After roughly 6 months of getting all the parts together (many directly from China which is what took so long), I am ready to start a new project. I am building a Quadcopter (4 prop) Drone, better known as a UAV (Unmanned Ariel Vehicle). The controller range of this device should be around 1km, with a flight celing height of about 200m. I know it can go higher than this, but the risk of losing the device due to signal interruptions and high winds (not to mention current FFA regulations limiting drone flight above 500ft), make going any higher a bad idea.
I will also be strapping my GoPro Hero3 (Black Edition) camera to the drone for aerial video, and eventually enabling FPV (First Person View) flying.
There are a TON of parts that will go into the construction of this drone. Here is a list of the primary components, and farther down this post, I will included a more detailed parts list:
- DJI F450 Flame Wheel Kit (frame, legs, motors, and ESCs)
- Turnigy 9XR Transmitter (Controller)
- FrSky 2.4GHz (Transmitter / Receiver combo)
- Hobbyking KK2.1 Multi-rotor LCD Flight Control Board
The last part I was waiting on came in just a few days ago, but I will be traveling a bit for work over the next few weeks and won't be able to do much until I get back. I wanted to at least get everything together to see what I will be working with before I left.
And here is the more detailed Parts List. Things may change as the build progresses, but I am pretty sure this will get me off to a good start.
| Part | Qty | Model |
| DJI F450 Flame Wheel Kit | 1 | DJI F450 Flame Wheel Kit |
| DJI F450 Flame Wheel Frame | 1 | DJI F450 Flame Wheel Frame |
| Motor | 4 | Dji 2212 Electric Motor |
| Propellers | 2 | Dji 1038 10" CW/CCW PROPELLER SET |
| Electronic Speed Controllers | 4 | Dji ESC 30A |
| Battery Charger | 1 | Turnigy Accucel-6 50W 6A Balancer/Charger |
| Power Supply | 1 | Hobbyking 60w Power Supply (4A) |
| Battery (Drone) | 2 | Turnigy 3600mAh 3S 30C Lipo Pack |
| Flight Controller | 1 | Hobbyking KK2.1 Multi-rotor LCD Flight Control Board |
| Voltage Status LED | 1 | KK2.0 Super Bright Status and Alarm LED |
| Flight Controller Flashing Tool | 2 | USBasp AVR Programming Device for ATMEL |
| Flight Controller Flashing Cable | 1 | AVR Programming Cable |
| Flight Controller Housing | 1 | KK2.1 Delrin Protection Case V3 |
| Transmitter | 1 | Turnigy 9XR Transmitter Mode 2 (No Module) |
| Battery (Transmitter) | 1 | Turnigy 11.1v (3s) 2200mAh 1.5C |
| Transmitter Module | 1 | FrSky 2.4GHz TELEMETRY Transmitter Module |
| Receiver | 1 | FrSky V8FR-II 2.4Ghz 8CH Receiver (HV) |
| Legs / Landing Gear | 1 | F450/550 Flamewheel Legs |
| Vibration Dampening | 1 | Align PU Adhesive Gel |
| Vibration Dampening | 1 | Vibration Dampeners M3x8 - Set of 4 |
| Misc Parts | 2 | Male XT60 connectors (5pcs/bag) |
| Misc Parts | 2 | Female XT60 connectors (5pcs/bag) |
| Misc Parts | 1 | XT60 Male w/ 12AWG Silicon Wire 10cm (5pcs/bag) |
| Misc Parts | 1 | XT60 Female w/ 12AWG Silicon Wire 10cm (5pcs/bag) |
| Misc Parts | 1 | Extreme accuracy Prop/Rotor balancer |
| Misc Parts | 1 | Battery Connection Wires |
| Misc Parts | 2 | Turnigy Battery Strap 330mm |
| GoPro Mount | 1 | Batwing Camera Mounts |
| GoPro Strap | 1 | Go Pro 3 Strap (Blue) |
There were some other small connectors and cables that will also be used, but I already had them from other project, and did not include them in the above parts list.
Next up is the construction of the F450 frame and soldiering the power contacts to the circuit board. Stay tuned!
Project Index
- UAV with a GoPro - Project Intro
- Component Breakdown
- Body Construction & KK2.1 Firmware Flashing
- Receiver Wiring & Antennae Mounting
- Flight Direction LED Wiring
- UBEC Install and Prop Balancing
- DYI Foam Hard-case
- KK2.1 Setup, Training and Simulation
- GoPro Accessories & Storage
- Maiden Flight... and Crash
- Repairs Complete, Rocket Launch
- Tarot Gimbal Setup, Install, Studder Fix
- New Landing Struts
- Tarot 650 Frame, FPV, 3DR SOLO Announcement
- 3DR Solo update, Tarot 2D Gimbal flight Test
