I’ve been enjoying flying my 3-inch Acrobrat quad build. It’s based on a 4s battery power and has a RunCam Split Mini camera. The Split captures HD video to an SD card. The upper frame section, which is what the camera attaches to, is not connected to the main frame by screws or direct plate to plate carbon fiber. Instead, there are four rubber grommets which help reduce vibration. That vibration reduction helps eliminate any vibrations or “jello” in the HD video from the RunCam Split mini. Ingenious!

In the photo above of the finished product, you can see the rubber grommets in the lower front and lower rear section.  They’re the round red parts.

Frame

As mentioned, this is the Ummagawd Acrobrat frame.  The main plate is 3mm bi-axial toray carbon fiber.  The side plates are 2mm CF and the top battery plate is 1.5mm.  Along with the red vibration dampeners, there are other color dampeners.  Each color has a different hardness. I started with the red and had good results, so I haven’t even tried the others.

The motor to motor dimensions are 163mm.  Dry frame weight is 54 grams.  The motor bolt pattern is 12x12mm.

Camera

I chose a RunCam Split mini, but the frame could also work with a Caddx Turtle.  The split camera has a separate board which is mounted under it.  The board records to microSD and has buttons to configure and start/stop recording.

Motors

I’d heard a lot of positive feedback about Brother Hobby motors so I decided to give some a shot in this build. I went with their Tornado T1 1407 2800KV.  I’ve been very happy with them.  This was my first 4S build after flying 3S or less on everything else. I was happily surprised with the amount of power, speed, and responsiveness on 4S.

Flight Controller

I rolled with the HGLRC 20x20mm F4M3 OSD Flight Controller flight controller.  This F4 board features a black box, OSD, 20×20 mounting holes, and supports SBUS, which is my preferred receiver format.

ESC

I chose the HGLRC D20A 20A 2-4S 20X20 4in1 ESC as it matched up well with the flight controller. It’s 20amps with 20×20 mounting holes and runs the BLHELI_S firmware. It can run on 2-4S lipo power.

Video Transmitter

I kept with the HGLRC theme for my VTX.  The HGLRC Forward VTX Mini 25-350mW 20×20 VTX – MMCX has high level power filtering which produces a pretty clean video and a solid range. In the same amount of time I’ve been running this VTX, I’ve burned out two other AKK VTX’s.

Antenna

I’ve been running a Team Blacksheep (TBS) Triumph.  The antenna is very durable and produces a clean video signal with a long range.

Props

So far I’ve been running Gemfan 3028 3-blade 3″ props.  They’re quite pitched and provide a ton of power and responsiveness without producing video killing vibrations.

Sample Video

The video clip below was shot late in the day, to get an idea of lower light quality on the RunCam Split.  Also if you watch the whole video you’ll see the quad go into failsafe mode.  Hehe.

Final Thoughts

The Acrobrat is fun to fly on 4S. It’s responsive, agile, and solid. When paired with the RunCam Split mini, the Acrobrat produces decent quality video without the need of a GoPro or higher quality action camera. The video isn’t as high quality as a GoPro, but is good enough for many FPV racing and freestyle flights.

I just started up my 3rd build in three weeks.  This one is the three inch Acrobrat HD Freestyle Quadcopter.  I had “accidentally” bought some motors and decided to build a quad around them. Hehe.

This one will have a RunCam split camera. The Split is not only an FPV camera, but also captures 1080p/60fps HD.  That camera along with the Acrobrat frame which has some nice vibration dampening makes for a quad that can produce some fantastic HD video without a GoPro. We shall see.

This build is about half way done. Should be launching it this weekend.

YUNEEC EXPANDS H520 LINE WITH PRECISE RTK SATELLITE NAVIGATION

Real Time Kinematic technology enables users to capture centimeter accurate data

CORONA, Calif. (Jan. 31, 2019) – Yuneec International, a global leader in electric aviation, today announced that its commercial hexacopter, the H520, will now optionally be available with an RTK (Real Time Kinematic) system from the Swiss company Fixposition. Even under difficult GPS conditions, such as in cities or canyons, the RTK system ensures maximum precision and centimeter-precise positioning. The fully integrated RTK satellite navigation enables extremely accurate recurring images, faster 3D mapping and makes automated inspection flights easier and more precise.

The new H520 RTK is perfectly suited for commercial applications that require maximum precision. By using RTK technology, the H520 can now fly much closer to objects for inspection as the UAV positions itself precisely in the centimeter range (1 cm + ppm horizontal / 1.5 cm + ppm vertical) rather than in the meter range, which is standard for the H520. This accuracy is paramount for applications where several images need to be taken at the same location on different days including: documenting progress on construction sites, inspecting mountain landscapes to prevent natural hazards such as rock falls or avalanches, and forensic accident scene reconstruction. In addition, the satellite navigation system makes it possible to significantly reduce image overlaps, which means fewer photos and shorter model calculation times, maximizing efficiency in workflows.

The RTK system is not only fully integrated into the hardware, but also into the UAV’s software. This means the user retains the full range of functions of the award-winning DataPilot™ software at their disposal, including mission flights. The H520 RTK works with two components: the RTK module on board the H520 and a base station on the ground. For precise navigation, the module supports constellations of up to three different satellite systems from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou.

If the use of a ground station is not possible, the system can also be operated with a national reference station network (network RTK). The network RTK is provided by third-party providers and requires an Internet connection, such as a mobile hotspot. All data including satellite data is recorded, which makes the H520 RTK ideal for Post Processed Kinematics (PPK).

The H520 RTK will be available in the second quarter of 2019 in different configurations: as a complete system including the H520 airframe and RTK module, for $3199, and as an upgrade for existing H520 customers for $1699. The H520 RTK GPS ground station will be sold separately for $2399.

-more-

The complete technical data of the Yuneec H520 with RTK system can be found at us.yuneec.com/h520-rtk.

For more information, please visit us.yuneec.com.

About Yuneec International Co. Ltd.
Founded in 1999, Yuneec is a global leader in electric aviation. Its passion for innovation is deeply rooted in the company and is reflected in hundreds of patents. The core technologies of Yuneec include manned aircraft, remote controlled model aircraft and drones for commercial and private use. Yuneec has branches in North America, Europe and Asia, producing over one million products a year for a broad customer base. From the Typhoon series for the enthusiast to the H520 platform for commercial applications, Yuneec continues to innovate, making aerial photography and data collection attainable for every pilot, regardless of previous flight experience.