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30 minute multicopter flight times, with a camera, in practice ?

Posted by Knut Graf on December 17, 2013 at 6:59am

I am wondering if anyone is flying a platform that achieves 30 minutes flight time in practice, while carrying a small camera.

The Phantom 2 Vision is close, at 20 to 25 minutes from a 5200mAh battery, but I am looking for a platform with more equipment flexibility. My Arducopter 3DR-B and my Hoverthing Flip FPV Pro are nowhere near the duration.

If you are flying a copter which gets 30 minutes or more with a camera, would you please share your setup?

Thank you 

Knut

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Replies

  • Joe Dietrich January 9, 2015 at 9:45am

    I'm getting 35-40 minute flight time with this build, carrying a 3-axis DYS Gimbal and GoPro Hero 3:

    Frame:  DJI F550 Top and Bottom Plates / Aeroxcraft X55 extended arms (makes this 650 class)

    Controller / Autopilot:  Pixhawk with flight modes Loiter / RTL / Drift / Auto / Stabilize / Alt-Hold

    ESC:  DJI E600 20A Opto

    Motors:  DJI 3508 / 415kV

    Props:  DJI E600 12 x 4.2

    Motor to motor distance:  12-1/2"

    Battery:  6S-16,000 (35min - 40min) 4S2P - 5,000 (10,000 total, 21min),  4S1P - 5,000 (17min) all times mixed flight

    Total Weight: 4000gr / 8.75lbs with 16,000mAh batt.

    Radio:  Futaba T14SG

    Video/OSD:  MinimOSD on TS832 TX

    other:  Bluetooth module, strobes, 27" LED Ring, DYS 3-axis gimbal,  12V and 5 BECs, 3 video source switcher

    A quick little flight video:

    http://youtu.be/Lsgoq-Mm5hM

    • Joris > Joe Dietrich June 25, 2015 at 6:40am

      I get from my 450 quad. 30 minutes hovering with 4s 5000 mah. 12,5 inch props. Nothing attached. Weight is 1500 grams

      The only problem is the props almost touch each other. And also give a little inteference to each other. The props are cheap ass slowfly props. 

      Video Will follow. 

  • David Pawlak July 3, 2014 at 3:15pm

    I've made an X8 for redundancy that runs 27 min on 20,000mAh. Weighs 5Kg with a Nikon L610 and 2 axis gimbal, video Tx and telemetry

    Hovers at about 40%

    8 x Multistar 4820 pancakes 690kv, 15x8 APC E props

    • JD > David Pawlak July 3, 2014 at 4:29pm

      that's 2 X 6S 10,000 mAH?  Which frame are you using on X8

  • MR60
    Hugues July 3, 2014 at 12:08pm

    On my coax Octo, I get 17 minutes of real flight time with a 2 axis gimbal & Sony NEX5 camera + FPV:

    -Tiger motors 3515-400Kv

    -XOAR props 15x5"

    -Simonk Hobbyking flashed Blueseries 40A (overspec'd)

    -VulcanUAV frame (CF+Al)

    -VulcanUAV dampening (vibration isolation) plate

    -Home made plywood vibration isolation plate (4 cinestar red silicon rings)

    -Kamkop NEX5 Gimbal+Alexmos+3S separate battery 1000mah nanotech HK

    -4 VulcanUAV High Landing legs

    -2x 6000mah 6S Batteries (Hobbyking nanotech)

    -MinimOSD

    -433Mhz telemetry

    -FPV (hdmi converter cable on NEX5)+ IBCrazy Antenna+Vtx

    -Pixhawk (I am not flying an octo with APM)

    -Attopilot

    -Dual BECs for triple Pixhawk redundant power supply

    -FrSky Rx

    -External COmpass+GPS

    -And...a plastic flower pot as electronics protection.

    AUW 6.8 Kg

  • Shouyeh Gong July 3, 2014 at 7:47am
    Check this out. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2025307

    And this. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BDP6EHtCAuQ
  • JD July 2, 2014 at 6:18pm

    I too have been searching for a 25 to 30 min 600+ size multi-rotor.  Must be FPV+gimbal and GoPro.  I have only found options.  There is a build for a 20min + Tarrot 690S:

    Tarot FY690S

    Sunnysky V3508-20 580K
    ESC:  DJI 30A Opto
    Naza-m GPS
    Props:  APC 1238 Slow-Fly
    Rx:  Spketrum AR8000x
    Telemetry Spektrum TM 1000 (voltage and temp)
    Firebug Gold OSD
    vTx:  Immersion RC 5.8 600mw
    Gimbal:  Tarot T-2D
    GoPro Hero 3Black
    2x GensAce 4S 5000mAH 40C
    (ROAR approved HardCase (10,000 mAh total)
    Amount used out of battery:  7938 ma’s (79.38%)
    Flight time 20:40 min
    Turbo ACE has the matrix that is boasting 25min flight times.  but it's very expensive and a little big for my taste.
    Have you found any other options?
    • Knut Graf > JD July 2, 2014 at 8:17pm

      Friends of mine are working on a quad with 400kv-class motors and 17 inch props, running on 6s, and they are achieving 30 minutes with camera on gimbal, I have been told. I will updated once I learn more.

      • Ahmed Ayoub > Knut Graf July 3, 2014 at 3:51am
        Hey Knut, I stumbled on this link during my search for configurations that would allow for 30+ minutes of flight time. This particular forum thread is quite long, but I've found quite a few useful configurations while going through it.

        http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=b0b825ff12cd59c32ab...
      • Euan Ramsay > Knut Graf July 2, 2014 at 9:21pm
        I'm also building an X8 along similar lines, but focus will be for 5kg payloads, not endurance (only 10-12 mins, I estimate. But theoretically it could lift a gimballed nex5 for 20 mins.
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