Originally Posted by Andrew McGregor

Be very, very careful about range checking with that camera on board! If I'm not mistaken, it's a 2.4Ghz transmitter... that's very likely to give you interference problems. Turn the camera on first, then your RC transmitter, that will give the DX6i a chance to get a free channel. Mount the camera antenna as far from the receiver as you can get it, and range check very carefully.

I absolutely agree.
Most of the FPV-guys uses 35mhz/72mhz (depending on where in the world they are) for flight controls and 2,4Ghz for the downlink. A friend of mine got interference on the video down-link when I talked on the phone using my (2,4Ghz) handsfree set. Try to fly first without the camera gear to see if your airframe can handle the weight first

Ben_E

ok thanks very much
the camera will be in the nose cone and about 75cm away from the receiver, is that alright?

Originally Posted by ambinobambino

ok thanks very much
the camera will be in the nose cone and about 75cm away from the receiver, is that alright?

Doubt it

Ben_E

Unlikely, but worth testing. Do a very very careful range check... and DO NOT have it running for the maiden!

but my receiver manual said something about heaps of things being able to run on 2.4 without interfereing with eachother

Ambino, well done great looking nose job there, the jumbo front end is looking great. I think you will do a better job then me

Have u decided on the motor scheme yet? ( i see u go a DX6, good radio to start with)

Originally Posted by ambinobambino

but my receiver manual said something about heaps of things being able to run on 2.4 without interfereing with eachother

True up to a point.

However, there's a phenomenon called 'front end saturation'. If you have a transmitter (your video camera) right next to a receiver (the plane's control RX), the transmitter signal can saturate the receiver and 'white out' the whole band. This is worse when the transmitter is in the same band as the receiver, which is why it doesn't tend to happen with 5.8GHz video and 2.4GHz control, and pretty much never happens with microwave video and 72 MHz control. Also, it happens that those video transmitters produce the worst possible kind of signal for causing this.

So, is 75cm enough to avoid this? I don't know, but it might be. You can do a few things to help: point the video cameras antenna straight at the control receiver (this sounds strange, but the signal comes off the sides of an antenna, not along it). Put the batteries in between the two. Then test very carefully, at every orientation, before you fly.

yeah the dx6i is great and so easy for noobs like myself.heres everything i got at hk

10x #HXT900/662 HXT900 9g / 1.6kg / .12sec Micro Servo variations = $36.50
6x #OR007-00301/3803 Pin Horn 9x13 variations = $0.96
1x #AM-2wireswitch/4841 Receiver Switch variations = $1.75
2x #OR007-01203/3750 Futaba Servo Arm Set variations = $5.90
2x #OR007-01101/3795 Steering Arms (1/2 Arm) 10x 21mm variations = $1.02
3x #GW/RG-MM/L/5233 GWS Mini Retract Gear Light (L) PAIR variations = $29.85
1x #TP2915_6/4949 TowerPro Brushless Outrunner 2915-6 950kv / 605W variations = $23.95
4x #AM1052-30CM/3840 JR Y Servo Lead 30CM Length variations = $6.72
1x #HXT036A/4314 hexTronik PRO 36A BESC w/ PC Programmability variations = $28.59
5x #AM1043-60CM/3837 60CM Servo Lead Extention (JR) 26AWG variations = $6.00
11x #AM1043-30CM/3835 30CM Servo Lead Extention (JR) 26AWG variations = $9.90
18x #OR006-00902/3810 Super Light Wheels D30xH10 1pc variations = $12.60
1x #PQ-1800XP-3S/5587 Polyquest 1800mAh 3S 20C - 30C Lipoly variations = $58.95
1x #YT-0205B/5653 Smart Balancer 2-5 Cells. variations = $21.95
2x #TGY10x7SF/7166 TGY Slow Fly Prop 10*7SF w/ shaft adapters variations = $2.40
35x #OR008-00801/4079 AC Hinge D15*H0.3 1pc variations = $2.80

ur probably thinking im an absolute retard but i was just really keen to resume construction as soon as possible. i dont even know compatibility of these items myself, ill bet the 1800mA/h 3s was a bad idea. tell me if anything is wrong. lol im sure therell be lots
sorry about not getting a power 25, it wasnt on hk and it was about 100$.
anyway here's the apparent alternative:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=841679

btw i couldnt find any retractable and steerable nose gears! so ill have to make one myself. and you know what really grinds my gears it that there were only retractable and steerable TAIL landing gears!?

well all of the parts work great and ive wired up most of it, here's a little more scale undercarriage

Please have 2 people filming the maiden. You work is impressive
Thank you for taking the effort to post, it is very educational

well ive decided to make a complex multi-slotted flap system, here is a cool one though, i got it off one of airbuzz's threads and edited it onto our wing ribs. you can hide the hinge in one of those under wing fuel tanks. and u can have airbrakes if u want. these flaps arent at all like a 747's but i thought that they might be a cool idea

Flew mine today guys!! Good maiden, had 4 attempts as the rear pusher prop was hitting the ground on take off, so I decided to get one of my mates to hand launch. Flew really well, there wasn't enough elevator throw on the scale elevators. Really need to make the elevator control as large as possible. Lateral balance wasn't correct so she was banking alot to one side. With the detailing phase now and some touch ups on balancing she should fly well, plenty of power with the rear prop version. However may need to go to ducted fan version to be able to take off from the ground.

Here are a few pics of her on the bench, waiting on guys to upload the photos from todays flight and I will post when I get them

congrads on the maiden.

Do you have any video of the flight?

Sorry no vid. Not enough people came down to the club as it was pre-christmas day.

Are you building one too? What stage are you at with yours?

This is my first and last scratch build, takes up too much time.

Here are the Motors. I have changed from rear prop to 2x Ducted Fans powered and 2x DF unpowered.