Getting started with Long Range flying - not-so-obvious tips

This video is for both fixed wing and quad pilots that think about flying slightly further away than usual and have zero experience. I will skip aspects like hardware setup, RC link and concentrate on not so obvious aspects like knowing your ground, trusting your hardware, wind, OSD, directions, planning and so on.

Torvol Quad Pitstop Pro drone backpack review

Quad backpack... there are cheap quad backpacks, there are photo backpacks and there are expensive quad backpacks. Currently, I own a quad backpack that belongs to the last category: Torvol Quad Pitstop Pro. After using it for 3 months, it's time for a review. It's not an ultimate quad backpack, but probably it is the best quad backpack on the market right. Too bad it's so bloody expensive...

How to bind FrSky receivers with OpenTX radios: Taranis X9D, Horus X10S and all the other

In today's "beginners" episodes: how to bind FrSky receivers with OpenTX radios. Almost all receivers: FrSky X8R, X4R, XSR, R-XSR, XM, XM+ but also "long-range" R series like R9, R9 Slim, R9 mini. With all the FrSky (and not only) OpenTX radios: Taranis X9D, Taranis Q7, X-Lite, Horus X10S, Horus X12 and so on... But also Jumper T16 or Nirvana.

7 tips and tricks for smooth HD video on 7-inch quads

7 inch quads are great, but they are tricky. It's much harder to make them fly smoothly than 5-inchers. It's just more demanding in term of stiffness, propellers, vibrations, jello and so on. After almost one year of fighting with all those issues, here is my list of 7 tips and tricks how to get a smooth HD video footage on 7-inch quads. Bear in mind that almost all of those tricks apply for 5 and 6 inchers too. They are maybe not that important for great results there.

INAV fw_iterm_limit_stick_position - keep the Iterm under control

PIFF controller in INAV is with us for quite some time now. And it's working just fine, much better than classic PID when it comes down to airplanes. There is, or rather was, a small problem tho: Iterm. When P and FF components of the controller are not tuned, Iterm might do crazy things that will surface themselves when you release the stick: airplane might either roll-back or do a follow-through.

In this video let's discuss why this is happening and what INAV 2.1 did to mitigate this problem. Because it did and it's called fw_iterm_limit_stick_position

Put a gimbal on a 7-inch quadcopter drone

My 7-inch Source One got an interesting upgrade: instead of static GoPro Session bracket, I've put a gimbal on her. She might have got slightly heavier, but gimbal allows to take amazing shoots not. And it's detachable! Sure, it looks awkward a little but gets the job done. The gimbal... the gimbal is crazy cheap Chinese clone of AlexMos hardware but works surprisingly well. Much better when it was carried by my 12-inch machine. I would not put a gimbal on 5-inch racing quad, but 7-inch Source One didn't even notice the extra weight. And that's something!

Everything you want to know about Betaflight Iterm Relax

Let's pretend I have a whiteboard and do a quick explanation what Iterm is and how Iterm Relax is helping you to fly better!

• what is Iterm like I in PID
• why we need Iterm
• why Iterm has a tendency to windup
• why Iterm has to be constrained
• how Iterm Relax helps to limit the windup

Matek 4 in 1 ESC - STM32F4, SerialShot and no BLHeli

I have to say I take great pleasure in installing this very early prototype of Matek 4-in-1 ESC in one of my mini quads and taking it for a flight. It's kind of cool to know I was one of the first ones in the world that got it, installed it and tested it. Nice feeling. But, why exactly am I showing you this 4 in 1 ESC from Matek? Is it special?

Race Day Quads Mach 1 with EMAX RS2 2306 2400KV

This year my friends and I stared a local FPV drone racing series. Nothing serious, just a couple of guys meeting once in a while and measuring times over the track. 100% amateur thing. After the second race, I've realized that I do not have a drone designed for racing: more than 400g without a battery! That is just too heavy for any competitive racing. The solution was simple: I need a good racing machine. Frame designed with racing in mind. Much lighter, simpler, and more agile than the current one. Preferably Stretch X design.

As a result, Race Day Quads Mach 1 was born

Race Day Quads Mach 1 is a straightforward frame. Four arms, bottom plate, top plate, four standoffs, and 3D printed camera mount. It turns out it's all you need for racing. Everything above that is just a dead weight that serves no purpose during the race.

Comparing to my previous racer, Mach 1 was lighter by almost 150g. Almost a third lighter! And I could feel the extra swiftness and agileness while flying. Race Day Quads Mach 1 helped me to get the second place at the end of that racing season.

Dualcopters are the dead end of evolution

I'm done with coaxial dualcopters. It's a dead end of evolution: loud, not efficient, hard to tune, hard to fly. If you still want to make one, here is my 3D printed dualcopter on Thingiverse. Maybe you will have more luck than me...