedule, I'll change my opinion!

Stunting a Hubsan or a Twister Quad is very simple, almost automatic,and does not give me any long term flying satisfaction as too easy.

Going bigger just means even more stability. Clever but yawn inducing to an experienced flyer.

What is worrying my VERY experienced LMS owners is that people not aware of RC flying "sense" and what can go wrong are going straight from a backyard RC car to a heavy powerful quad that can do a lot of harm in the wrong place! A 450 with lights and cameras is a weighty piece of kit carrying a few heavy and flammable LiPos around................and no electronics is either 100% reliable nor able to compensate for the complete iggit. They are getting people in with quads bought off the internet that have no concept of flight safety, how to safely handle LiPos, etc, etc, etc........

That is NOT to say they don't have their place, they do, and the schoolboys I teach RC to progress noticably faster with quads like the X4 following after cars and fitting in before planes and/or helis than without.

The X4 and to a marginally less level the Twister Quad are quite remarkable in that they suffer a lot of punishment and survive. I use five X4's and two (three from this week due to a kind donation) TQ's for the club, flown every week for an hour without stopping other than swapping cell packs, and the only replacements have been one or two blades, usually from midair prop to prop hits!!

I have seen one X4 written off, though that was by a Honda Civic driving over it front and back wheels, but if you fly in an urban road space, what should you expect !!!!

[GONZO]

Blade 350QX to be fitted with 5.8gHz FPV and Mobius action cam. Unfortunately I've only had one short hop as the manufacturing problem with the props cropped up soon after. HH soon sorted it and replaced all the props, even the spares I had bought, for free. Since then the weather has not played ball, leastwise not for a novice multicopter flyer.

The intention is to subsequently move on to a TBS Discovery for increased FPV range.

Edited By GONZO on 29/11/2013 12:17:38

[David Ashby - Moderator]

That's interesting Dave, as you say, the Twisters can sure take a lot of punishment.

I must admit that I'm interested in getting a Phantom or something that'll carry a good camera as a way of getting some new photography angles for the magazine.

[Chris Jones 7]

Hmmm, couple of people on here talking about twisters and Hubsan x4s and then commenting that there is no interest after the initial novelty has worn off.

To those I would say that a twister or an x4 is probably roughly comparable to flying a vapour or night vapour. Ie they are good fun for a bit but are not proper quads. Both the hubsan and the twister feature software to help flip and stabilise the model. A properly tuned aerobatic quad is probably more comparable to a slightly overpowered acrowot, a model which I doubt many FW pilots would ever be bored with. Add to that the availability of software to reverse the ESCs and, with a symetrical prop, you have a truly 3d capable model that, I have no doubt, will be able to fly most FW and rotary moves, (in the right hands- not mine!)

I do appreciate that I am biased as I love em but don't write them off on the basis of what are little more than toys. And if you see me and want to have a go just give me a shout.

Chris

[Swissflyer]

I felt my 62 year old brain needed gingering up with some new learning.

So I spent $20 on a HK switch programmable board and a $6.50 plywood kit.

4 x $10 Esskay 400XT 1’000kV motors and a trusty 2’200mAh LiPo from my parts collection completed the build.

Most of the forums I checked gave nonsensical, unsubstantiated empirical advice on power setups. I just used DriveCalc to give me its reliable thrust estimates and all was well **LINK**

Then I slogged through the ESC arming procedures and the whole thing worked!
It flies more like a helicopter than a fixed wing craft.

You may know that the board & gyros output information faster than normal ESC’s can usefully handle. That means I will go the SimonK firmware upgrade route on the 4 x $8 HK ESC’s.

For the uninitiated, this free software enables the servos to handle faster data outputs that the “quad board” gives and better control the motors.

As the bard would have said “there’s the rub”. I think upgrading ESC firmware is outside the “comfort zone” for many RCM&E readers so that 56% “no & no intention” vote could become a self fulfilling prophecy.

The total build budget was about $35 (board, plywood kit & 4 x 3 bladed props) as everything else was recycled from other projects, so starting is quite cheap.

In short, if you can set up a helicopter, a quad will hold no mysteries for you.

I hope you enjoy one soon

Mark

[sharpy1071]

Hi saw this topic and thought I'd put my observations in. I am interested in buying a DJI quadcopter after flying the G.Childrens UDI. I have phoned 5 retailers from the web to get a package of a Gopro + Quad. Very interesting conversations with all of them, BUT only one asked my previous experience and said I needed Insurance. I pointed out I already fly RC models and had to have it anyway and he was quite happy to go ahead and give more info. I was impressed by his moral duty to point out this which I feel is V.Important. If as you say in the very first posting this is getting bigger and the uninitiated are coming into the sport it is important that we all have insurance before a disaster occurs. I am looking on the negative side, that I know, but we would all be affected should anything happen. Brian

[crispin church]

yes i have multi rotor if DB auto gyro twin head counts

[Richard Harris]

I couldn't resist buying one of these yesterday, it is the new Hasan Quad and is tiny! 70mah single sell lipo and 4 functions. It is at least half the size of the larger version!

Good fun!

Rich