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Building X5 FPV UAV

Posted by Christiaan van Vollenstee on March 11, 2013 at 11:47am

Building a strong UAV.

 

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I added a cut off switch was fitted, the xt60 at the rear.

 

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I glued a dean plug with e proxy to the wing and with glue sticks glued the airspeed sensor to the dean plug.

 

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I melted the middle bar so I can insert a 3300 mah 11.1v battery and I added the fpv equipment in the middle.

 

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Tags: fpv, uav, x5, skywalker
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Comments

  • Christiaan van Vollenstee March 14, 2013 at 6:27am

    please do not hesitate to ask if you need more info.

  • Francis Ignacio March 14, 2013 at 5:33am

    Thank you, Christiaan. I appreciate the information.

  • Developer
    Kevin Hester March 14, 2013 at 3:34am

    thanks for the great info!

  • Christiaan van Vollenstee March 13, 2013 at 11:51pm

    O two more things reinforce the elevons (a lot of people cut it off and rebuild them in see youtube) and you cg must be 1 inch in front of the CG nipples on the bottom, I used my fpv areal wire to set the balance just right.

  • Christiaan van Vollenstee March 13, 2013 at 11:49pm

    First got piano wire the same thickness as the elevon's wire is too short so I made new ones bit longer.

    I got a 30cm gps cable from 3DR

    3DR ublocks lea 6 GPS

    APM 2.5

    5.8ghx 500mw FPV system from 3DR

    3DR Radio

    Nylon Screw kit

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/M2-Nylon-Hex-Spacer-Screw-Nut-Assorted-Kit-...

     

    What I use is the ones with the screw thread at the bottom and the hole ontop for a screw to come in.

    I take eproxy and glue those points in the epo foam and when it is hard I screw my gps and apm tight to the body of the plane.

     

    What I have learned with planes is not to be afraid to use a 70AMP ESC so I got these

    http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=...

    http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=...

     

    always use 50-70AMP silicone wire (nice and thick).

     

    I used this prop, just open it up and turn the prop around and put a prop stop in the middle (make it yourself)

    http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=...

     

    In the beginning I was using Dean plugs (Those are crap don't use them, because if you make a fault with your soldering it is not always spotted immediately and this usually comes loose in mid flight), use XT60's very nice to solder on and is very tight.

     

    http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9572__Nylon_XT60_Connect...

    http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10265__XT60_Harness_for_... (to split to fpv)

    http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__18868__XT60_JST_Female_i... (FPV)

     

    I also used 3DR minme OSD (never plug any power over 5v into this module, of the six pins only use the vin and vout other wise you will toast this little one)

     

    I got the 3DR airspeed sensor and found a usful thing for my old dean lug. I used eproxy to stick the dean plug to the outside and some thin double sided tape to stick the airspeed electronics to the wing. I then took shrink tubing and put it over the flow probes and shrink it, I then used glue sticks to glue the probe to the dean plug.

     

    Always put in a engine cut of switch so you can plug in your electronics to the battery close the lid and walk with it without worrying if the motor is going to chop you if the software failsafe on the apm kicks in (can get nasty).

     

    I used a soldering iron to melt the epo foam for the ESC, Battery and cut of switch.

     

    Also very last 2 important things never use the glue they supplied always use eproxy and sand down your plane make very thing nice and flush (I got a nale file to do it)

     

    Hope this helps.

     

     

  • Francis Ignacio March 13, 2013 at 3:37pm

    Christiaan,

    Can you list the bill of materials of this build? I like to build one just like it.

    Thanks!

  • Christiaan van Vollenstee March 12, 2013 at 11:09pm

    @Kevin : I did not put any spars and the only thing I have done with the elevons is toughen it up with the red duck tape. If I would change something is that I would rather use metal gear digital servos than what is in currently. I am not a fan of the spars becuase it starts limiting your usage of the space inside I feel the 1 piece body is good enough.

  • Developer
    Kevin Hester March 12, 2013 at 7:57am

    Great post!  I'll be building up an X5 soon.  What diameter spars did you add? and how did you cut the straight slot for the spar?

    Did you also try to stiffen the elevons like in that youtube clip?

  • Bret C March 12, 2013 at 7:49am

    Chris -thank you for the suggestion on YouTube.  I will watch it later tonight.

    Thanks!

    Bret C

  • Christiaan van Vollenstee March 11, 2013 at 11:55pm

    @Boston : My CG is an inch in front of the two nipples and the heaviest is my 5.8ghz Tx and camera and cables. I am very interested to see if the GPS get interference because I see a lot of people put their Video Tx at the back and they do not have any issues regarding signal.

     

    @Bret C : There is a very nice tutorial on YouTube "Building Skywalker x5" which I think is a 9 part series of clips which shows you how to put spars and to really toughen the x5 up with the use of nylon ropes.

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