Just started my RC Explorer v.2.5 Tricopter

[Astroman]

This will be my first tricopter build and no doubt I may have some questions after it has been completed, but I will get to them when I am up to that stage. Here are a few pics of the build so far. It might be a long road as I have to build up funds to build it.

Drillig holes into PCB before etching.


One PCB etched, one to go.


Both PCB's etched now.


Completed Frame


Folded frame.

 

[colorex]

Cool, I decided to go with aluminum arms instead, as the wood available here twists and bends a lot. I also use plywood plates painted black.

 

[Astroman]

I thought about the Aluminium but also wondered what effect (if any) it would have on the radio signals, either from the Radio Rx or the Video Tx. Although I have not seen any issues from anyone doing this, I wanted to be close to the original as possible.

 

[Tritium]

Lots of Quads, Hex and Octo copters use aluminum arms.

Thurmond

 

[colorex]

I thought about the Aluminium but also wondered what effect (if any) it would have on the radio signals, either from the Radio Rx or the Video Tx. Although I have not seen any issues from anyone doing this, I wanted to be close to the original as possible.

Yeah, do it like David does. My main reason to use aluminum was not finding straight wood.

 

[SkySlayer]

Cool, I decided to go with aluminum arms instead, as the wood available here twists and bends a lot. I also use plywood plates painted black.

Doesn't aluminium vibrate alot/ to much for the tri to handle?

 

[UndCon]

I use 10*10mm aluminium (1mm thick material) and I have no issues with vibrations due to the booms.

It is in fact lighter than compared to 10*10mm wood of some sort. When you drill a hole in it you also create a weak spot - this is not bad, in fact this weak spot saved my Tricopter a few times. A boom is replaced in less than 5 minutes...

//UndCon

 

[SuperCub92]

Yeah, do it like David does. My main reason to use aluminum was not finding straight wood.

I have on order all parts to make the v2.5 of davids but have yet to get the arms as i was going to get them when motors and esc arrived etc.. from my local shop.. do u think it best i go with aluminium arms instead..?
just keep in mind i have never flown a tri coptor, but can fly mini twister sport (little indoor 4channel heli) no trouble..

 

[Burg]

My experience is (I used aluminium and pine wood, both 10x10mm and 12x12mm) that the wooden sticks absorb any left motor / prop vibrations somewhat better then aluminium. The little flex in the wooden arm give a smoother flight. Aluminium will bend easier and stay bended while wood is more elastic but will brake easier (but is cheaper). Try both !

 

[colorex]

My experience is (I used aluminium and pine wood, both 10x10mm and 12x12mm) that the wooden sticks absorb any left motor / prop vibrations somewhat better then aluminium. The little flex in the wooden arm give a smoother flight. Aluminium will bend easier and stay bended while wood is more elastic but will brake easier (but is cheaper). Try both !

You need some kind of vibration isolation when putting the motors on the front arms (as they go directly onto the tubes). I used a square piece of foam, compressed flat. The I ziptied the motor mount to the arm.

 

[genious]

I went with aluminium and all three of the frames I've built have been fine. No problems with vibrations - and I've never bothered balancing my props or motors! I do mount the KKboard on some foam though - I chop a thin (~3mm) slice off the foam that HobbyKing use to package the KK for shipping.

I am a beginner and found that I was breaking several wooden arms every time I flew. I have lots of crashes! So swapped to aluminium which will bend in a really bad crash but can be bent back into shape in a vice. I think maybe the wood I was using was not the best quality.

The problem I have is weight! With aluminium arms and an aluminium body (1.5mm thick plate rather than fibreglass) my 'copter weighs in at 1.1kg including a 2.2Ah battery - compared to RC Explorer's 600g. This makes for shorter flights and a different flying experience too.

 

[nguyen.tran]

I went ahead with balsa booms, as several people have pointed out, wooden booms absorb vibration rather well. I also had problem with the booms breaking off every time I crash so I used threaded packing tape ( mine was black) to tape around the boom. Make sure you do that all the way to the ends no matter where the booms attach to the mounting plates. Just run some tape along the boom, its width is enough to wrap around the entire arm as well. This tape IMO isn't fiberglass but the thread really adds a lot of strength without compromising weight. check out my build log thread for more info.

 

[colorex]

Balsa is really flexible though - I was initially going to use balsa, but it was too much bending - They wouldn't take the 1kg thrust from the motors. But you probably know that they are all different.

 

[nguyen.tran]

I think it's all about the cut though, i bought them at different time and each time the sticks feel different. Some are more flexible than the others like you said. But for my mini quad it's perfect, the weight is just right and i have plenty of power. I'm running emax 1600kv with 8x4 prop and running on 2s. With 3s it goes crazy!!!

 

[colorex]

Oh, if it's a mini quad, then it's more than enough!

 

[nguyen.tran]

Well that's what i think it should be, diagonally it's 60cm. Weighs less than 400g i think, thanks to balsa frame.