3DR ArduCopter kits are back in stock at the 3D Robotics store. The kits have gone through a slight redesign both in mechanical design and documentation. Our new facility in Tijuana, Mexico as well as better suppliers for parts have allowed us to greatly improve the quality of these kits as well as offering them for lower prices. The new frames also look stunning!
The main change to both of the kits is the new arms, the arms are now 40mm shorter which translates to about 10 grams lighter per arm. This allows for the motor cables to be shorter and reduce the weight of the vehicle overall. The motors are no longer mounted through the entire cross section of the arm which caused the old 3DR arms to sink, the motors are not mounted to the top face of the arm providing a better mounting surface. The two frames are significantly smaller and will allow for easier transportation. The arms now come in two colors, blue and black. Each kit will contain 2 blue arms and a spare black arm (3 black arms for the Quad kit and 5 black arms for the hexa kit), this will allow you to build your vehicle in either + or x configuration with the front indicated by a blue arm(s).The center plates on the Hexa-B have been redesigned to accommodate for the shorter arms and large props.
The manuals for both of the kits have been re-written, we took all your feedback and produced a better set of assembly and set-up instructions. 3DR will also be providing a parameter file for these specific frames and keep it current as the code evolves to provide the best possible performance with these frames. The first iteration of this param file should be available shortly.
The full flight electronics quad and hexa kit have been upgraded to APM2.5 .
3DR ArduCopter Quad-C
3DR ArduCopter Quad-C Frame Kit $99.99
3DR ArduCopter Quad-C Frame + Motors Kit $249.99
3DR ArduCopter Quad-C Frame + Motors + Full Flight Electronics Kit $449.99
3DR ArduCopter Hexa-B
3DR ArduCopter Hexa-B Frame Kit $129.99
3DR ArduCopter Hexa-B Frame + Motors Kit $349.99
3DR ArduCopter Hexa-B Frame + Motors + Full Flight Electronics Kit $549.99
3DR ArduCopter kits will begin shipping today!
Comments
Guys,
for people looking urgently (or not) for arms jDrones and CanadaDrones have them.
Yes the same ones as 3DR sells, yes they fit the 3DR frame systems.
I know it could be confusing because we also carry the smaller Original ArduCopter arms but read the description, they are the "big" ones. the only difference is the color. The come in shiny black or silver instead of matte black.
So stop complaining and order from us! :)
They are even cheaper in price for same quality! it`s not often that we get to "compete" with 3DR for prices but with these we can and as usual YOU the customer wins!
https://www.canadadrones.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=3DR-ARMS-2
(stock is almost here, give me a week max)
jDrones has them already
http://store.jdrones.com/ArduCopter_Arms_19x19_p/arm1919bl01.htm
http://store.jdrones.com/ArduCopter_Arms_19x19_p/arm1919si01.htm
The quality of the products that I have received has been excellent and my preference is to continue to support 3DR, rather than be forced into ordering lower cost copies elsewhere. The concerns around stock levels in this thread prompted me to add my own comment on the issue.
Although I am always careful to ensure that an item is listed as in stock, it is frustrating that the number present as "in stock" does not seem to mean anything. It apparently does not mean that they are in stock and available for sale... If that can be fixed it will be a welcome improvement.
Ordered my quad C frame on 9 September and hoping it will ship soon. This was only my 4th order and I am not about to give up on 3DR anytime soon.
Dom - I did get the email that the parts I ordered (not the arms, like you I never got that email) were in stock, but when I go online to place an order, I can't because it's out of stock?
P.S. I was probably told about 20 times this summer that I could sign up to be emailed when the 3DR and arms came back in stock so that I wouldn’t have to check the website all the time. Good thing I checked the website anyway a couple of weeks ago (before announcement on blog) because I never got any emails.
I really sympathize with Alex on this one. I love 3DR’s products, but the lack of communication is very frustrating. I ordered my APM 2.0 on July 22, but I was unable to order a 3DR-B because it was out of stock. I got my APM 2.0 the next week in the mail since I ordered the un-assembled version. I would have bought a different quadcopter, but the availability of replacement parts is what drew me to this particular quad. I called 3DR customer service almost every week and I was always told that the arms and kits would be back in stock in a ‘couple of days’ or ‘early next week.’ Of course this was never the case. After getting stuck with an APM 2.0, I finally had some good luck in being able to order a 3DR-C. The price drop and new design makes me feel better, but it sucks that I was not able to fly at all this summer and I do not have much confidence that replacement parts will be available in the future. I understand that you are working on getting replacement arms made for 3DR-B, but it seemed like it was low on your radar until we started to complain about it. I just don’t understand why you have been telling us all summer that this stuff would be back in stock within a couple of days when that was obviously not the case. I am still really excited to fly my arducopter for the first time, but I will think twice about where I order in the future.
Jani - Unless I missed it on their website, the jDrones arms are .5-inch tubes whereas the 3DR arms (and the home improvement store towel bars) are .75-inch.
You can also find them on jDrones. We will have them always in stock and there are several color options available and more will come shortly.
You can find replacement arms at your local DIY Home center. Square aluminum towel rods come in a variety of sizes.You can use the damaged arm as a template for hole placement. I built my first quad from scratch using these rods and I'm happy with their strength and weight.
I must commend you guys on the much improved instruction manual :)
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