AtomRC Dolphin vs Skyhunter Racing

[BayDesigns]

So, if you'll recall, a while back I was set on building a Tiny Trainer- that had to be put off for a few reasons, but now I'm looking at either the AtomRC Dolphin or the Skyhunter Racing for mid-long-range FPV- ideally a range of 1-2 miles. I'm planning on using iNav, and it's preferred to be 4-channel but it is definitely not crucial. If one of these aircraft isn't suited for long range or has poor flying characteristics, let me know. From the videos I've watched, it's still inconclusive. FC recommendations (iNav compatible, RTH with as little money as possible.)

 

[LitterBug]

I don't know anything about the dolphin, but have had 3 of the skyhunters including 1 with iNav. you might be able to get 1 mile or so out of it, but honestly, it's not the best long range plane.
Both are pretty small which may limit your battery capacity and flight time.

This video is from the one with iNav in it. This was an early flight for it with iNav including it's first autolaunch and an autotune. I have R9 gear on it, but usually keep it with .5 mile. This short flight used 973mah of a 3S 1300mah battery for about 7 minutes flying at 50% throttle.

WARNING! VERY LOUD.. TURN DOWN VOLUME

A slightly more aggressive flight with some full throttle low speed passes.

And a slo-mo ground shot of one of those passes

 

[BayDesigns]

@LitterBug That’s all good to know. The size is definitely part of the appeal, as I live in a small house and can’t really store a larger plane, even a Classic AR Wing (900mm) would be pushing it. Good to know about battery space- the Dolphin definitely has it beat there. I’m definitely planning on getting both eventually- they just both seem too great to turn down, so now it’s just picking which one I buy first.

 

[LitterBug]

I also have two Nano Goblins. Not the most powerful things in the world, but < 250g and tiny. I've gotten 45+ minutes out of a charge on them with the Li-Ion 2S packs. I've done iNav in one, but had bad luck as it locked up during autotune. I'm not really a fan of iNav and prefer ArduPilot.

I prefer bigger for long range. You can see how light planes bobble around in the videos above. That was with almost 0 wind too. Most of my long range has been done with a RMRC Stratosurfer. I think the farthest I've had the skyhunter out is about 3/4 mile. Running R9 on both, and 5.8Ghz for FPV with a good set of VAS antennas. YuToob really makes my DVR footage look like crap with their over-compression. One of these days I'll get a Gopro on there so the video quality is better.

 

[BayDesigns]

As far as Ardupilot goes- it’s definitely an option, but coming from Betaflight, iNav seems a little more intuitive, and having OSD configuration in the same place as tuning etc is ideal for me. I’ll definitely be looking into ArduPilot more, though. The Nano Goblin does look good, I’ll have to read more about it.

 

[LitterBug]

I looked up the dolphin on YouTube, and it looks like a way better choice for long range over the skyhunter

 

[BayDesigns]

I’m thinking the same thing- and holy cow for a small model it looks super stable! Thanks for your input, it’s been really helpful.

 

[BayDesigns]

Sorry to bring this back up, but does anyone have experience with the ZOHD Nano Talon?

 

[BayDesigns]

Update! Got a 3D printer today, was pretty spontaneous. Does anyone have experience with Eclipson models? Looking at the EGW-80 series (both prop and EDF- I want to fly both types eventually.), but if there's another with detachable wings that's good for long flight times, please let me know! I'm also curious if regular PLA/PLA+ or LW-PLA is better- obviously LW-PLA is better for weight, but in terms of durability and budget, I have no idea. I'm really excited about this, and eventually will probably design my own once I get a little more experienced with CAD, but I need to just print and fly something pre-designed first. Honestly, 3D printing is so much better for me- my hand-building skills are what I would call "absolutely horrible" . Thanks in advance!

 

[LitterBug]

I have printed several Eclipson models, but not flown them yet. Mostly PLA, and some PETG for the motormounts.

I wish FT would deliberately crash some to see how they hold up.

 

[BayDesigns]

I would definitely watch that, both for its educational value and just to watch the FT guys crash some planes! Now I just have to decide between the prop and EDF model.

 

[LitterBug]

I would definitely watch that, both for its educational value and just to watch the FT guys crash some planes! Now I just have to decide between the prop and EDF model.

I have the EDF version half printed. Very limited on choices for thrust compared to the prop version. FT Has the prop version and posted a video not too long ago.

I also have the Prandtl and Model-V. Just need to glue these two to be done.

Cheers!
LitterBug

 

[BayDesigns]

You’ve been super helpful! I’m going with the prop version both for the thrust options and since I haven’t flown fixed wing in a while. This is going to be a fun project!