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My EDF TriCopter Project

Posted by Daniel Chote on March 8, 2013 at 11:04am

tumblr_mjcuprKQ3a1rgpsuzo2_1280.jpg?width=600

Primary outline of parts/components are on my tumblr blog: http://projectable.me/post/44872817314/project-edf-tricopter-assembled-plus-first

I really wanted to build something with ducted fans... And I also really wanted a tricopter for its yaw control (great for video).   So after contemplating a hover tank quad for a while, I decided that a tricopter would be smarter (also way less involved!  I will probably come back to the hover tank at some point :P).

I had the basic frame design come to me after I started to shape the front section.  I decided, since I had so much space in the front portion, that I would put the tail control servo up the front and articulate the entire tail.

Summary:

  • All aluminum hand built frame, with full tilt tail boom (bearings for smoothness)
  • 3x 70mm ducted fan units (CW & CCW) powered by 2300KV motors + 60A ESCs on 6s battery!
  • APM 2.5 running Arducopter 2.9-dev (git 3/8/2013) + hott-for-ardupilot classes (for telemetry)
  • Graupner GR-24 receiver running PPMSum (yay 1 wire)
  • Weight: 3lbs 4oz (4lbs 4oz with 3200Mah 6s battery)

I am amazed that this flew with default 2.9 PIDs… One thing to note, which I am sure some tuning will help, is it starts to pitch and that pitch builds until stick correction is no longer enough (which is what happened in the vid).  I hope its not electro magnetic interference from the motors… I would figure the aluminum around everything would act as a shield to some degree.

For my full build log of the project, check out my blog: http://projectable.me

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Comments

  • Stefan Gofferje March 12, 2013 at 9:35pm

    N-I-C-E!!!

  • Jiaqi Hu March 12, 2013 at 9:19pm

    Hi Stefan,

    We want the hunterkiller-drone to be a open hardware, we will continue publishing the drawing and the making method:D

  • Developer
    leonardthall March 9, 2013 at 9:06pm

    check your gyro and accel vibrations in your raw log. This sounds like the leans.

  • Stefan Gofferje March 9, 2013 at 2:02pm

    This HK is definitely the coolest thing I have seen in a LONG time... Not only because it's kinda SciFi scale build but because it's HUGE compared to what's normally flying around with multiple rotors and an APM in the belly...

    Or to say it in short...: I WANT ONE OF THOSE! :)

  • Phil Gordon March 8, 2013 at 9:56pm

    Nice work mate.

  • Crashpilot1000 March 8, 2013 at 6:40pm

    Shouldn't be the FC in the center of gavity?

  • Jiaqi Hu March 8, 2013 at 6:14pm

    3692645892?profile=original

    look this Daniel :D    

  • Maxime Carrier March 8, 2013 at 1:32pm

    Awesome, it looks like a Klingon spaceship

  • Peter Meister March 8, 2013 at 12:35pm

    Daniel - 

    Very nice build!

    I have one myself (tricopter rcexplorer body type EDF as well), Love it. Problem is too noisy and batteries do not last long at all. Love your design, keep up the great work!

  • Norman Sanchez March 8, 2013 at 12:30pm

    edf I love, I make several models similar to Terminator 3 I realized that placing the EDF at the same distance and placing the edf to 3 degrees inclination was more stable, use a board kk, a triangle vertices to the same distance, use as reference frame of http://rcexplorer.se/category/projects/ .

    hope this helps you.

This reply was deleted.