I get this question all the time: what's a good plane to turn into a UAV? The answer is that it depends on your needs, your budget and your RC skills. But here are some good electric candidates:
For RC beginners:
The NextStar (see above) is roomy, slow-flying and comes with everything you need (including a RC flight simulator). It even has its own rudimentary flight-stabilization system with a Futaba PA-2 optical co-pilot.
For DIY'ers on a budget:
The $110 SuperStar is a nice-flying four-channel plane with enough room for an autopilot and cameras strapped below. The ARF kit comes with a brushed motor and NiCad batteries, which are enough to get you started. When you're ready, you can upgrade to a brushless motor and LiPos. This is the plane we use for GeoCrawler 2 and will also be the basic platform for our ArduPilot-based UAV. You can hand launch it in a park, or take it off from a runway at an airfield. It's tough and can handle wind. All and all, a really comfortable plane to work with, especially once you upgrade the motor and battery.
[Note. This plane appears to be discontinued. You might want to check out the NexSTAR Mini EP as a replacement. It's not quite as good, as it's more expensive and has less interior room, but it does the trick]
For those looking for long flight times:
The Aero-Master is a powered glider with a pusher prop, which means no propellers in the way of your cameras. This is the aircraft used by Marcus UAV.
For those who want to carry heavy, high-resolution cameras, with unobstructed views:
[This one appears to no longer be available, although a larger gas-powered one still is]
For an all-around great first UAV platform:
EasyStar. The classic. Easy to fly, hard to break and plenty of room for electronics. Works best with a brushless motor upgrade.
An even cheaper variation on this, with the helpful addition of ailerons, is the Dynam HawkSky. Well worth considering as an EasyStar alternative,.
Comments
or motorless gliders that are very light weight so when you crash it will not break, something like this would be great if you want to start to fly powerless gliders https://microbirds.com/rc-gliders/
hope this helps.
PS: i wish multiplex would continue selling their easy star, that was one great rc glider
with so many new models out is this list still the best 5?
DIG
Ben,
What they're saying is that the defintion of a UAV is an aircraft that can fly autonomously. There's no such thing as a UAV with no autopilot. FPV is just RC with a camera.
Oh and not married but still have a budget.
Thank you for all your info. It will give me somewhere to start. I am using the Alpha trainer. with a JR Radio. Everything else I have is Futaba 2.4 G.
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