So I was ordering some batteries from Hobbyking the other day and I took a look in the clearance section and spotted the Skywalker Falcon wing, for a mere $32! I've never flown a wing before and I had the electronics needed to get this airborne already, so I stuck it in the basket! Rude not to at that price! :)
Put it together with an old NTM 2826 1200Kv motor I had, a 25A ESC and added an 8x4 prop to my basket.
Unboxed:
(http://i.imgur.com/D0Lnazol.jpg)
Went together pretty easily, the winglets arent a great fit to be honest, but I can live with it. This will be a learning wing anyway so I expect it may not last that long!
Reading the thread over on RCForums a lot of people mentioned making sure it was balanced laterally as well as normal CoG, hence the black tape on the right winglet! :D
(http://i.imgur.com/1x4KhRfl.jpg)
Interior layout - not much in there just now!
(http://i.imgur.com/Ok9JLTol.jpg)
Instead of using the supplied canopy I cut out a bit of plywood, cut some slits for velcro to hold the mobius on (and some further back for the eventual VTx), and also cut a hole for the video out and power cables. I then wrapped it in duct tape and glued it on:
(http://i.imgur.com/CraHzmel.jpg)
Works quite well, had to make a small plywood wedge to get the camera at a decent angle though. Wanted to fly it a few times LoS before going full FPV though!
The canopy wasn't a good fit at all, and the piddly magnets would never hold it on, so I put a BBQ skewer into the front, and a velcro strap around the main spar to hold it firm at the back.
(http://i.imgur.com/bPEdRMpl.jpg)
It seems pretty solid now! The ailerons I cut off and taped back on, and I trimmed in 4mm reflex as recommended by others on RCForums.
Maiden flight was yesterday, but will write that up and post a video later. Pretty successful though! Think I will get addicted to wings! :D
Well the maiden went fairly successfully, a few launches were a bit ropey but once it was in the air it flew really well! Was a bit windy but handled it fairly well. Even survived a cartwheel with no damage after a particularly poor launch.
I got back into work and I've definitely got the bug! Went online and ordered a new motor and ESC (a Turnigy 2826 2200Kv, and 40-50A ESC), and an Orange RX 3-axis flight stabiliser. :D This should give me some more power with a 6x5 prop, and I think my NTM motor has a bearing about to go as its really noisy!
I then set about adding my FPV gear. I knew I would need some filtering for the VTx supply, and as Im trying to do this on the cheap I thought I would make my own, and make it in such a way that I can easily hot swap my VTx between my tricopter and this. So ordered some pre wrapped ferrite rings and some caps, and also some balance connectors. Since I wanted everything in one connector going to the VTx, I also had to make a video in header. My first attempt I made a really stupid mistake, which meant that I fried the video out on my mobius. I was rushing too much and ended up shorting power to ground and.....well.....that never ends well. Managed to fix the mobius, theres a thread in the camera section about that!
So on to attempt number 2, which was much more successful:
(http://i.imgur.com/B7PdzNHl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/eG4i6MSl.jpg)
And mounted in the canopy cover:
(http://i.imgur.com/nPhCzPJl.jpg)
This allows me to have this connection for the VTx, giving power and the video signal:
(http://i.imgur.com/WgPrfvAl.jpg)
I also added an extra video header to be able to add an OSD.
So, all mounted up and it looks like this:
(http://i.imgur.com/qxsG5pJl.jpg)
I then also decided I wanted to make a simple pan mount for the camera. So I took off the small plywood wedge that I had made, and basically screwed it directly onto a servo! Cheap and simple but it works! :
(http://i.imgur.com/nZMJgMTl.jpg)
So next step is to get the stabilisation fitted, and figure out the final internal layout. Next week looks excellent flying weather, so hopefully will get it done over the weekend! :D
I also had to order a PS2 to 3.5mm jack to try and get the head tracking from my Attitudes to my 9X, but will need to wait for that to arrive. Might just attach the pan to a pot for now. I'm also really tempted by the Cyclops storm OSD, as I can see myself pushing my Tx range with this!
Looks like it could be good fun :)
How does the camera pan around with the Keyfob cameras USB lead being like that ?
Hi mate, I had one of these a few years ago - it was a great wing!
However I slightly over powered mine & got crazy elevon flutter from the control surfaces so I stiffened with carbon rod, no help. It eventually tore a servo from the wing & it hit the deck at 75mph killing it.
Also did the same as you with the canopy but somehow still managed to get lifted & sucked through the prop about 3 times.
http://youtu.be/KJ_Oi4lBHL8 (http://youtu.be/KJ_Oi4lBHL8)
Also would randomly do this
http://youtu.be/9Hyb6Zlv4nc (http://youtu.be/9Hyb6Zlv4nc)
Quote from: Coyote on March 10, 2014, 06:30:06 PM
Looks like it could be good fun :)
How does the camera pan around with the Keyfob cameras USB lead being like that ?
It manages it as there is a enough slack (just), but I've stripped down another USB cable to use instead, just need to solder the GND to pin 4 to enable video out but not got round to it yet. Still waiting on the adaptor from HK so I can use the head tracking anyway. :)
Quote from: Flyn on March 10, 2014, 06:34:43 PM
Hi mate, I had one of these a few years ago - it was a great wing!
However I slightly over powered mine & got crazy elevon flutter from the control surfaces so I stiffened with carbon rod, no help. It eventually tore a servo from the wing & it hit the deck at 75mph killing it.
Also did the same as you with the canopy but somehow still managed to get lifted & sucked through the prop about 3 times.
Wow, that was well recovered from the death spin! I have heard of it going into a spin easily so will need to be on the watch out for that!
I tried out the new motor today at lunch, but I was getting so much vibration that I lost 2 screws from the motor mount and the other 2 were almost completely out when I landed it! I got some more and went out again after work. Turned out that the prop adaptor wasn't seating right and was moving, causing massive vibrations. I knocked it on fully with some brute force and it was much better (and quieter!). Had a couple of great LoS flights as I thought I had left my fat shark lead on my desk at work, but of course it was in my pocket all along! Still, the field was a bit small and surrounded by trees, so I think I will try tomorrow for a proper FPV maiden at lunch in a bigger field! Boy is this thing fun to fly though!
The stabilisation works well, although I need to reduce the elevator gain a bit as it seemed to be bouncing slightly looking back at the footage.
Video coming shortly!
Thanks mate, yeah was only 20ft off the deck! It's one to look out for with that airframe.
Must say though loved it while mine lasted
Its been a great introduction to a wing I think, first time owning one!
Clipped together some footage of the first few flights:
Skywalker Falcon wing maiden and first flights (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcuF3AsKD8U#ws)
Great flights chap, looks like it goes really well!