Folding Quadcopter for the holidays

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Not much space if you're going on holiday with the family in a Renault Clio. This design fits into a 52cm toolbox with transmitter and all accessories.

Just thought I'll share my crash resistant design that has evolved through many drops and repairs. On impact it is now usually just a matter of replacing a rivet or a prop. The electronics and battery can quickly be removed for installation on another airframe.

The props are 15" RC timers and as shown I get about 23min flight time with a slightly damaged 5000mAh 4cell Lipo at 1500m above sea level, 25 deg C.

The difference in spacing between front and rear props doesn't have a noticable effect on stability and it flies waypoints very well.

I'll post basic plans if anyone is interested or if you want an airframe let me know.

Update: Plans for the airframe

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Comments

  • Yep, I remember and like the 1/2 pool noodle crash plate on the bottom. I have a section of ABS septic line under both ends of my fuselage that I reshaped with a heat gun as landing gear. Springy and unbreakable. Thanks for the response.

  • Hi Glenn, I haven't changed the design since 2013. It is still in the config as shown on page 12 of this blog. This config is better than the original, because it protects the battery and the half-pool noodle at the bottom gives extra crash resistance. At some stage I'll want to incorporate a gimbal for better video quality, but other projects have taken most of my time over the last couple of years.

  • Hey, great to hear from you! You are precisely correct w/regards to getting the compass away from electronics/metal to reduce interference. Murray, what are you flying now? I've got a couple of variants of your design on my drawing board now. I'm curious what improvements you have made. Best regards. Glenn

  • To Glenn, thanks for the picture, I think it looks great!! I'm curious whether the GPS/Compass? on the pedestal helps to prevent compass drift on long distance auto flights? As I mentioned before, it normally can tend to drift when flying in a Southerly direction for more than about 1km in auto mode. Sorry also for only seeing your post now.

  • First to Zaozhi Gao: Sorry, but somehow I only see your great build now after more than 3 years! Well done, hope you could get your center of gravity sorted and kept the weight down.

  • Great design with lots of possibilities. Here is my take with white oak, 1/8" aluminum, epoxy and pool noodles. All up wt w/5000mah4s is 2,150g. Have a nice day. 3702420841?profile=original

  • I am very interest this frame ,wanna setup myself or get existing if available.  

  • Thanks for sharing such a great build. I have not completed mine yet. But I want to share with you my project based on your design.

    http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:834267

  • I use center board 198 x 76.2mm to allow for some manufacturing tolerances. Arms lengths are 258mm.

    On page 12 of this blog you can see more dimensions on drawing done by mdrm. Also picture of the current configuration I am still flying of this copter. If you build one please show a picture. I still enjoy it and love the silent motor-prop combination.

  • what size of the center board between front and rear ?
    how long for the arms on the rear and Front ?
    "Thankyou

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