Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard has been the first person who made the crossing from Europe to Afrika in a solar powered airplane. This was the first time that an airplane of this type made an intercontinental flight.

On Tuesday morning at dawn Piccard (54 y/o) left Madrid. After a 10 hour flight he reached Maroccan airspace with his plane 'Solar Impulse' after crossing the mediteranean sea. Late night he landed his plane in Rabat.

The Solar Impulse has a wingspan of 64 meter, comparable with an Airbus 340. It weighs only 1600 kilo's, about the weight of a luxury car. The wing is covered with solar panels and together with the batteries it can fly day and night.

For more information on the Solar Impulse and the team behind it, go here: solarimpulse.com/

The new Hobbyking X550 frame is a high quality folding-arm quadcopter frame that offers great looks and performance.  Built from light weight yet rigid glass fiber and aluminum, the X550 offers a great combination of weight savings and strength.

This quad features folding arms which make it easy to transport and store. The arms are also two different colors for orientation, silver and red, so its easy to keep your quad flying in the right direction.

All necessary hardware is included, just add your own electronics.

 
Specifications:
Width: 550mm
Motor Bolt Holes: 19mm width

More information here: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=24151

 Y650 Scorpion multi-rotor frame is a high quality glass fiber frame that offers both great looks and performance. Built from light weight yet extremely rigid glass fiber and aluminum, the Y650 offers a great combination of weight savings and strength.

The Y650s aggressive styling makes it look more like a deadly creature than a multi-rotor frame, while still offering excellent functionality and performance!

This multi-rotor frame is designed for use in the "Y-6" configuration utilizing 6 motors (3 mounted above and 3 mounted below).

Specifications:
Width: 650mm
Motor Bolt Holes: 32~40mm
Frame Weight: 410g (w/out electronics)

More information at Hobbyking: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=22801

Hobbyking just posted this altimeter to their site:

Altimeter is a stand-alone, small, light and convenient unit for recording altitude and temperature changes throughout your flight. Once you have finished flying, you simply plug the altimeter into your computer via the supplied USB interface and download all the recorded flight data which displays an Altitude/Temperature/time graph for each flight.

Specs:
Dimensions: 21x13x5mm
Weight: 1.3g
Connector: 1.25mm pin
Operating Voltage: 3.7~8.4v
Working Current: <7mA
Upload Interface: USB
Height Range: -500~9000m
Height Accuracy: 0.3m
Operating Temp Range: -20c~65c
Temperature Accuracy: 1c
Sampling Fequency: 1hz/2hz/4hz/8hz
Storage Capacity: 63h(1hz)

More information at Hobbyking: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=22630;

This tiny  Micro-Quad features an integrated PCB frame, Simply bolt on the motors then solder your choice of 6amp ESC directly to the frame!

An integrated power distribution system is also included making for one of the neatest electronics installs around. All mounting hardware and frame components are included in the kit. All you will require to have this little monster in the air is four Turnigy T1811-2900kv motors, four 6Amp ESCs, a set of 5x3 Micro-quad props (2 Clock wise and 2 counter clockwise) an 800mah 2s 7.4v Lipoly battery, a HobbyKing Multi-rotor control board and your own transmitter and receiver (Tx/Rx).

Features:
Light weight design.
Integrated PCB for component installation.
Included a full set of frame and mounting hardware. 

Specifications:
Flying Weight: 145g (not including RX and battery)
Width: 250 mm
Height: 85 mm

Available from Hobbyking for US$ 14.99: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=22607

The H-King Darkwing is a huge composite flying wing designed specifically for FPV, with its sleek design and menacing lines, this is one fantastic looking model!

Specifications:
Wingspan: 1727mm
Length (fuselage): 762mm
Wing Area: 49.3dm2
Dry Weight: 1400g

Required:
Your own 4 channel TX/RX with delta mixing
42mm Brushless Outrunner motor
60A~80A ESC
2 x Standard size MG servo
3700mAh~5000mAh 4s Lipoly battery
FPV Equipment

Price is US$ 167.44

More information on the Hobbyking site: http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=20276

The FPVRaptor is an attractive and superbly designed FPV platform with a a host of neat features that make this model one of the best in its class.

For toughness and reliability, the model features a blow moulded fuselage which utilizes Nylon and is virtually indestructable, the flying surfaces are all made from tough EPO foam. From point of view of practicality, the wings are plug in and the model requires no glue for assembly, everything simply screws together. The outer canopy is purely for looks and is used when the FPVRaptor is flown as a glider, it unclips in seconds to reveal a camera ready platform, complete with a pan/tilt servo mounting hole that has been pre-moulded. This large camera platform/wing cover is secured by a quick release latch and once removed, reveals huge canopy area for mounting batteries and FPV equipment onto a pre-fitted ply plate. All servos, motor & ESC are of course pre-installed.

The plug in wings have mouldings for adding flaps if desired and there is also a moulded C of G indicator on the underside of the wing for quick pre-flight checks. There is no doubt that this is a superbly designed, high quality FPV model at an excellent price. It would be fair to say that it is more attractive to look at than most FPV platforms, not to mention much tougher, the FPVRaptor will give the RC Pilot hours of enjoyment for many years to come!

Specifications:
Wingspan: 1600mm
Length: 1044mm
Flying Weight: 950g
Motor: 2812 1400kv brushless Outrunner
ESC: 30A w/BEC
Servo: 9g x 4

Price for this Plug and Fly plane (just add your rc gear, a battery and fpv stuff) is US$ 73.45

More information at http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=18764

The Eaglewing has been designed specifically for FPV and as you would expect for an FPV platform, there is a generous wing area coupled with a pusher motor configuration. The large canopy you would also expect, but the clever part is that it can be configured in a variety of ways to suit your FPV equipment, with a large clear over-canopy that can be cut to the desired size.

Specifications:
Wingspan: 1500mm
Length: 980mm
Flying Weight: 960g

Price: US$ 49.99 / 57.20 (USA) - Prices might vary depending on your Hobbyking membership level

More information at Hobbyking: hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_v...roduct=19337

The ADXL345 is a small, thin, low power, 3-axis accelerometer with high resolution (13-bit) measurement at up to ±16 g. Digital output data is formatted as 16-bit twos complement and is accessible through either a SPI (3- or 4-wire) or I2C digital interface. The ADXL345 is well suited to measures the static acceleration of gravity in tilt-sensing applications, as well as dynamic acceleration resulting from motion or shock. Its high resolution (4 mg/LSB) enables measurement of inclination changes less than 1.0°. Several special sensing functions are provided. Activity and inactivity sensing detect the presence or lack of motion and if the acceleration on any axis exceeds a user-set level. Tap sensing detects single and double taps. Free-fall sensing detects if the device is falling. These functions can be mapped to one of two interrupt output pins. An integrated, patent pending 32-level first in, first out (FIFO) buffer can be used to store data to minimize host processor intervention. Low power modes enable intelligent motion-based power management with threshold sensing and active acceleration measurement at extremely low power dissipation.

Features:
Ultralow power: as low as 40 μA in measurement mode and 0.1 μA in standby mode at VS = 2.5 V (typical)
Power consumption scales automatically with bandwidth
User-selectable resolution :
Fixed 10-bit resolution
Full resolution, where resolution increases with g range, up to 13-bit resolution at ±16 g (maintaining 4 mg/LSB scale factor in all g ranges)
Embedded, patent pending FIFO technology minimizes host processor load
Tap/double tap detection
Activity/inactivity monitoring
Free-fall detection
Supply voltage range: 2.0 V to 3.6 V
I/O voltage range: 1.7 V to VS
I2C interface
Measurement ranges selectable via serial command
Bandwidth selectable via serial command
Wide temperature range (−40°C to +85°C)
10,000 g shock survival

Documents:
Schematic: http://www.flytron.com/pdf/ADXL345_schematic.pdf
Datasheet (ADXL345): http://www.flytron.com/pdf/ADXL345_datasheet.pdf
Example Code (Arduino): http://www.flytron.com/pdf/ADXL345_example_code.zip

Price is US$ 24.95 (on sale, might not take long)

More information at the Flytron website: http://store.flytron.com/sensors/143-adxl345-accelerometer-breakout-board.html

HMC5883L is a 3-axis digital compass from Honeywell. Communication with the HMC5883L is simple and all done through an I2C interface. There is no on-board regulator, so a regulated voltage of 2.16-3.6VDC should be supplied.

This breadboard-friendly board breaks out pins  to a 4-pin 0.1" pitch header. We've also put two 10k pull-up resistors on the I2C lines.

Features:
Simple I2C interface
2.16-3.6VDC supply range
Low current draw
5 milli-gauss resolution

Dimensions:
15.2x15.2 mm
0.5 gram

Documents available for download:
Schematic: http://www.flytron.com/pdf/HMC5883L_schematic.pdf
Datasheet (HMC5883L): http://www.flytron.com/pdf/HMC5883L_datasheet.pdf
Arduino Example code: http://www.flytron.com/pdf/HMC5883L_example_code.zip

Price is US$ 13.95 (sale price, not sure how long it holds...)

More information at the Flytron site: http://store.flytron.com/sensors/142-hmc5883l-triple-axis-magnetometer-breakout.html

This is a simple breakout board for the BMP085 high-precision, low-power barometric pressure sensor. The BMP085 offers a measuring range of 300 to 1100 hPa with an absolute accuracy of down to 0.03 hPa. It's based on piezo-resistive technology for EMC robustness, high accuracy and linearity as well as long term stability. This sensor supports a voltage supply between 1.8 and 3.6VDC. It is designed to be connected directly to a micro-controller via the I²C bus

This breadboard-friendly board breaks out all pins of the BMP085 to a 4-pin 0.1" pitch header. We've also put two 10k pull-up resistors on the I2C lines.

Features:

• Digital two wire (I²C) interface
• Wide barometric pressure range
• Flexible supply voltage range
• Ultra-low power consumption
• Low noise measurement
• Fully calibrated
• Temperature measurement included
• Ultra-flat, small footprint

Dimensions:

• 15.2 x 15.2mm

Various documents are available:

• Schematic: http://www.flytron.com/pdf/BMP085_schematic.pdf
• Datasheet: http://www.flytron.com/pdf/BMP085_datasheet.pdf
• Arduino sketch example: http://www.flytron.com/pdf/BMP085_Example_Code.zip

Price is US$ 18.95 (on sale at time of writing).

More information at the Flytron website: http://store.flytron.com/sensors/141-bmp085-breakout-board.html

Hobbyking today released on their website na OSD System Combo which contains a main board, power module, USB/GPS/IR/TEMP Modules with a Remote.

From their website:

The HobbyKing OSD Combo is a quick and easy way to add a wealth of on screen information to your FPV system. With GPS coordinates, airspeed, voltmeter, temperature, and many more display functions this OSD unit will make a great addition to any FPV setup at a fraction of the cost of other GPS OSD systems currently available. It even includes an IR sensor and remote control for wireless function control.
 
An excellent new feature of this system is the "home direction" indicator which works as follows:
"If more than 10KM/H or equivalent in MPH speed is measured by the GPS for not less
than half of a second, the system will switch the operating mode from “Landed” mode to
“Taken-Off” mode. The system will always compare between the current position
coordinate and the position measured in “Landed” mode, and calculate the “Home
Direction”, hence advises the pilot where the plane took off referencing to the current flying
heading. If you are lost during the flight, you may always fly back to the take-off
location by the referencing of home direction arrow."

OSD Display Features:
Timer
Date
Temperature
Power battery voltage
Power battery gauge
Power battery current
Power battery consumed energy
GPS status
Position Coordinate
Main Sea Level Altitude
Compass
Direction heading
Home direction
Relative altitude
Altitude scale
Climb rate
Maximum altitude reached
Distance to home
Speed scale
Speed reading
Auxiliary voltage status
Horizontal datum
Flight recorder status

Specifications:
Weight: Main board - 17g / Power module - 23g
Dimensions: Main board - 60x18x34 / Power module - 57x13x31

Edit: This seems to be the Apached OSD from AEORC. A manual can be found here

Price is US$ 56.94, but if you stay for about 30 seconds on that page, you will be offered to buy it for US$ 53.87 (can be different depending on your membership level)

The product page can be found here: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=17140

I found this super light (4 gram) mini OSD on the Hobbyking site. Price is only US$ 8.95 and maybe lower if your are long time member of Hobbyking.

Super Simple Mini OSD 

Easy to install and configure the Super Simple Mini OSD connects directly between your cameras video out and the transmitters video in. 2 Super Simple Mini OSD units can be used together to display voltage for up to 4 individual 2~3 Cell Lipoly batteries.

Features:
Voltmeter & Stopwatch
Double Voltage Input (Up to 4 voltage inputs, requires 2 x Mini OSD units)
Programmable Display Content
Supports NTSC & PAL

Specifications:
Weight: 4g
Dimensions: 51 x 18 x 8mm
Working Voltage: 7.2~12v

More infomation at the hobbyking site: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=19369&aff=132929

The BT-1 8-Channel FPV Joystick is capable of interfacing with your transmitter (via trainer port) with the included FPV control box, and allows you to control up to 8 channels independently. There are 3 proportional channels, and 5 on/off channels. The BT-1 offers you the ease of flying your FPV model with just one hand.


Features:
Ergonomic design
Throttle lever for smooth, easy throttle control
Easily accessible trigger and function buttons

Price is US$ 99.32 (but may be lower after logging in onto the Hobbyking website or after waiting for a pop-up with a one-time-offer).

More information: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=17165

The X-Gyro 500 is a simple single axis head tracking system that can be used to track head movement to for controlling an on board camera in an FPV system. Since today it is available from Hobbyking for US$ 37.44 

Specifications:
Voltage: 8~12v
Weight: 20g
Range: +/- 90degree

Compatible Transmitters:
FUTABA: (FF-7, FF-8, FF-9, T9Z, T12MZ, T14MZ)
Graupner: (MC20, MC24, MX22)
Multiplex transmitter: (Royal Evo, Cockpit SX, mc4000)
JR and other transmitters without programmable channel: (9303, 9X)

The user manual can be downloaded here

Link to product page: http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=14628&aff=5361

This model is big! 2500mm is impressive by any standard, yet the model is very practical, for instance the highly efficient balsa wing is removable for transportation. This model is highly unusual being both a scale model and a purpose built FPV/Camera platform. The Reaper UAV is a development of the Predator and represents the latest in cutting edge military technology, it is also much more than a mere surveillance aircraft, with its armament of Hellfire missiles and laser guided "smart" bombs, it is a hunter/killer with an impressive combat history.

Specifications:
Wingspan: 2500mm
Length: 1080mm
Wing Area: 32.5dm2
Wing Loading: 76-83g dm2
Airfoil: Eppler 374 Mod
Weight: 2500g~2700g

This MQ-9 comes as ARF, the following is required to complete this plane:

5~6 Channel TX/RX
36~42 Outrunner or Inrunner Brushless Motor
40A~60A ESC
2 x Standard Servo and 4 x High Torque Micro Servo
3500mAh~4000mAh 3s or 4s Lipoly Battery

For FPV use, this model obviously ticks the boxes, its difficult to argue with the design of the Reaper! There is plenty of room for FPV/Camera equipment, the scale under-slung camera pod is supplied in such a way that it can be fixed or made rotating with a little effort and comes with glazing. For FPV use obviously the model weight will increase and you may want to consider a 4s set up, prop range is 11"-12". However you fly it, this is an impressive model in every respect and is bound to be a talking point wherever it is flown.

Available from Hobbyking for US$ 100.36, see the product page for details. If you stay on the site for a while, a one-time offer window appears to budy this plane for US$ 94.96. Price may depend on your membership level at the shop.

The FY21AP is a stand-alone autopilot system with FY-AFSS algorithm, GPS receiver and barometric sensing equipment. It is fully upgradable with OSD, telemetric digital communication, Data Modem and Ground
Station Control (GCS).

The flexible layout makes this the most versatile autopilot system in the market, designed for beginners, UAV operators and professional RC aerial photographers.

Features:

Internal use high-performance ARM processor, high stability.
6DOF IMU (3 accelerometers, 3 gyros)
10Hz GPS accurate location
Combining GPS and the barometer fix altitude accurately
complete OSD telemetry information display
Optional GCS software , monitor flight trajectory in real time
LED display for flight mode
strong anti-interference ability
Auto return to base in case of signal lose

There are 2 versions available, one with OSD and one without OSD. For more information, see the the specific product pages (price that you find on website maybe lower, the price depends on your membership level at Hobbyking):

FeiYu Tech FY-21AP with AP117 OSD module - Price: US$ 355.00

FeiYu Tech FY-21AP (no OSD module) - Price: US$ 258.00

Feiyu Tech AP117 OSD (With GPS) - Price: US$ 138.00

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/catalog/HKY-21AT.jpg

The FY-90 Controller is purpose built for Quadcopter use.

The Attitude flight stabilization system (AFSS), which is the heart of the FY-90Q, is an integrated 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer. AFSS forms a comprehensive inertial based navigation platform that calculates 3D flight attitude using proprietary FeiYu Tech algorithms.

When in full balance mode, the AFSS detects any changes to the models horizontal attitude. If an attitude change is detected, the unit will send out controlling signals to change the rotational speed of the Quadcopters motors to maintain stability.

The FY-90Q system features 2 flight modes.

Mode 1: Full Balance mode, in this mode the Quadcopters flight is fully stabilized on all 3 axis, resulting in extremely leveled flight. Suitable for Aerial photography, video, FPV and beginner Quadcopter Pilots.

Mode 2: Aerobatics mode, in this mode the control signals to each motor are very responsive. This mode is specifically for skilled Quadcopter pilots who want fast forward flight etc.

Specs.
Input Voltage: 4v~6v DC
Current Draw: 52mA (5v)
Size: 55 x 33 20mm
Weight: 20g
Max rate of rotation: <500deg / S

This flight stabilisation is much more sophisticated than the KK multcopter board that Hobbyking just sold, but it seems they are getting serious about the quad market and this is a good step in the right direction.

Price is US$ 109.00 and probably lower if you are a Hobbyking member. See the Hobbyking product page for more information.

This new OSD was listed on the Hobbyking website today. The HobbyKing G-OSD unit is a quick and easy way to add GPS on screen information to your FPV system. With GPS Coordinates, airspeed, voltmeter and many more display functions this OSD unit will make a great addition to any FPV setup at a fraction of the cost of other GPS OSD systems currently available.

Features:
GPS coordinate display, time display, airspeed display
voltmeter and stopwatch
RSSI receiver signal strength detection
Programmable display content
Supports NTSC and PAL TV signal
Supports anti-glare shade control signal
Supports manual calibration

Specifications:
Weight: main board 4.6g / GPS module 22g
Size: main board 34mmx20mmx4mm / GPS Module 35mmx35mmx5mm
Working Voltage: G-OSD 7.4V-12V / GPS Module 5V

Price is US$ 37.51 (depending on you Hobbyking membership level, it can be lower). More information on the product page

This handy pocket camera offers stunning HD quality video in a compact and light weight package. With support for up to a 32gb Transflash card (Micro SD) you will be able to shoot hours of HD 720p footage.

Specifications:
120 degree wide-angle HD camera lens,
5 Megapixels COMS sensor
Video resolution: 1280x720p 30fps
Selectable video quality: Superior/Standard/economic
Unique motion-detect recording function
Selectable motion-detect recording time: 10sec, 1min, 5min, 10min
Unique loop recording function
Photo resolution: 2560x1920 JPG
Built-in high capacity Lipoly battery provides up to 3 hours of recording
Memory slot: Transflash (Micro SD) support up to 32 GB
Size: 74mm x 28mm x 15mm
Weight: 29.4g
PC camera function
Support AV out
USB2.0

Price is US$ 37.18, more information at the Hobbyking website