NoAgendaDrones FT Mini Spear

[nevenelestate]

Nice builds. After fling both your Mini-Spear and 70% Versa blunt, how would you say the two compare? Any noticeable difference in low speed performance?

Thank you.

I flew the 70% BN Versa with 1300mAh batteries and with 1806 motors, so it's a little hard to compare the heavier Mini Spear directly. I think the all around heavier weight of the MS might give it a slightly lower glide ratio, but it still will glide very well even with no motor. I still have the problem of properly lining up for a landing and then over shooting where I wanted to land because the MS just wants to glide along. I have always seen this with the wings I have built, the full size BN Versa being the best at just floating and floating and floating.

I believe I was only getting around 3min flights from the Mini Versa, I can easily get 7mins with the Mini Spear running 2200mAh batteries. And with the OSD now I will be able to accurately track what battery I have used and get the longest flights possible.

*While typing this up I just remembered that I have a 70% BN Versa, that my buddy built, in my garage. I will try to remember to bind it up and then take it out next time I go flying again. I think it will be tough to fly the MS with 2205 motor and then step down to the 1806 on the MV, but I'll try it out. Maybe I can even get some video of low slow passes or something...I'll try to remember.

 

[nevenelestate]

Re-edited build video

 

[nevenelestate]

Maiden went pretty well, little trim needed and glued well. Although just because one goes to a different area to fly, doesn't mean that the trees aren't still going to hide....

Luckily there was very little damage, just a few leading edge dents. Of course my on-board fauxPro didn't record and the FPVdvr decided to delete that file, so no maiden video.

Here is some video I found on my GoPro Hero2, had started it recording and set it on the bed of my truck, did manage to catch the crash, just from far away.

I did get some video of doing some FPV Chase with my buddy WoodyInMD, after his Arrow nosed into a cow oadtute last weekend he traced out a Mini Spear and we had them both up at the same time. I also had some fun following his Icon A5 around, but again the front camera didn't record, I do have FPV footage of it though so I will post up some video tomorrow.

 

[nevenelestate]

Here is some clipped video from the one chase session I had with WoodyInMD yesterday. It is so much fun chasing each other FPV, can't wait to get out again!

And here is the raw FPV footage from two chase flights between our two Mini Spears.

 

[nevenelestate]

Final video from flying earlier this week, chasing my buddy's E-Flite Icon A5 around. Again, I had issues with my fauxPro camera, so I only have the FPV footage, but had some good fun following him FPV.

Nice builds. After fling both your Mini-Spear and 70% Versa blunt, how would you say the two compare? Any noticeable difference in low speed performance?

In this video you can see that I slowed way down while flying over the parking lot. I had no issues with the handling of the wing, it felt nice and smooth. I had the Mini Versa along this day when we were flying, however my buddy uses Deans connectors and I thought I had my adapter in my radio case, but didn't. I will still try to do a side by side comparison oneof these days (likely will swap out his battery lead to avoid the issue.

 

[Dyzel]

I'm building one ASAP

 

[nevenelestate]

I'm building one ASAP

I'll be building a new one too

Turns out that about 0.3 miles (according to google maps) is the max distance my DX6 will work, through forest. Got lucky it fell in the grass under the power lines, not in one of the trees to either side. Only took me 6 minutes to walk throught the woods and find it.



The good news, is that earlier in the day I had gone down to the farm, where I hit the fence...and the tree, and did my first flight with my new goggles. So much better than the lower end Fatsharks I had used or flying by monitor with single channel video receiver. I got a 9:12 flight in on a ZippyCompact 3S 2200, running the Emax 2205 2300kv and 6x45 prop, way better than the 3 or so minutes I was getting with the Arrow.



Won't be building a new one till May or June though, Wedding and honeymoon coming up so RC planes are sidelined.

 

[bhursey]

Im cleaning my office so I can start this build. So is it about as fast as the arrow? I love moving fast and low.

 

[nevenelestate]

Im cleaning my office so I can start this build. So is it about as fast as the arrow? I love moving fast and low.

With the EMax 2205 it seems to go every bit as fast as I remember the Arrow going. Still haven't had time ot build a new one after the loss of signal, got married and honeymoon, looking like late June or July till I'll get to build. But when I was flying these there were still not enough leaves on the trees so i was not going fast and low, but I really want to try it out more. I was mostly cruising at about half throttle with the MiniSpears, but when i did punch it it went fast.

I wanted to try vertical takeoffs with one of these. I had done it with my first Arrow, with just the little 1806 motor, so this should have plenty of go to do it.

 

[nevenelestate]

Tonight I started the fourth build of a Mini Spear. I plan to install the RunCam Split I had bought for my race quad but just had too many issues with it on that small airframe. It will include the OSD from previous build also.

Got the wings glued together tonight, hopefully tomorrow the fuselage will come together. Waiting on HobbyKing shipping new MG servos, the ones I had went into my Super Bee.

 

[nevenelestate]

Build on the lastest Mini Spear is complete! Hopefully I'll have a maiden flight soon, possibly tomorrow. I got my RunCam Split installed so I should get some nice video to share too.

Here it is opened up, receiver in the spar, OSD board and VTX on the left side of the motor pod, and the RunCam Split in the right hand pocket with the long lead up to the sensor in the front.



And here it is closed up. I don't plan on putting color on it since it will be FPV only.

 

[nevenelestate]

Maiden flight(s) went well, she flies really well. I am really happy with the video recorded from the RunCam Split, unfortunately I think that my VTX is dead so I couldn't fly FPV. The video signal is good when I am holding the plane in my hand, but as soon as I toss it into the air it goes to static in the goggles. Going to replace the VTX and hopefully she'll be all good to go.

 

[Ricci]

Nice.The Spear is also on my todo whishlist.

 

[nevenelestate]

Nice.The Spear is also on my todo whishlist.

Haven't built a full size, but I sure love these less than 1m wingspan wings. I am considering buying a Spear kit, to get the watreproof foam board, and then using a FC and try to add in some stabilization and maybe even automation.

This Mini Spear is better than the Arrow because you can fit a 3S 2200mAh and fly for around 10mins.

 

[Ricci]

Yes! The Arrow is fun but the Soear seems better for FPV. I will also buy a speedbuild kit.

 

[nevenelestate]

I replaced the VTX, from (bad) Unify Pro 5V to Unify Pro HV, and the FPV issue is fixed!

Unfortunately on my second flight, first with new VTX, I didn't clear a tree in my backyard and ended up messing up the right wing. So this airframe is done, will build and one very soon.

 

[nevenelestate]

Build 1.4

After a while of flying race quads I've finally gotten around to building another Mini Spear. Finished it up tonight and hope to make it this weekend.

This one has a RunCam Split up front, this time I put the board for it up in the front also. The other change I made was putting some plastic shims, made from old hotel room keys, on the bottom and inside of the back bay to hold the PDB and VTX stack in better.

 

[nevenelestate]

Maiden flight was a success!

 

[nevenelestate]

Had a blast flying with two friends this weekend. One flying a Mini Spear and the other flying his 5" race quad. I ended up having more issues with the FPV setup, think my VTX died, so I just flew line of sight all day and let them FPV chase me. The other fun I had was my first time flying this plane on 4S. UNLIMITED VERTICAL! Due to the FPV setup not working and therefore I wasn't able to see the AMP draw. But I plan on trying to mess with the VTX a little and also putting a small DVR on board to get the footage one way or another.

From my RunCam Split and my buddy running a GoPro Session on the quad, we ended up with 2hours and 48mins of video! Cut it down to this 2:50 video, Enjoy!

 

[CAPSOFF]

great job, it was fun flying with ft arrow, now i wanna build ft spear like you..
can u gimme the sketch after scalling to 75% ?
awesome work dude. COOL