Tri Tricopter Build

Lee

Well-Known Member
Ok a little premature but i have ordered all the parts for a Tricopter build for Hobby King. So when it arrives i will get this thread going. If anybody has any ideas or advice for building one, let me know.
Cheers Lee
 

Whirlybird

Member
Here you go Paul . . .

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7gYpiJ1cTfc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Basically it uses 3 motors/props on 3 booms. 4 gyros are used to stabilize and control it's flight. There are many variations in design, but the same basic principle. Usually the tail motor's (on the blue boom in this one) speed is varied to tilt the copter forward and back (pitch) . . . it can also be tilted (vectored) left and right slightly to rotate the copter (yaw). The 2 side motor's speed differential provides banking (roll).

They are interesting birds . . . Lee's build will be fun to watch :)

Are you going to go 3D with it Lee :hdbng:
 
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Keith

Member
Yeah I got to build one of them...

Been looking at a quadcopter but these look easier...

I want to put bigger motors and 3 sets of heli450 size blades... (can you imagine it?)
 

Tony

Staff member
imagine it? I have seen it Keith lol. They used the upper part of a 450 chassis I think with boom attached. It may have been a 250 though. I will have to find it.
 

Lee

Well-Known Member
I am building it take the new GoPro HD camera i'm buying. I will be using it to film extreme Mountain biking and surfing. If all goes well then i will be eventually fitting FPV to it.
 

Lee

Well-Known Member
I do have 6 of those for my 500 and 600 but the tricopter runs on one 3S 2200mah bat Flight time 15mins I also have 6 of those too :D
 
Looking forward to your Tri-Copter build Lee, I would like to build one of these soon too.

Though from the reseach I have been reading on them if your really wanting to get into great FPV, then you would be far better going Quad-Copter or even Hex, with an Arduino or KK control module for stabilisation system
 

Lee

Well-Known Member
Well as its my first try i'm keeping it simple. The KK board looks a little complicated for my electrical skills :D
 

Keith

Member
I'm the same Lee... Just 3 motors, 3 ESC and 4 gyros...

Can't get it much easier than that...

I'm looking at aluminium or even carbon fibre tube for the frame...

Be nice to find ESC small enough to fit inside tube with all the wirering...

It's all in my head at the moment... might start ordering a few things though...
 

Keith

Member
Well Lee I put my order in to HobbyKing......


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I am going to make the booms out of carbon fiber...

Thought about using 450 booms but I don't think they can take much knocking about..

Also the square booms will be easier to mount motors completely vertical....

I stuffed up when ordering, before I relized it I had selected the most expensive delivery...

Cost $41 but I should get it next week... Usually defaults to the cheapest cost...

I'll post pics when I get started and we can bounce ideas off each other....

Just gotta get a few more of these guys interested and it will be a good project....

The race is on...Who Will Be Fisrt To Total A Tricopter....?
 

Lee

Well-Known Member
Nice one Keith. I did think about the booms being round causing probs but i ordered the tail boom mounts too, so it will have square ends. I noticed you only ordered 3 gyros. What about the Yaw gyro? I hope you already have one. I made that exact mistake and had to order another separately.
Looking forward to bouncing ideas with you.
 

Keith

Member
I wanted to put Mini Mems gyros on being lighter and smaller and fully digital... They were on B/O...

I already have one, also a 401 on my 450.... So I'll probably put the mems on the 450 giving four 401s for the tricopter...

Also I got them cheaper using the 'Buddy Codes' and 3 is the most you can get...

I have started on the swivel for the yaw motor....

I'm using half a 450 tail rotor and aluminum sheet. Really need the motors to get exact size. I think it will be around 28mm...

I want to go as small and light as I can... I'm looking at 500mm for the booms..

I want to run the motor wires the full length of booms and mount ESCs under base plate....

Haven't worked out a base plate yet, need the bits and pieces to work out the size...
 
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Paulster2

I am El Taco!
This is really quite interesting. I hope you guys post the entire build on here (with pics of course) as this is somewhere I'd like to go in the future. Tony had commented on an article in the RSS feeds about a quad-copter which only weighs in at 20g and is controlled by a PS3 blutooth controller (I think). The guy had it in the palm of his hand. It was an awesome looking little piece! Anyway, I'm really anticipating what you guys accomplish :biggrin1:
 
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