My first drone build started over a decade ago, and I’m finally getting around to finishing it!
I started building this flame wheel-style quad in 2014. At the time I had a wild idea to make it fully autonomous, and have an old-school gimbal with a big camera on, which explains the size I guess. It’s got 880KV motors spinning 12”(!) props so I imagine I was expecting some heavy lifting.
At the time I got pretty far with writing custom software (including an android app using an IOIO OTG board for flight control) but abandoned it when I realised phone sensors (at the time) didn’t have enough resolution for the job.
Over Christmas I found everything and decided to finish off the build, but with modern components. So I’ve replaced the individual ESCs that were mounted on the arms, put in a SpeedyBee FC, an ELRS receiver and am now deciding on a VTX to make it into a big, heavy FPV that I can use for….. something.
But the important part is I’ll have finished the build. Finally.
Wish me luck 
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Cool project.
We used to sell a lot of Flamewheels on firstpersonview.co.uk way back when. It’s nice to see one again.
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Thanks @SimonDale 
These were all the rage at one point, weren’t they? It’s been bugging me for years so it’ll be nice to finally get it in the air, even if I don’t actually know what I’ll do with it once it is
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Well done on rising to the challenge and actually finishing it. Hey Simon… that’s another relic for your office wall.
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@SimonDale I have 2 I’m in the process of getting the bits and pieces together, then I’m going to build the whole set! I think I have a H680 Hex and a something else like a 440 may be smaller…
I still don’t know what I’ll do with them!
Ideas on a postcard to…
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Well, after replacing almost everything, the drone (which I’m provisionally naming “Trigger’s Broom” ) is ready for a test flight!
It doesn’t have a VTX yet as I’m trying to limit losses if it immediately flips into a lake or something (I’ve been burned before) but I have an O3 air unit ready to go in. There’s still a few other tweaks to make (I want to print a bracket and move the GPS for example) but it’s good enough for a takeoff and hover test.
Hoping to get it up this weekend, weather permitting 
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@rossbamford-j8rwq - Did you ever test this? Would be interested in an update?
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Hi @MDSteve , I did give it a quick test back in January, it flew but was very unstable. The blackbox logs showed a fair bit of low-frequency oscillation, I think it’ll be flyable with some tuning but I want to do that out in the field and everywhere’s been too wet to take my laptop out so I shelved this one until the weather gets better.
I have another 450 and a 550 hexa that are similarly waiting for decent weather / dry ground for flight tests, That feels like it should be soon, I’ll update here when I do it
Glad you were able to get it in the air finally!
I’m the same, I have the 10" and a couple of others that need tweaking, but not risking the RPi and screen it the bad weather.
Let me know how it goes when you get a window in the weather…
I currently have the H680 on the bench, I’m just working through a couple of issues, the main one being the RX will not talk to the FC and visa versa. Still all good fun!
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currently have the H680 on the bench, I’m just working through a couple of issues, the main one being the RX will not talk to the FC and visa versa.
Interesting. You probably checked these but IME that’s usually bad ports setup, wrong protocol or transposed TX/RX wiring. Is it ELRS and BF we’re talking about?
Yes mate ELRS & BF. I’ve checked the connection on both FC/plug & the RX board, I’ve just spotted the cables are the wrong way round due to orientation of the FC/RX board and the diagram I’m working from! Standby, I’ll get back to you in a bet…
EDIT/Update - Sorted the RX module issue! It was as mentioned above. Now to get the GPS and Lidar working, then connect up the motors…
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Awesome! Nice to hear you got it going!
I do this professionally and have been transposing TX and RX UART connections for almost three decades at this point
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I can relate to Tx Rx issues!
It’s this to see another build progressing.
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