Tricopter FPV

Got my eagle eyes system mostly back up and working, including a new addition, the guardian stabilization module, which should fix a lot of my questionable RTH functions. But in the mean time, I wanted to begin getting just basic video FPV only working with my tricopter. Finally seem to have a pretty good setup working with the copter, and it seems pretty stable. I've been practicing on the simulator with heli's and quadcopters too, so maybe that is helping, but it seems a lot more predictable.
I tried to get my Fatshark 2.4GHz video with a 40mW VTx working on the copter, but it wasn't good enough to even go much over 60 feet without losing signal. Might be because I strapped it right on close to an ESC on one of the arms, but there are a LOT of ESC's...I also was trying to run 2.4GHz spread spectrum radio control at the same time, as I really dislike the 72MHz for servo jitter and interferance, and this 2.4GHz stuff is bullet proof. Anyway, it didn't hurt the control running them both on 2.4GHz, but I can't believe the VTx (which isn't on a rotating freq) was helped having to compete. 72MHz didn't help it much though, and I've just got in a 500mW VTx along with some matched cloverleaf antenna's from Tim at Ready Made RC...so we'll try that out and see if it helps... Lots to do!

First flight on Tri/Quad Y4 copter

Got it all finished up yesterday, in spite of minor board problems with my Hobby King v2. LED lights are really cool at night on it. I've gone through more props than I care to count right now. Been playing with different sizes, and I need to re-engineer my back motor mounts, because they are a bit flimsy and it has become obvious that running these motors with anything less than 10x4.7 is point less. The motors don't make any more thrust after about 60% throttle, and that is what is responsible for my rear swaying uncontrolled (like the gyro isn't responding...it is, the motors just aren't). alt

Start of new tri-copter

Just got the first part of the center plate cut out and drilled from 0.060" Aluminum stock. Not sure that is going to be great for radio reception or FPV, but I'll get something better later. Going to try to make this a V-tail Y4 copter, I think...at least first. That skips the need for a rear servo for yaw. Similar to this basic config, anyway. MultiWii copter V-tail does better control, but that isn't airframe specific.

Tricopter work

Just ordered a bunch of parts to build a tricopter to begin to put FPV on it. This field has come a LONG way in just a couple months, and hopefully, I can get some time on this and begin to get back into my FPV stuff with this as well as on the longer range EZ*. Will keep you updated. For now, thanks to Toby, my new next door neighbor, who needed some help with his build and just required a simple wire swap, we tried out a quick flight.