This is my Tricopter. It's based on rcexplorer and inspired by HallStudio.

Top and bottom plate is 30% larger than rcexplorer (lightply, coffin shape).
Arms are 12mmx12mm pine.
Motor to CofG is 35cm.
Motors are Emax CF2822 (1200kv).
ESCs are HobbyKing F20A flashed with Simonk
FC is HKV2.1 with V1.6 KK software.
Battery is 3S 2200mAh (55c - so I don't need to worry about abusing them)
Yaw servo is Corona DS-939MG (£5 and works a treat)
Props are 8x4
Canopy made out of dense foam packaging
Due to enlarging the top and bottom plates, the front motors sit further forward. Distance between front motors is 55cm and distance between front and back motors is 63cm. I would probably build the next one with standard size plates and make them out of PCM material.

I love this toy. It's mental on scalestick 3! I've managed to fold an arm back quite a few times. Once, the two front arms ended up at 20 minutes to 2, the left arm folded back so far. I still managed to land it which is more of a testiment to the flight controller!

I did have the flight controller mounted on a dense foam pad (with double sided tape). I'v left the foam in place and squashed it down by screwing the fc down to the top plate.
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Originally Posted by Steveis

This is my mini UFO quad. Spec is here: -

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1666155

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How do you like the quad? My bits for one showed up yesterday after spending considerable time on the extra slow boat from China.

And in the "Deja Vu" category, I have a tri (slowly) coming together with the same inspirations.

I also have the same pair of controllers (one KK3.0 and one KK2). Was going to use the KK2 on the tri and the older one on the quad. Based on your experience would that be OK?

cheers, and thanks for the inspiration,
Andrew

Here is my friend`s Thommi`s Tricopter filmed by another Tricopter. Both are scratchbuilt using HK electronics.

Tricopterverfolgung aus der Luft gefilmt (5 min 43 sec)

Originally Posted by Banjo5

How do you like the quad? My bits for one showed up yesterday after spending considerable time on the extra slow boat from China.

And in the "Deja Vu" category, I have a tri (slowly) coming together with the same inspirations.

I also have the same pair of controllers (one KK3.0 and one KK2). Was going to use the KK2 on the tri and the older one on the quad. Based on your experience would that be OK?

cheers, and thanks for the inspiration,
Andrew

The UFO quad is a bit of fun but it's slow and it won't fly in the slightest breeze. I keep toying with the idea of ditching the depron cover to see how quick it really flies. I might buy another set of motors, etc, to built a bare quad. I'd also like to build a mini tri with the same motors, etc.

My tri runs great on the kk1 board. I don't really use self level. My friend runs a kk2 on his quad. It stays perfectly level when he punches in full throttle. I've crashed the tri a few times and I don't think the kk2 would have survived but the kk1 has.

I crashed pretty hard and the ACC died on my KK2 board, but both Gyro's still work.

I still love the KK2 board and its auto-level, so I ordered another one to replace it. But I have a kk v1.2 board comming too that I think will go on a new quad build.

Originally Posted by subaru4wd

I crashed pretty hard and the ACC died on my KK2 board, but both Gyro's still work.

You were lucky that your LCD survived.

I've not even crashed mine and I've already lost two lines of pixels missing along the top.

Originally Posted by Steveis

This is my Tricopter. It's based on rcexplorer and inspired by HallStudio.

Top and bottom plate is 30% larger than rcexplorer (lightply, coffin shape).
Arms are 12mmx12mm pine.
Motor to CofG is 35cm.
Motors are Emax CF2822 (1200kv).
ESCs are HobbyKing F20A flashed with Simonk
FC is HKV2.1 with V1.6 KK software.
Battery is 3S 2200mAh (55c - so I don't need to worry about abusing them)
Yaw servo is Corona DS-939MG (£5 and works a treat)
Props are 8x4
Canopy made out of dense foam packaging
Due to enlarging the top and bottom plates, the front motors sit further forward. Distance between front motors is 55cm and distance between front and back motors is 63cm. I would probably build the next one with standard size plates and make them out of PCM material.

I love this toy. It's mental on scalestick 3! I've managed to fold an arm back quite a few times. Once, the two front arms ended up at 20 minutes to 2, the left arm folded back so far. I still managed to land it which is more of a testiment to the flight controller!

I did have the flight controller mounted on a dense foam pad (with double sided tape). I'v left the foam in place and squashed it down by screwing the fc down to the top plate.
.

you should have your FC mounted where all the arms come together, or as central as you can. With that board, it should help a bit.

Originally Posted by Steveis

You were lucky that your LCD survived.

I've not even crashed mine and I've already lost two lines of pixels missing along the top.

If you want a spare KK2 board for parts, let me know. My screen still works great! Just its attached to a useless KK2 board.

Originally Posted by rcbif

you should have your FC mounted where all the arms come together, or as central as you can. With that board, it should help a bit.

Really? It's only a KK1. No accelerometers to worry about. They're the ones that need to be over the CoG. So I thought?

Originally Posted by subaru4wd

If you want a spare KK2 board for parts, let me know. My screen still works great! Just its attached to a useless KK2 board.

Will it still let you fly without self levelling?

Originally Posted by Steveis

Will it still let you fly without self levelling?

It refuses to arm with a bad ACC

Originally Posted by subaru4wd

It refuses to arm with a bad ACC

Let me know what error you get and I'll sort out some custom code

Here is Bruno`s latest innovation on Tricopters:

Multicopter Weltsensation Revolution Quantensprung (0 min 49 sec)

Originally Posted by Steveis

The UFO quad is a bit of fun but it's slow and it won't fly in the slightest breeze. I keep toying with the idea of ditching the depron cover to see how quick it really flies. I might buy another set of motors, etc, to built a bare quad. I'd also like to build a mini tri with the same motors, etc.

Well requiring calm flying conditions is quite a limiting factor. How about I'll build one without the depron and report back?

First I've got to get set up to flash the speed controls, unfortunately the HK 10A ones use a smaller cased version of the chip so I can't use the Atmega Socket tool I just got .

cheers,
Andrew

PS. I assume you had to ream out the prop holes a bit to press onto the shaft. Did you have the drill bit spinning (in a drill) or use by hand?

Originally Posted by Thomas B.

Here is Bruno`s latest innovation on Tricopters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chmMP...=ULchmMPWZ70hU

LMFAO ahah. he needs to put the pair of wheels up further