Hi Everyone,

After a summer long of reading the forums and multiple failed/successful attempts, I've actually lost my wonderfully setup FPV wing. The wing was worth $500 alone not including my FPV equipment (HK Cam&Tx $80, Rx $60, 4s 4000mah lipo $50, FY21ap $259). I've searched & search for the plane but I can't find it. By the way, it crashed due to a low speed low altitude stall, not because of the autopilot.

Oh well....


Now I'm interested in short range FPV-ing via a helicopter. I will be using a FY20a to keep it balanced. Any suggestions.....I'm optimistic and ready for my next project.

Originally Posted by galexis

Hi Everyone,

After a summer long of reading the forums and multiple failed/successful attempts, I've actually lost my wonderfully setup FPV wing. The wing was worth $500 alone not including my FPV equipment (HK Cam&Tx $80, Rx $60, 4s 4000mah lipo $50, FY21ap $259). I've searched & search for the plane but I can't find it. By the way, it crashed due to a low speed low altitude stall, not because of the autopilot.

Oh well....


Now I'm interested in short range FPV-ing via a helicopter. I will be using a FY20a to keep it balanced. Any suggestions.....I'm optimistic and ready for my next project.

Try a tri or quad copter. A helicopter is more trouble to get running right, and has a far greater learning curve.

I considered a quad/tri but don't know enough about them to build one myself. I do know how to fly a helicopter (even know how to hover inverted), so I figured with the fy20a it'll be even easier... Thanks for the info though

Originally Posted by galexis

Now I'm interested in short range FPV-ing via a helicopter.

You should talk to Crash9, I believe he does a lot of FPV heli very successfully.

What doesn't make sense to me here, is why you'd make a point of mentioning
how expensive the wing was minus the FPV gear, and then even consider moving
to a heli, which has to be quite a lot more expensive airframe than any wing,
and just tipping the thing over on the ground with the blades spinning typically
results in $100+ in repairs, and hours of fiddling with swash linkages and such.

In other words, I think you're moving in the wrong direction.

How about a nice reliable and proven, durable, easy to repair EZ* or EZG with
lots inexpensive of ready-made FPV gear available for them?

If you're REALLY determined to get into into FPV rotorcraft, then I agree with
the suggestion above. Build a Tri. There's a proven design out there that you
can build from scratch for less than $200 (that's everything, wood, motors, ESCs,
gyros.. etc). I've cut a replacement arm for mine out of Poplar with a hand saw, and
that's the hardest part. The frame is just plywood.

ian

Are you sure the FY20A stabilizer works for helis ? make sure before you purchase.

Thanks for the advice guys, I've decided to go with a quad like most of you suggested. I just pre-ordered the Xaircraft 650, it'll arrive early next week. I'll keep everyone posted

Originally Posted by DarkHeli

A helicopter is more trouble to get running right, and has a far greater learning curve.

Where's the steepest part of the curve if someone already knows how to fly a heli and has experience with them? Ie is it mostly the setup, or is it harder to stay in the air bc you don't realize when you're drifting, or is it the landing?

Shorter flights for the same battery capacity
Trickier landing FPV
Harder to eliminate vibration
MUCH more expensive to repair
Glides like a brick

ian

Originally Posted by Daemon

Shorter flights for the same battery capacity
Trickier landing FPV
Harder to eliminate vibration
MUCH more expensive to repair
Glides like a brick

ian

Most of that seems true for helis anyways, so if you're already flying them then the only difference is making sure you don't have vibes in the camera view - and for that you can fly LOS and record video to examine after your flight until it's good enough and then learning to land FPV, right?

So I would understand telling someone who has never flown helis before to start with a plane or a tri, but I still don't see the big difference between flying helis LOS and flying them FPV.