OCD – Skywalker Revolution 1720mm Build

[iwan_canobi]

Totally understand, I'm the same really, I've never pushed beyond 5km for that reason! :)

Looks like I'll need to do some more reading on the laser front, what I've found so far makes it sound simple but looks like it may not be! I had thought about getting a laser + module and only using the fan signal to turn it on and off. Will need to have a look at the Malyan board, not sure what voltages it is running at, although I know the fan is 12V. I'd factored in having a separate power supply for the laser though. What power is yours?

Anyway, sorry for the de-rail, the Skywalker is looking excellent so far, look forward to seeing the next steps of progress! Great images as well by the way, always makes the thread more interesting! :D

[beesleyboy]

looking really good bud.
;) G

[ClippedWing]

Thanks all for the nice comments!

It's a 2.5watt down ramped to 2.2watt to prolong the life of it. Anything over 2watt is over clocked (if you want anything bigger just get a small Co2 tube to save the heart ache)

Off to print a pixhawk vibration plate now!

[Njoro]

Off to print a pixhawk vibration plate now!

"Waiting to see your design", will you be cutting flaps for your Skywalker?

[ClippedWing]

I designed a new vibration mount today for the Pixhawk, nothing to ground breaking. I wanted to use some of these small vibration buttons I had hanging around

As they stick out 2mm from the end, I counter sunk them into the bottom part of the print. I also added a bumper in the middle to support the bottom. I did not feel that the whole bottom needed to be supported. This is 2mm thick, I did not want to make a huge plate to keep the weight and print time down.

Here is the bottom of the mount


Here is the top


The top plate was made slightly bigger, and 2 bumpers were placed on the side to central the Pixhawk in place without conflicts with the connections

Here are all the parts ready for fitting


And here is it completed


Has just enough movement to absorb some of the energy, Pixhawk will tell me in the diagnostics if this is working or not. Too much movement, and to rigid will upset the pixhawk so i hope this is in the middle somewhere!

Would of got more done today, but my Wife & I are expecting our second child any day now so priorities and what not  :laugh:!

Happy with progress so far!

More soon!

[SnoozeDoggyDog]

I use the same dampening system in my mini talon.

P

[ClippedWing]

That's good to know, hopeful it will work a treat then!

This only took a hour or so from start to finish!

[ClippedWing]

Just a little more progress tonight.

Continuing with the wings and servos, I really don't like connections half way in the wing. Its not that I feel it will come undone its just very messy!

First job was to open up the 2 Hitec servos carefully and unsolder the existing cables.
Hitec cables are made very well and all of the ones I have opened up in years I have been flying, they all come soldered well and secured with a hard glue



A small bit of heat from a soldering iron with a clean tip breaks it down so you can gently pull off the cables. Afterwards it makes it easier to get some small tweezers and peel away the reaming glue.

I always dab a little bit more clean solder on the pads ready for the cables

The hardest part about soldering servo cables is how hard it can be to tin the bare wires. Small gauge wire wicks the heat away really quickly so I have a simple method to make it easier for anyone finding it a hard job.

Firstly with some cheap automatic wire strippers, I clamp and pull all 3 wires at the same time. This pulls away around 10mm of bare wire, with the plastic insulation still hanging of the edge like so

Now you have all the 3 wires exposed, you can go in with a soldering iron tinned, and heat the wires together rubbing some solder in as you go. To start with it looks like your just clumping the wires with solder, as it wicks away it tins all the 3 wires perfectly.

After that, its just a case of snipping the end off to your required size, generaly I go 2-3mm. Quite short, but when you solder them back onto the pads, the insulation melts another 2mm so it keeps it nice and neat.

For the servo connectors, the process is the same, strip, tin and then snip!
Grab your servo connectors and crimps and simply crimp them on!

Always and I mean always test your servos before installing them in your model. I learned that one the hard way. A cheap servo tester has no doubt saved me many tears!

All were working nicely, I gave the little connectors a few thorough tugs while testing, and found one of the servos stopped intermittently. A quick crimp again and test sorted it out. I take my time with this. Something you cant rush!

Now all that was done, a quick clean up and admire your work!

Thats it for tonight, only managed a few hours.

More soon!

I hope this gives you the confidence if you haven't done this before to give it a go. Saves having loads of servo cabled coiled up somewhere in your model!

[iwan_canobi]

Would of got more done today, but my Wife & I are expecting our second child any day now so priorities and what not  :laugh:!

Happy with progress so far!

More soon!

Congrats man! I'm in a similar boat, we are expecting our first in 6 weeks, so I'm trying to get as much building done as I can before then! :)

Great write up on the servo wire extensions, I normally cut the wire and solder extensions on, but this way is much neater! I did the crimping once but almost had a nervous breakdown as it's quite fiddly and I kept crushing them! I was probably using the tool wrong though!

[ClippedWing]

Just while I am faffing around, I just designed this little tool to cut servo wire channels in foam.

One of them little things you hardly need, but wish you had!

It will take 2 size 11 blades to give me a width of around 1mm wide. It should just let me push blades in and let me cut a 8mm channel that I can then pluck out.

It has a runner, 1mm from the edge as that how thick my big steel rule is, should run down nicely!

Looks good on the screen, will test it tomorrow!

[ClippedWing]

Congrats man! I'm in a similar boat, we are expecting our first in 6 weeks, so I'm trying to get as much building done as I can before then! :)

Great write up on the servo wire extensions, I normally cut the wire and solder extensions on, but this way is much neater! I did the crimping once but almost had a nervous breakdown as it's quite fiddly and I kept crushing them! I was probably using the tool wrong though!

Ah congratulations to you too mate, its mega rewarding!

My first is now 2, loves flying so i am well happy to have a new flying buddy!  :P Will have 2 boys, so my Mrs is well happy that they will be out with me all the time  ^-^

[iwan_canobi]

Cheers! Looking forward to it, we don't know what we are having so it will be a surprise either way, currykittens videos give me hope though that even a girl can enjoy the hobby with me! :D

[SnoozeDoggyDog]

It's all lies. It's not rewarding. It's a constant grind. You can't take a shite without someone disturbing you. You're time is never your own and when it is you're clock watching!

Leave while you can!

🙏

[CurryKitten]

Cheers! Looking forward to it, we don't know what we are having so it will be a surprise either way, currykittens videos give me hope though that even a girl can enjoy the hobby with me! :D

It's all clever editing, you should see the strops that she throws  :o

Just kidding, you'll have a blast with your young'un.  Lets you be a kid all over again (even more so than playing with planes all day) :D

[English Turbines]

 Ah, strip and tin all 3 wires at the same time.....Got to try that now, it's so obvious huh..?

  I have some nice wire strippers for this, and yet I always strip each wire in turn....Never too old to learn something new.

  My Runcam Swift Mini loom came with no servo connector on it, so I can try this method tomorrow.....Not sure why Runcam have made this Camera cable with those tiny 3 pin white plugs on both ends..?....weird.
  So, I will cut the cable in the middle, and end up with a spare one.

Nice Tip...Thanks.

                                    :vulture: