The Tricopter V2_5 build

by RCExplorer | May 19, 2012 | (78) Posted in Tips

The Tricopter V2.5


Ever since building the Tricopter V1 I’ve always tried to find ways to improve the construction. I always try new props, motors, esc’s, arm lengths, tail mechanism and such. Often I change stuff before each flight. Always in the quest to find the optimum setup for me.

The Tricopter V2.5 is more of an alternative to the V2 than something completely new. It uses different motors, speed controllers and tail assembly. There are also some minor changes to make the build a little easier and a little more crash resistant.

There is a new theme to the build: zip-ties. I love zip-ties. They make the build quick and easy. They break in a crash absorbing energy. These weak points are the key to the crash survivability of the tricopter. Rather than replacing a motor axel that has been bent, you simply replace a broken zip-tie. This can easily be done in the field as well.

Enough talk, let’s build.

Specifications:
Motors: DT750 750kV Motors
ESC’s: TURNIGY Plush 18amp Speed Controllers
Battery: 3s Turnigy 25-35C 2200mAh LiPo
Servo: BMS-385DMAX Digital Servo (Metal Gear)
Props: GWS 10*4.7 or GWS 11*4.7 for heavy lifting
Arm length: ~50cm (center to motoraxel)
All up weight: 860 grams (Including battery) (670 g without)
Amps during hover: ~10A
Motor test: 13.2A@11.7V – 7770RPM – 1080 grams thrust / motor


I still like the V1 template and a friend of mine was nice enough to cut a few for me on his CNC machine for me.
Due to popular demand I now offer pre-cut V1 tricopter frames!


10 M3*16mm screws is needed. I used these hex screws.


All three arms are the same length. I cut my arms to 48cm. The arms are 10*10mm pinewood.


The holes in the front wooden arms are drilled 25mm from the edge. It’s slightly further in than the template states, but the extra material stiffens the frame a bit and is helps the durability. The little wooden piece in the front is 40mm long and helps stiffen up the frame considerably.


Time to screw the frame together.


I use these m3 lock nuts. Extend the arms fully before tightening. The arms are supposed to touch the screws when fully extended. Be careful not to over-tighten the screws, but they should be tight enough so that they do not move during flight. Now the main frame is done.


Here is a simpler alternative to the V1 templates. I call it the coffin body and it’s easier to make as all the lines are straight.


I made this coffin body slightly larger as the person I’m building it for needs the additional mounting surface.


Simply take the V1 template and draw straight lines instead of the curves and you’ll end up with the same shape.


Time to fix the ESC’s.


Off with the heat shrink.


On two of the ESC’s, you should now remove all the cables except for the servo lead. On the third one, you should also keep the battery cables. This ESC will be the one on the tail and it just so happens that the cable is the right length to begin with.


New cables in place. Here are the cable lengths I used:
Back ESC battery cables: Stock (10cm)
Back ESC motor cables: 32cm
Front ESC’s battery cables: 18cm
Front ESC’s motor cables: 28cm
I used this 16AWG silicone cable.

Also soldered on 3.5mm bullet connectors.


New heat shrink. I used this nice transparent heat shrink that is nice and thick which helps protect the electronics. I have stripped the label from the original heat shrink, so that you can still identify the type of ESC’s, but this isn’t really necessary if you don’t want to. Looks nice though.


Time to solder the battery connector. (The thin extra wire is for powering FPV equipment) Here is a tip for soldering multiple cables:


Wrap a strand of wire tight around the exposed end. This holds all the cables in place during the soldering, reduces the size of the solder joint, and it also adds a mechanical bond to the solder joint.


Connector in place.


Now to the programming bit. I use this programing card. This is the settings I use on my ESC’s.


Now it’s time to make the new yaw mechanism. This is a bag of 40mm front wheel steering mounts. They are really inexpensive, one bag is enough for 2 and a half yaw mechanisms and costs under $2.5 here.


Take out two pieces.


Start by drilling up the hole to 4.2mm of ONE (just one!) of the two pieces.


Remove any scraps of plastic after drilling the hole.


Place the pieces like in the picture and jam a 4mm rod through. It’s a tight fit in the piece that wasn’t drilled out, but that’s what we want. Use some muscles to get it through.


The rod should go all the way through but not poke out at the other end. I used a 4mm solid carbon rod to keep the weight down. The piece that was drilled out should move nice and smooth without any slop at this stage. If it’s not quite smooth, use an exacto knife or similar to wedge in between the two pieces and scrape a little to release pressure. Don’t remove to much though, you want a close fit.


Cut the rod. I used a dremel with a cutting disc.


Done. It should pivot smoothly and without slop.


Sand the edge of the piece where the rod is stationary (the undrilled piece)


Time to connect the new yaw mechanism to the servo. The servo I use (BMS-385DMAX) comes with a cross shaped servo horn, which is perfect for this.


Sand the horn flat.


We’re going to drill two holes to fixate the horn, but to get good precision when doing this I recommend glueing the servo horn to the plastic using CA. Two things that is important; The servo horn should be mounted on the piece where the rod is stationary (the undrilled piece) and take great care to glue the horn in the dead center of the rod. If you’re off, there will be unnecessary strain on the servo.


Drill two 1.5mm holes through the innermost holes on the servo horn. Drill as deep or a little deeper than the screw you’re using.


The screws I used came from a HXT900 servo. Nice size and I had tons of them laying around.


Cut off the excess plasic of the servo horn.


The DT750 motors comes with a mounting base which is the perfect size. You just need to drill one hole in the middle of one side on the piece that has the servo horn attached. To get the most maximum throw I highly recommend drilling the hole on the same side as I did (see picture). This way the zip-tie used to mount the motor base will not limit the travel in the direction that the mount is already leaning to compensate.


Three 2.5mm zip-ties is all that is needed.


The zip-tie that’s closest in the picture should be mounted just like in the picture, not to limit the travel (That is to say over the short edge).


The servo needs to be modified in order to be mounted properly. Cut off the bottom mounting ear flush to the case.


To get the correct hight I added a 0.8mm thick glass fiber piece to the bottom on the servo. You could just as easily sand down the plastic yaw-mount, if you don’t have anything laying around with the right thickness.


Yaw mechanism done!


Time to mount the yaw mechanism to the arm. Zip-ties for the win!


Mounted on the arm. The servo is mounted with bigger zip-ties.


When mounting stuff with zip-ties it’s a good idea to have the ”knots” in opposite directions if possible. This ensures that the thing you’re securing remains straight. Use a pair of pliers to really tighten all the zip-ties, as this is all that keeps your tricopter parts together.


Started soldering bullet connectors to the DT750 motors. I like the DT750’s. They are pretty efficient. They also have high torque due to their wide bell. This means that the prop will change RPM faster and the platform will be more stable and have a quicker response. I also like the 4mm threaded shaft as you can mount the props straight to the bell without any extra weight or hassle.


A weak point on these motors are where the windings meet the heat shrink. If you wiggle the cables back and forth too much the copper wires will fatigue and break. To fix that and make the motors more durable I added some epoxy.


The motor axel can extend a fraction of a mm out of the bottom of the motor mount base, and to prevent it rubbing against the arm I simply drilled away a tiny bit of wood underneath the mount.


If the motor rubs agains the arm it will draw more current and create more vibrations. Simply drilling a bit of the wood away is a quick and simple solution.


Mount the motor mount using 2.5mm zip-ties. Simple, cheap and fast. It also helps save the motors in a crash.


All the motor mounts mounted.


The axels on the DT750 motors are way to long stock. The risk of an axel getting crooked in a crash increases with the length. I cut mine down to 21mm. This is a good length for a GWS prop and lock nut.


Now it’s time to put the motors in place. Always use thread lock on all screws that goes into metal. Otherwise vibrations will loosen these screws over time.


Mount the back motor with the leads pointing 90° out from the arm. This will ensure that the cables won’t rub against the servo.


Landing gear mounted with zip-ties and prop mounted on the motor. The prop needs to be drilled to 4mm. I simply drilled it out with a power drill. Make sure to use lock nuts, otherwise the props will come loose over time. Also make sure not to over tighten the props. The bell can be pushed down to hard and create unnecessary friction agains the bearings.


Test fitting of the rear ESC. I have also mounted the 420mm servo extension.


ESC’s in place.


Tail all done.


This tail mechanism has low friction, little slop, is really sturdy and present very little added drag underneath the prop. The servo is mounted vertically in line with the arm and the tilt mechanism is hardly any larger than the bell of the motor. This means that more of the air the prop moves is used to actually lift the platform. I really like the direct drive servo as well. No slop or extra linkages.


Next it’s time for a revised camera/battery mount. Notice the small slots. The original template can be found here.


For vibration dampening I used some silicone tubing I had laying around. The dimensions of the tube is 8mm outer diameter and 3mm inner diameter. I cut two 38mm pieces.


I used 2.5mm zip-ties (surprise!) to mount the tubes to the camera mount.


Bottom of the camera mount plate.


Bottom of the tricopter body.


Camera mount fixed to the tricopter body. Another pair of zip-ties, of course.


A more detailed picture of how the zip-ties are wrapped around the body to fasten the camera mount.


This means that the only connection between the body and the camera plate is through the silicone tubing.


I still love the KK board and I found a really ridiculous cheap one from Singapore for $25! These boards are no longer available with the tricopter V1.6 firmware, the price has also gone up. I now recommend getting this board from Hobbyking. It comes stock with a quad firmware and has to be reflashed with the tricopter V1.6 firmware, follow this guide. Update: I now recommend the KK2 boardwhich doesn’t require to be reflashed, and it performs even better then the old KK boards.To mount the KK board, I use double sided sticky foam tape folded over 6 times and then cut into squares.


Simply peel off both sides and smack onto the KK board and you’re done.


Only needs a receiver and a battery now.


Done!


Folds up nicely for transport as well.


The new yaw mechanism works like a charm. I’ve had around 50 flights on it and so far so good. Still no slop and silky smooth.


Battery is held in place with a Scorpion battery strap which is awesome! It’s a little sticky and once it’s tight it won’t move anywhere. It just grabs that battery and holds it in place. Sorry for being so exited over a battery strap, but I’ve been looking for ever for a good battery strap and I finally found it.


Lift off.


One thing it does not lack is power. The DT750 motors are capable of lifting much more than the 2213N motors.


The DT750 motors runs smooth and quiet. Flight time is around 12 minutes with a 3s 2200mAh (without camera mounted).

Here is a video of the Tricopter V2.5 in action:

Shopping list:
1 x KK board Recommend this one instead
3 x DT750 750kV Motors
3 x TURNIGY Plush 18amp Speed Controllers
1 x 3s Turnigy 25-35C 2200mAh LiPo
1 x BMS-385DMAX Digital Servo (Metal Gear)
1 x GWS 10*4.7 or GWS 11*4.7 for heavy lifting
1 x Front wheel steering mounts
1 x Transparent heatshrink
1 x 4mm heatshrink
4 x Red 16AWG silicone cable
1 x Black 16AWG silicone cable
4 x Male to male servo cables
1 x M3 Hex screws.
1 x M3 lock nuts
1 x M4 lock nuts
1 x XT60 connector
1 x Battery strap
1 x 420mm servo extension
1 x 3.5 bullet connectors
1 x Programming card
3 x 1.5mm glass fiber plates (min size 140*100mm)
(Due to popular demand I now offer pre-cut V1 tricopter frames!)
4 mm carbon fiber rod
40+ of 2.5mm zip-ties
3 mm thick plywood
8 mm silicone tubing
Blue locktite
CA glue
(Items without a link I’ve bought at local shops)


COMMENTS

SuperCub92 on June 4, 2012
Hey David...
Love the build log.. so much so i have all the parts on order from HK now !!
I have a few questions as this is going to be my first ever scratch build.. and my first ever tricoptor..

First question is.. how do I bind my new tri (when build obviously) to the new turnigy 9x I have ordered..?
Second question.. :P I can't see anywhere on this log tht says how much angle the yaw mechanism has to have to counter the torque of the front two motors.. I'm really rather new to the hobby so i could be talking a load of rubbish as I don't really kno wot I'm on about..

Any help from anyone is gratefully received :)

Thanks David can't wait to build and fly this thing !!
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Norway_Ulrik on July 2, 2012
1st you bing a reciver to your Turningy 9X
2nd I think the KK board find the right angel by its own, if NOT Then ONLY then try on your own by flying a bit then land and trim a bit and fly agen and land and trim... after some time its trimed out

Norway_Ulrik
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House Of Noob on June 7, 2012
Love reading your build logs!
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Brainanator on May 30, 2012
Thanks! The link to the KK flash guide is very handy too! I will be looking at that soon when I build my first quad!
(already in the mail :D )
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jelofson on May 19, 2012
Thanks so much for posting all of these great instructions. I know a lot of people will appreciate it.
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dadi3 on November 18, 2012
That is called BUILD THREAD. You are the best
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Bilbobaker on November 23, 2012
David, in you newest tri build you use reflashed esc's.
Is it possible to buy the esc's already re flashed?
Bill
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dadi3 on November 24, 2012
LOL. You mean wrong David :D
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Sirglider on June 5, 2013
Yes you can get them from RCTimer
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colorex on May 20, 2012
I made a slightly different plan for the tricopter frames. Check them out here: http://www.undcon.com/colorex
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colorex on May 20, 2012
Jättebra artikel David! Jag har lärt mej mycket av dej :)
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tomwsanders on May 19, 2012
Wow this is quite a project!
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gtrguy on November 4, 2012
The links to all the pictures are broken...

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dr.livingstone on January 14, 2013
Hi David,

New to this activity, I want to thank you for all the advice you put online here and elsewhere.
I've just built a tricopter V.2.5 on a Jakub frame, following your tutorial.

First ground hover was showing heavy drifts in random directions. After re-calibrating ESC's and verify gyro directions, the second flight went on far better, although I still have drift.

Your guess: is this due to ground effect or (as I've seen in another forum) bad HK KK board ?

Thanks for your advice to a newbie
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colorex on May 20, 2012
By the way, I stripped my MG servo today. I'm grounded now.
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TheRCNewbie on January 6, 2013
You are so brave. Flying $200+ worth of equipment under bridges near water...
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Kotze101 on November 14, 2012
Hi David. Why is the tail motor mounted off-centre from the yaw mechanism and not in the middle of it?
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Gnutt on April 22, 2014
I think that is because that way you use as many existing holes as possible, and not weakening the structure.
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the ginger flyer on February 6, 2013
great design I really like it and I looked at all of the reviews thought that my flying club would need someone with one to help find planes in the corn fields.
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x3mperformance on February 5, 2013
Hi David.

See, i build a tricopter from your design, and mixed it with "ycopter's" setup of electrics.
Sunday i took it up, to shoot a small fil, Snow and hard wind.
But... Just a trip in the calm side of the garden...
Bad idea. Wind played havoc.
In a matter of seconds, it was up at 100+ meters altitude.
Loss of visual sight.
FPV with 5,8 Ghz, still visual, yep...
But the really hard winds made it impossible to move forward, (towards me)
And after a big struggle, in 2,30 min it losst signal from reciever. Clear beep in video shoot.
And down it went.
I searched all sunday afternoon and evening. Stopped at midnight.
Monday at work.
And today, tuesday. Search and rescue.
And i did find it. Almost completely in shape.

Yaw motor and servo broke of due to impact.
GoPro thrown 15+ meters away from point of impact.
Spironet antenna lost it's "hat" (I consider this dead.)
Lipo 100% discharged for power to main board.
Lipo for FPV still alive.(Not connected any more.)

Dismantled everything, off came all heatshrinks on elec's. And a rinse in alcohol + drying in a bowl of dry rice-grains.
Inspection time.
both frame parts. Intact.
Arms. 1 broken, partly delam in the end where motor was attached.
Undertray for cam and batt mount. 100% safe.

Lipo came back to life. Tested at my other Tricopter twise today.
All electronics 100% working after rinse, drying and check.

Total cost.
1 Spironet ant for my Fat Shark set.
3 pieces of wood from the local supplyer.
a small dent in my soul.

You have made an awsome design.
This design is equal to a "Battle- Tank" in terms of Tricopters.
Robust, sturdy and cheap to run and repair.
I'm putting it back together now.

Rene'
Denmark
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kalo6 on March 24, 2013
Hello David and all FT crew
how about making speed build kit of this grate tricopter ?
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lracnolip on April 10, 2013
great video as always, all your stuff is top notch. Wanted to ask why you always use the same motors on your tricopters? The shafts look very other question is about watts bendable, is it because they are cheaper? Why not something with a bolt on shaft?
My other question is about watts. Is using a motor with a higher watt ratting better for power, but will you drain your battery faster, so whats the best balance?
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jhonwilliam on May 19, 2013
also what is the total price(about) for all the parts

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Ihminen on August 19, 2013
About 200$ from HobbyKing
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jhonwilliam on May 16, 2013
also, What kind of charger should I get, I currently only have a 3.7 volt charger, and do not want to spend 30 bucks on a charger, what can i do
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RCmaniac on April 8, 2013
Slow Fly Electric Prop 11x4.7SF (4 pc - Green) will these props work? please answer!!!
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RCbacon on March 26, 2013
Hi David!
I have a quick questions to you! It says 4x male to male servo cables do you mean that i should buy 40 male to male connectors?!? Because every package is 10 cables. Please answer :) Your videos are awesome!
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cade861 on April 2, 2013
obviously im not david but i can answer the question you only need 4 cables it is to plug your reciever into the kk board meaning alieron, elevator, throttle and rudder the pack does come with 10 so 1 pack will do and it gives you extra cables so if you wanted to setup the auto level on aux channel you can do that to. but I would recommend getting the usbasp from hobbyking so you can put the new firmware on the kk board. hope this helps happy flying
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RCbacon on April 2, 2013
Thank you very much for the answer! I will probably gonna buy an USBasp beacuse im gonna reflash the ESCs :)
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cade861 on April 2, 2013
Good and its a must to reflash the kk board to 1.5 it makes the tricopter handle better and the auto level actually works with the new firmware
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RCbacon on April 4, 2013
Im gonna buy the KK2 board, do i have to reflash it? I understood it this way:
KK board=reflash
KK2 board=no reflash
I am right or do i just talk rubbish?
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cade861 on April 4, 2013
Well you don't have to reflash it. It will work out of the box but it is highly recommended to reflash due to the firmware being much better in the leveling capabilities look on YouTube for people comparing the newest 1.5 firmware rcmodelreviews has a good review and I think its dhdsracer that has good info on the kk2 board. But from what I understand the kk board and kk2 board are different in design I believe The red one in this article is the kk board and the kk2 board has the lcd
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RCmaniac on April 17, 2013
Is there any other servo that can be used other than the: BMS-385DMAX Digital Servo (Metal Gear) 4.2kg / .15sec / 16.5g servo? Please answer me!!!!
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Frosty0_0 on May 2, 2013
Yes RCManiac I'm using the TGY-390DMH High Performance MG Digital Servo (Extra Strong)
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=30680

the things you want to look for are 4.2kg / .15sec / 16.5g that's whats David is running however Im running a 5.4kg / .11sec / 22.5g A little bit more weight but faster response time at 6v and a bit more torque. really just check the numbers the info's out there its just kind in lots of different places.

Davids Servo specs:


Weight: 16.5grams / 0.59oz
Dimensions: 26 x 13 x 26 mm / 1.16 x 0.51 x 1.02 inch
Torque At 4.8V: 4.2kg/cm , 57 oz/in
Torque At 6.0V: 4.7kg/cm , 62 oz/in
Speed At 4.8V: 0.15sec / 60 deg at no load
Speed At 6.0V: 0.13sec / 60 deg at no load


Mine:

Weight: 22.5 grams / 0.79 oz.
Dimensions: 29 x 13 x 30 mm / 1.14 x 0.51 x 1.18 inch
Torque @ 4.8V: 4.6 kg/cm , 64 oz/in
Torque @ 6.0V: 5.4 kg/cm , 75 oz/in
Speed @ 4.8V: 0.14sec / 60 deg at no load
Speed @ 6.0V: 0.11sec / 60 deg at no load


As far as the props go what size motor are you running? How many cell battery? What size are your speed controllers? These things all play a large factor in the size of prop. This is not something to just go into lightly or else you can quickly endup with a 200$ paper weight and a few digits missing, perhaps even some hair missing in clumps. XD

Either way hope that helps clear up a few things.

Frosty0_0
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RCmaniac on May 2, 2013
I am running the dt700 motors with 11x4.7 props with 3 cell battery and 18a plush speed controllers. Thanks so much for the reply it helped a lot!!! :)

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sakadalim on February 16, 2013
what transmitter do you recommend for this tricopter?
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jhonwilliam on May 16, 2013
Please help me, I am totaly new to the world of RC, please explain to me how you wire the ESC's to the reciver in order to allow them to be controlled all together by the throttle (to go in verticle directions) and then allow them to be controlled independantly( to make it go forward) and also please explain the thing with Cutting ESC wires in greater detail
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liemavick on May 30, 2013
David on your ESC programmer you have ni-xx chosen when its obvious your using a Lipo, is there a reason for this or a oversight?

Thanks,
Brian
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Sirglider on June 5, 2013
I'm not David neither, but I think I got the answer. When programming your ESC, the battery type determines the low voltage level where it will stop providing power to the motor (but keep giving to the Rx and servos, for plane). In a case of a multicopter, if the power cuts off, it's dead. So putting it in a Ni-xx configuration will not shut down the motors but then you have to be self consciencious of your LiPo level. The alarm on the KK2 will beep in case of low voltage. But the best is to have a timer on your Tx to know when you'll reach your low level.
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worms on July 9, 2013
Hi, I'm ready to order and build this fantastic Tricopter, but the servo is out of stock :(
Can I use this one: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__8760__Turnigy_380MAX_Micro_Servo_Metal_Gear_4_1kg_16sec_17_4g.html
instead of the BMS-385DMAX ??

Thanks ;)
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Sirglider on July 21, 2013
Hey David! Very nice design. I realised your design and was very happy with it. But then I tried to go a little bit faster and what has happened is that my arms folded back in flight...! Crash! Well your design is nice so only broken props, some zip ties and one of the arms, but do you have any tipp to avoid this unconvenient failure during the flight?
Thanks!
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TheHairyGoldfish on July 25, 2013
Hey all, i am BRAND NEW (seriously) to RC and am interested in this project, What would be a good Radio for this & how many channels does it need?

THANKS :D

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Sirglider on July 25, 2013
It needs basically 4Channel. 5 would be better. Then any radio will do the job in a first step. If you would like to do FPV or go on with a great range, I recommend you to use the FrSky module to have about 1.5km range.
I have 9XR radio with the FrSky module in it and I am very happy with its signal quality, range and low price.
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Sirglider on July 25, 2013
One question to multirotors specialist. By hovering, my tail servo oscillates continuously. Any idea? It gives a little yaw movement to the copter by hovering. I tried to lower the P and I gain on the yaw, but it doesn't change much.
Any idea?
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jerimiah85 on January 4, 2014
Slop maybe?
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ikvasager on July 24, 2013
Sorry if this is a dumb question. I am a newbie looking to build this. I noticed the battery suggested is an 11.1 volt. However, the KK2 board states an input voltage of 4.8-6 volts. I am missing something? Will this not cause damage to the KK2 without some sort of voltage reducer?
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littleleon on December 31, 2013
The KK2, by the looks of it, is drawing it's power from the ESC connections rather than a direct connection to the battery. Therefore the voltage would be run through the internal BEC and would be within the right range.
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kenc3dan on September 21, 2013
Boy, those steering mounts are tough to find. China looks like they're all out. Found a few in Sweden but they don't ship here.
"Front Wheel Steering Arms & Mounts 40mm" such a simple thing, I just can't find an alternative or the original thing.
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Loc8tor on November 25, 2013
I do not know how to obtain the 4mm rod for the yaw mechanism. Where did you get the rod and where can i get a rod that diameter. I'm not wanting to use a wooden doll rod or a steel one.
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jerimiah85 on January 4, 2014
You don't have to use 4 mm drill out for your own size I've used a BBQ stick and worked fine. Grasonhobby sells the 4 mm if you still need them at this point.
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Gnutt on April 22, 2014
You can use a M4-bolt, just make sure only one part of the hinge is tight enough to thread on the bolt.
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hanggar_mungil on January 27, 2014
i'm a newbie at this hobby, and i have plan to build tricopter,
what you think if i use D2830-11 1000kv Brushless Motor and Hobbyking SS Series 25-30A ESC.
what control board and propeller for this plan?
i want a controll board with easy programing
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rjerni on March 21, 2014
Hey Guys,
I am new to flying with a go pro. I am building a similar design to davids. Has anybody used the camera mount he uses here rather than what the guys sell? I wonder if it is any better or worse than the wire design, it seems much easier to build.
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cdeering82 on April 7, 2014
Hey David, I am really interested in building this tricopter. I am new to the building world and just had a couple questions about this project. First of all for the instead of the kk board you recommended a different one. I clicked on the link and it didn't bring me to a specific product. I was just wondering if I could get the product name for the board that you recommend or a link that would bring me to the product. And another question is about the camera mount. I have the gopro hero 2, and when looking at this build would the camera go right above the battery? And if it does how would I mount it properly to get the best video. Thank you for your help and I look forward to building this and many more in the future.
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Luca on April 15, 2014
Hey David, thanks heaps for this awesome tri build. I built it a few weeks ago and its been great since but i would like to get the settings on the kk2 just right. Just wondering what settings i can use for it?
Thanks heaps

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percusin on April 13, 2014
Hallo David After many problems with the QX350 quad (interference with the Gopro, motor broke loose from the plastic support, mid-air broken stock props..$$$.) I decided to build your Tricopter with the HK parts. Now I'm looking to programm the HK v.2 board, but they are son many different tutorials on the web. Do you have a link to your best HK v.2 setup?
With best regards from Canada.

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OldDog on May 14, 2014
Hi David;
Great design and I am having allot of fun with your design.
Just one question. After several crashes I striped the gears in the micro servo. I have replace the micro servo with a bigger servo with all metal gears. It seems to be allot stronger.
My question is, is there a special reason you went with a micro servo instead of a bigger stronger servo?
Keep up the good work.

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Faash on August 14, 2014
I'm really new to building robots and RCs and to most people this is a really stupid question but how do you control the tricopter, you did not put in there how to set up the remote control. Is there a video on how to do it? Again im sorry to have to ask such a stupid question.
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dv4der on June 18, 2014
hi, David,
My name is also David!

Anyway im wanting to venture into R/C. and Im considering on building this for my first plane. Some links are broken, could you give a description for the board your talking about?

If you were to build the same tripcopter today, what would you change? Its been two years, So im sure new motors/ new boards have came out
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RCGrizzly on June 18, 2014
I was inspired to build a tricopter I am using the kk2.1 board and I cant seem to get power to the rear servo? I have all the leads right and out puts right., Motor 1 is the power then motor 2,3 then the servo is 4. ? not sure what to do? any help.

RC Grizzly

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VERTEX on January 14, 2016
Hi I was wondering if anybody will be able to help me because I plan on doing the tricopter for my Senior project and I wanted to know if anyone will help me to know what controller should I use and what programming code did you use to make it fly. If you can please help please respond back because I never get a response back. Here is my E-mail: Leonardreyes6@gmail.com

Thank you,
Leonard Reyes
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The Tricopter V2_5 build