We ordered this Tri-copter Kit from HK and boy was I surprised it took fourty eight (48) hours from the time the order was placed to my door. It was an expensive affair because of fed-ex and the duty they charge. But is much faster than most LHS within India who fail to deliver a product that soon
baring a few stores
We got two of these (another member and me got one each) and have only started building one as his older electronics (20amp esc and 2212 size motors) do not fit easily into the frame. Here is a link to the product with ample pictures.
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__68596__Quanum_Trifecta_Mini_Foldable_Tricopter_Frame_KIT_.html. Initial thoughtsWe checked for missing hardware and browsed the instructions. All hardware included and an english manual too! wow what a great start.
We checked the tail motor gear and it was slightly jammed. Some oil did the trick for now.
It is made of ABS plastic and nylon combination which makes it pretty sturdy and can handle some abuse.
It looks great and comes with plenty of mounting options such as mini FCB's like KK, Ardu naze and the whole line up. Has a dedicated plate to mount the GPS and a dedicated plate to mount your FPV Tx.
Also has a go pro mount and one more mount for mobius. Both have vibration dampening.
It can carry anywhere between a 1100 mah upto a 2200 mah 3 or 4 cell battery.
Great battery strap.
Power distribution board was included but not used. Instead we used a 2.5mm bullet (3pair)to JST which helped with a cleaner and lighter finish there is space to tuck away the connecter and bullets.
The Hardware Multistar Elite motors 2204-2300KV smooth as silk (baby beast are out of stock)
Afro 12 Amp ESC
Multistar race spec 1400 mah 40-80C 3 cell lipo battery (has an xt30 connector)
Rcd 2200mah 40C battery.
KK mini FCB
Gemfan 6045 propellers
Turnigy TGY-9018MG Metal Gear Servo 2.5kg/13g/0.10
Assembly & Test flightThis part was the most exciting as the included English instructions make it fun to assemble and took only fifteen minutes.
It makes for a clean installation as most esc and motor wires are concealed.
The tail ESC is hidden away, only the two arm ESC's are visible. They can be attached inside (not sure). Yet to figure it out.
At first the tail motor gear was jammed but we could make it to move smooth with some 2t oil
The smooth motors and the powerful battery made it the fastest muti-rotor we flown till today. It reacted very well to the stick movements and the powerful motors made it easy to hover at around 40% throttle.
The main problem is the gear that attaches to the servo. It has about 2 mm play which translates to a terrible vibration in the tail motor(the rear) into a horrible wobbly flight experience.
Our initial test flight was with the Kk mini as it was easy to setup and tune.
We plan to put in the Naze 32 acro from HK but not until the tail issue is sorted.
Conclusion All in all a great looking tricopter. HK has done a good job 3D printing these frames. The hardware and plastics reek of quality never seen in this price range of frames.
This is a great mini foldable tri that can literally fit inside your jacket. Its light weight and looks like its ready to conquer the world. Ergonomics of the essential components are well thought of.
The few drawbacks that need to be looked into are the tail motor gear which HK is doing a recall and sending out a free tail gear. The landing gear is a little flimsy and height is just too low, incase of a hard landing you may damage the battery. I used some circular sponge pieces that come with remote controls of RTF helis (to protect the sticks)and cyno glued it into the legs. This adds a little height and gives it a great stance.
Have heard that the Naze 32 is like putting this beast on rails.
Waiting on the tail gear from HK to rectify the problem and will post some thoughts on how it behaves after. Meanwhile soldering the Naze 32 Pins
Will try and post pictures sometime.