Re: [Paparazzi-devel] Beginner

[Chris Gough]

I'm also not very experienced with multis but can share some mistakes :)

The biggest mistake I made at the start was using very cheap props, figuring that I was going to break a few so might as well not overcapitalise. False economy, it cost me more than I had saved the first time one broke in flight for no obvious reason, as well as extra effort balancing them. Suggest you start with mid range fiber-reinforced props, for example nylon/glass "APC" type or carbon/ABS (the type that's not especially expensive but marketed as "carbon props"). Balance them if they need it.

Like Chris (Hendrix), I also standardized on 10*4.8 props and 3S LiPos. I use motors in 850-1000 kv range. This seems to be the sweet spot for cheap and cheerful multis, but is big enough to be quite dangerous so going a bit smaller wouldn't be bad idea either.

My best experience was with one of the "flamewheel 450 clones". These perform OK and are very cheap, and replacing broken arms is quick and easy to do in the field.  I don't care when I break an arm because so far, after a few crashes, that's all that's broken. Some kind of sacrificial element.

Get plenty of spare parts (arms), waiting for replacements to arrive in the mail is very boring.

If you can cut and drill aluminium accurately then bolting one together from locally available materials probably isn't a bad idea either. 

Chris Gough

On 27/08/2013, at 8:54 PM, Ben Scammell <address@hidden> wrote:

Thank you.  Very helpful.

From: Chris <address@hidden>
Reply-To: <address@hidden>
Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 13:45:04 +0300
To: <address@hidden>
Subject: Re: [Paparazzi-devel] Beginner

I am not a rotorcraft expert as i just finished my first ever (hexacopter)
but i would start with a hobbyking f550 or similar quadcopter  and not a hexacopter or more.
Optimize your motor and esc selection for 3-4S with 10x4.8 propellers
One advice, buy rotorcraft specific ESCs and good motors (ask the more experienced flyers here),
don't be cheap on the motors otherwise you will end up paying much more real soon
due to bearing failure and exaggerated power handling specs.
Wait for more opinions from those who know better than me...
Chris

On 08/27/2013 01:04 PM, Ben Scammell wrote:

I am a beginner inspired by the Lisa/S article on www.theregister.co.uk that wants to build a quad-copter UAV based on it…

I have (obviously) found the http://paparazzi.enac.fr/wiki/Main_Page site.

Does anyone have any good advice on what airframe(s) I should look at?

Thanks, Ben

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