Revision III Tricopter by Physics_Dude

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

It's finally here!
See instructions for details. Many parts are optional.
Early test flight: http://youtu.be/IVNpG9oJvUg
I modified Thingiverse user ennui2342's tricopter body, based off of David Windestal RCExplorer tricopter, to support the stronger, more common (in the US) 1/2inch wood dowels. Other modifications were made as well. I also loosely based my landing gear/motor mounts off of jphillips' designs. The vibration dampening bottom plates among other features are unique to this tricopter.
Update: I added "optional-plate_larger_motor_mounts_kit.stl" which supports larger (unnecessary) motors that use an 18.9/25mm through 25/25mm mounting hole spacing.
Update 2: I don't know if there is a demand for them, but I designed extra-long versions of the landing gear/motor-mounts (22mm taller). They are published as "optional-plate_larger-longer_motor_mounts_kit.stl" and "optional-plate_standard-longer_motor_mounts_kit.stl"
Update 3: I added a bonus IMU shield for exposed IMUs and flight control PCBs (imu-shield.stl). View later picture to see how it is mounted. You will need some VHB tape and soft foam as well. This not only protects the IMU, but also mitigates undesired noise from exposed digital barometers. (not included in the "full plate")
Update 4: Fixed and reuploaded "optional-plate_3_esc_clips.stl". Original file was malformed and causing errors in some slicers.
Update 5: Added "upgraded-optional-gopro_fpv_plate.stl" as an upgrade to the old multipurpose FPV plate + GoPro shoe. This package is now more rigid and strictly designed to be pared with the (unchanged) GoPro shoe. It should mitigate any resonant vibration issues caused by flexing of the plastic. Simply mate the top of this plate with the top of the battery plate using glue or tape and re-thread your zip-ties. The slanted face should be face down. (not included in the "full plate")
Update 6: Added an larger optional countersink plate. Perfect for larger flight controllers, GPS units, and other bits of extra hardware. Tip: use wide strips of Velcro under this plate for easy access to the screws underneath.
Quick specs:
Here is what I currently fly with this frame. MANY other hardware choices will also work just as well or perhaps a bit better.
-Turnigy 5000mAh 3S 40C LiPo
-Multistar 3525-850Kv Outrunner
-Turnigy Plush 25A ESC
-APC 13x5.5MR(P) props
-BMS-385DMAX Digtal Servo
For a full, more detailed write-up, visit: http://goo.gl/K1WBVQ