My quad is flying better than it should. I almost feel guilty.
I slapped together a frame in a few hours. I use cheap props mounted on long shafts with cheap collets. The motors are not precisely aligned to the frame. The props are not balanced perfectly. Motor centers form a rectangle not a square. APM is strapped to the frame. I never bothered to calibrate compassmot. CG is not in the center of the frame.
However...
Loiter is freaky solid, missions are as boring as dressage, no fly aways, toilet bowling or any other stability problems. Gopro video is jello free. With each new firmware version it just keeps getting better and better. Holds position in wind well. I have flown several versions of the firmware on this frame and never had a problem with any of them. Just Dave C tune and go...
I started to think about why it works. Some of the ideas may help others designing their own frames.
1. vibration has a very hard time reaching the APM.
2. the power distribution board is located far away from the APM
3 the power distribution board is not an electromagnet printed on a circuit board
4 motor wiring is away from the APM
4 The GPS is located away from the power distribution board, ESCs and wiring
5 The frame is very light so current and therefore magnetic fields are reduced
Vibration is low. Around "2" in hover
Even with motors just taped to the frame...
APM is just strapped down with velcro.
Good power distribution method? Bad power distribution method?
GPS is away from most RF and in null of telemetry antenna. GoPro on or off does not seem to bother it. I do shift the battery a little to help balance.
Hope some of the ideas are useful. This type of frame makes a great EPP "trainer". There is more info that was posted here:
Comments
These are the noodles I use. Some others have inferior foam.
Weight is 80g for a 55.5" section. (excuse the mixed units, not quite converted to metric yet)
For example this partial frame weighs 142g. It is 27"x 25" and includes fiberglass rods but no tape.
I don't have a good estimate on the tape but I only use partial strips of it since filament tape is plenty strong. The 1/16" fiberglass rods weigh 6g per 4'.
I use a jig to hot wire the curve where the noodles intersect
Not much sticks to EPP but Quick Grip sort of works. It is a thin contact cement. It really sticks to the fiberglass rods.
Use a good quality packing tape like 3M to hold it all together.
Apply a dab of glue at each point the anti-twist "X" touches the frame and
firmly tape down. Build it all on a flat surface. I use a bubble level to level the motors.
Let me know if you have any questions. I can't walk though a store without seeing something you could build a airplane or quad out of. I heard about some clear plastic flourescent tube protectors at Lowe's. Going to check those out the next time I am there. I plan on going amphibious with the noodle copter this summer. I have been inspired by the boxcopter to shoot aerial and underwater video.
Hey Glenn, Very cool love simple. I had similar results with home built H-quad. Flew great and only had to adjust gains a little. Did have a turnigy motor fail but that's sadly common on those cheaper brands. Also like your lurker comment I feel I am the same just learn so much from this site.
With boxcopters, Hcopters, stickcopters, Anycopters, and now NoodleCopters that makes me wonder if...
A thousand monkeys went into a thousand hardware/DIY stores and bought a thousand random items (and a thousand random purchases from the 3DR Store), could they make a quadcopter of some form that would fly?
Inspirational Referece is HERE.
Well done Glenn...I think. ;)
You might ruin it if dropped in a lake but you certainly won't sink it.
I keep being amazed at how creative this community is.
-=Doug
Glenn, would you mind weighing a length of noodle, along with a length of tape and rod? I'd like to calculate the arms' weight in grams per centimeter.
Lots of shapes would be possible. Nighttime Illuminated advertising?
Imagine what you could do with a few of these! # shaped octo, anyone?
Thanks Chris for clearing that up. I am easily confused. I am a big fan of Diydrones but more of a lurker than an active participant...
As for the Reply button, you posted this as a Blog post that does not have threaded replies like Forum posts do. Instead, the comment box is at the bottom. Just a style difference between blogs and the discussion forum.
Oh, that just means that your post was reposted to Facebook by the social team here.
I am logged in and I have tried both Chrome and IE. Shouldn't there be a reply button on your comment?
The avatar showed up under "recent activity" on the left pane
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