CarolusRex
Member
I started this hobby with only experiance from flying aircraft in games. Namely 20 years ago on amiga computer. I didnt want to buy a simulator so i got a Hitec Skyscout (multiplex easystar 2) and a Turnigy 9X radio for it. After crashing it numerous times i got a HK Atom be able to handle the crashes better and fly in smaller areas. That said. I came into the hobby with FPV in mind. So as soon as i felt i could control the plane a bit i put FPV gear on my skyscout. Omg ORGASM ! first time i flew it it was so extremely intense experience !
I started doing "lunch" fpv. I went home for lunch and instead i went and flew FPV on a lake nearby. Just short 10-15 min flights. However. Since doing that i have wanted something that could carry a go pro comfortably. I never managed to fit that well on the Skyscout. It just required to much speed. Anyhow. I started wanting a wing. A RVjet or a go discover. Then the skymule came. I wanted that. I got the skymule. It was fun to fly and could handle the go pro with ease ! However, it was too much of a hassle to carry that huge plane for 2 km out on the lake each time i wanted to go fly. So i started thinking of a wing again. A small wing. A Hacker skyfighter i thought of first. That looked nice 500 mm and with a digital camera on etc and FPV gear i could take it anywhere !
Then the amazing thing happens i google "long range FPV tecsumo" or something like that and find: http://www.flitetest.com/articles/how-to-make-a-long-range-small-techsumo-popwing
I had prior to that watched his youtube videos of FPV flights with his popwing. I scratched the idea of a hacker skyfighter. I got the 900 mm Popwing instead. It was on sale 25% off normal price, engine included for less than $50 !
So my initial setup (which flew horribly) was the stock setup with a 1200 mAh battery in the compartment in the front. I have 18 A esc and a frsky receiver in it. CG was not right.
I added FPV equipment to it:
Fatshark 600 TVL camera,
Fatshark 250mW video TX with cloverleaf antennas
After trimming it it was still very sensitive for elevator up down. Extremly sensitive ! Not even this was enough to get the CG right. It turned nice and docile. But try elevator up and down and it just did a loop ! Ok i suffered for a few flights like that. I added a battery in front to get the CG more right. It got better but still sensitive. Finaly i decided ok ill add the mobius to it (now i could fly this instable wing without crashing it to badly)
With mobius on top i removed the extra battery i had as ballast. Damn CG was not right even with mobius on top. I added a bracket and hot glued it to front tip of the plane. CG was correct !
So for the first time i would fly this wing with CG correct. It took full FPV gear, a 1200 mAh battery, a mobius and a bracket as weight in the front to get the CG right.
Launching it was terrible. It crashed nose first into the ground. Nothing happend. Not a scratch on anything. Launched it again. This time it flew perfectly. It cut through the wind no problem at all. Ah... damn it now was a joy to fly. I flew 2 batteries, 7 min each (didnt have any osd so i had no idea how much battery i might use). Came home and recharged them. One battery i put in 400 mAh in. The other 600mAh. They had been used a bit before this so they where not totaly full. Home and charge them again. I started with crashing it nose first into the ground again. I figured out what was the reason. I didnt launch straight into the wind so it wanted to turn to the side directly. Once i trottled up more and launched into the wind it flew straight as an arrow. It climed extremly well.
So I must say this plane is my total favorite for FPV. It is steady. It doesnt cost much. It is easy to carry and it has small batteries. Unfortunatly my frequent crashing on first launch lead to the mobius almost falling off. It had horrible jello. It didnt to begin with but after crashing it so it almost was totaly lose it did. I attached the mobius by hotgluing it directly to a piece of foam that i hotglued to the middle of the airframe so it protrudes out over the battery compartment. It was perfect mount and worked really well until i crashed it to many times.
Things that has broken down for me:
The nose.
Two servos. I have the cheapest el cheapo servos you still have to pay something for. I wish i had purchased servos with metal gears. I stripped gears of one servo and i broke one (unsure how it just jammed up). Needless to say you dont want to spend time switching servos when its flying weather. You want to fly. I have never broken any servo on a airplane until i started with this flying wing. Now i have broken two servos in no time. So i think getting servos that can take a beating is a good idea.
The ailerons have come lose. Luckily the supplied tape can fix that.
Split the fuselage in the middle when i nose dived att full trottle into ice, that is also when the nose broke and flew away including the flight battery. Battery was unharmed tho.
Mods i have made:
I mounted the servos on the top side.
I mounted the battery on top side. I carved away the "top" and used that as bottom for the battery compartment. I hotglued a piece of plastic into the battarey compartment and attached velcro on that and another velcro on eachbattery. Works perfectly. The old battery strap did not work at all for me. It came lose so frequently in crashes so i didnt want to have that wooden thing in there anymore. The plastic i used was from a food container so its a bit flexible so it dont come lose in crashes. The battery does how ever. Saves the battery i think.
Attached the nose with hot glue (a bit flexible also)
"removed" the small foam vedge that is ment to be under the nose. I replaced it with half a icecream stick. I never understood why the foam wedge had to stick out half an inch ? It always comes lose on landings. This icecream stick saves the underside of the plane better than the piece of foam ever did.
All electronics mounted with hot glue in the "electronics bay" on the underside of the wing. I put a plastic lid over it and used some hot glue to glue that in place. No hassle with the electronics. Worked like a charm.
In summary:
The recommended battery for the popwing will never ever ever ever get the CG right on that wing unless you put it on a stick infront of the wing.
You need lead or something to put weight on the nose. In my case that "something" was FPV gear and mobius camera. Now i love this little wing. It flies amazing ! I will post some flight vids after gluing the camera back on. I got one from the maiden also. And one from a crash when i launched it
Happy flying, happy easter and watch out for the witches !
Carolus Rex
I started doing "lunch" fpv. I went home for lunch and instead i went and flew FPV on a lake nearby. Just short 10-15 min flights. However. Since doing that i have wanted something that could carry a go pro comfortably. I never managed to fit that well on the Skyscout. It just required to much speed. Anyhow. I started wanting a wing. A RVjet or a go discover. Then the skymule came. I wanted that. I got the skymule. It was fun to fly and could handle the go pro with ease ! However, it was too much of a hassle to carry that huge plane for 2 km out on the lake each time i wanted to go fly. So i started thinking of a wing again. A small wing. A Hacker skyfighter i thought of first. That looked nice 500 mm and with a digital camera on etc and FPV gear i could take it anywhere !
Then the amazing thing happens i google "long range FPV tecsumo" or something like that and find: http://www.flitetest.com/articles/how-to-make-a-long-range-small-techsumo-popwing
I had prior to that watched his youtube videos of FPV flights with his popwing. I scratched the idea of a hacker skyfighter. I got the 900 mm Popwing instead. It was on sale 25% off normal price, engine included for less than $50 !
So my initial setup (which flew horribly) was the stock setup with a 1200 mAh battery in the compartment in the front. I have 18 A esc and a frsky receiver in it. CG was not right.
I added FPV equipment to it:
Fatshark 600 TVL camera,
Fatshark 250mW video TX with cloverleaf antennas
After trimming it it was still very sensitive for elevator up down. Extremly sensitive ! Not even this was enough to get the CG right. It turned nice and docile. But try elevator up and down and it just did a loop ! Ok i suffered for a few flights like that. I added a battery in front to get the CG more right. It got better but still sensitive. Finaly i decided ok ill add the mobius to it (now i could fly this instable wing without crashing it to badly)
With mobius on top i removed the extra battery i had as ballast. Damn CG was not right even with mobius on top. I added a bracket and hot glued it to front tip of the plane. CG was correct !
So for the first time i would fly this wing with CG correct. It took full FPV gear, a 1200 mAh battery, a mobius and a bracket as weight in the front to get the CG right.
Launching it was terrible. It crashed nose first into the ground. Nothing happend. Not a scratch on anything. Launched it again. This time it flew perfectly. It cut through the wind no problem at all. Ah... damn it now was a joy to fly. I flew 2 batteries, 7 min each (didnt have any osd so i had no idea how much battery i might use). Came home and recharged them. One battery i put in 400 mAh in. The other 600mAh. They had been used a bit before this so they where not totaly full. Home and charge them again. I started with crashing it nose first into the ground again. I figured out what was the reason. I didnt launch straight into the wind so it wanted to turn to the side directly. Once i trottled up more and launched into the wind it flew straight as an arrow. It climed extremly well.
So I must say this plane is my total favorite for FPV. It is steady. It doesnt cost much. It is easy to carry and it has small batteries. Unfortunatly my frequent crashing on first launch lead to the mobius almost falling off. It had horrible jello. It didnt to begin with but after crashing it so it almost was totaly lose it did. I attached the mobius by hotgluing it directly to a piece of foam that i hotglued to the middle of the airframe so it protrudes out over the battery compartment. It was perfect mount and worked really well until i crashed it to many times.
Things that has broken down for me:
The nose.
Two servos. I have the cheapest el cheapo servos you still have to pay something for. I wish i had purchased servos with metal gears. I stripped gears of one servo and i broke one (unsure how it just jammed up). Needless to say you dont want to spend time switching servos when its flying weather. You want to fly. I have never broken any servo on a airplane until i started with this flying wing. Now i have broken two servos in no time. So i think getting servos that can take a beating is a good idea.
The ailerons have come lose. Luckily the supplied tape can fix that.
Split the fuselage in the middle when i nose dived att full trottle into ice, that is also when the nose broke and flew away including the flight battery. Battery was unharmed tho.
Mods i have made:
I mounted the servos on the top side.
I mounted the battery on top side. I carved away the "top" and used that as bottom for the battery compartment. I hotglued a piece of plastic into the battarey compartment and attached velcro on that and another velcro on eachbattery. Works perfectly. The old battery strap did not work at all for me. It came lose so frequently in crashes so i didnt want to have that wooden thing in there anymore. The plastic i used was from a food container so its a bit flexible so it dont come lose in crashes. The battery does how ever. Saves the battery i think.
Attached the nose with hot glue (a bit flexible also)
"removed" the small foam vedge that is ment to be under the nose. I replaced it with half a icecream stick. I never understood why the foam wedge had to stick out half an inch ? It always comes lose on landings. This icecream stick saves the underside of the plane better than the piece of foam ever did.
All electronics mounted with hot glue in the "electronics bay" on the underside of the wing. I put a plastic lid over it and used some hot glue to glue that in place. No hassle with the electronics. Worked like a charm.
In summary:
The recommended battery for the popwing will never ever ever ever get the CG right on that wing unless you put it on a stick infront of the wing.
You need lead or something to put weight on the nose. In my case that "something" was FPV gear and mobius camera. Now i love this little wing. It flies amazing ! I will post some flight vids after gluing the camera back on. I got one from the maiden also. And one from a crash when i launched it
Happy flying, happy easter and watch out for the witches !
Carolus Rex
