RC Aircraft
Pico Goblin FPV
Wanted to try to build the FT Nano Goblin, which is the Flite Test foamboard version of the Strix Nano Goblin FPV drone. However, I wanted something slightly smaller, and found in the forums people were printing the plans out at 75% size with good success. So I reduced the original plans to 75%, but then realized that this doesn't take into account the foamboard itself is still going to be 100% size, so I had to make some adjustments. When doing the fuselage cover, it didn't fit right, so looked and found other plans online and decided to just print out that. However, the size was off. Apparently I ended up printing it at like 66% size, not 75%. So I just figured it out and created the new cover that would work. This thing is really, really small - 50 cm wingspan. Since the foamboard size was going to affect the curvature of the wing airfoil, I didn't know if this thing would even fly. There is hardly enough room for all the hardware, the battery just fits in the canopy area diagonally, and as such doesn't require securing. There's no way to make it any smaller than this.
Was able to find a cheap video transmitter that would work with FPV goggles. I wanted to just have a standalone VTX and not have to run it through any sort of flight controller (there's no room for one anyhow). From the product page, it described it as being able to manually change the band/channel, which is what I would need to do to run it without a flight controller. After opening the package, it didn't come with any instructions on how to set the band/channel/wattage manually, so after searching, even the product website didn't have the information. Finally, after finding a product page on a Russian website, I was able to get the information I needed.
For attaching the camera and the antenna, I used some plastic card around the screw holes for reinforcement, since just the paper and foam is way too soft. For the first test flights, I decided to remove the antenna and just tape a weight of the same weight in place instead so if it crashed, it wouldn't destroy the foam where it was attached.
I have an ELRS receiver and a PWM module that I was thinking about using with this, but honestly, it doesn't make much sense to do so given how small the battery is, which means I have to run the VTX at it's lowest setting just so I can get a good five minutes or so of flight time. I'll save that for my next fixed wing FPV, the Heewing.
Pretty Clouds
- The Dreaded Two-Second Maiden
- Second Try
- Third Try
- Fourth Try
- Good Take-offs and Landings
- FPV Flights
- FPV Maiden
- Prairie Hill
- Dos Arboles Crash
- Dos Arboles Windy
- Perfect Landing
- Tree Gates
Plans
- Flite Test Nano Goblin build video
- Original Flight Test Forum Post
- Tiled plans for standard US paper from that post (Print at full size)
- Another 75% Nano Goblin Mashup
Parts List
- Cadex Ratel 2 v2 FPV Camera
- JHEMCU RuiBet 3016W 1.6W Video Transmitter
- 5.8G FPV Antenna
- 1507 2680kv Brushless Motor
- 500 mah 3s Lipo HV Battery
- ESC 12 amp
- FS2A Mini Receiver
- 2g Metal Gear Servo x2
- 4043 4 Inch 3-Blade Propeller
VTX Instructions
JMEMCU Tran-3016W Video Transmitter
Support 7-26V (2-6S) voltage input
Operating instructions: 1.Short press is to adjust the channel (corresponding to the blue light, 1-8, a total of 8 times); 2.Long press 2 seconds is to adjust the group (corresponding to the green light, A, B, E, F, R, a total of 5 times); 3.Long press for 5 seconds to adjust the power (corresponding to red light, 25,200,400,800,1600MW, 5 times); 4.Long press for more than 10 seconds is to open 11 prohibited USA channels; The default does not output prohibited USA channels: 5705, 5685, 5665, 5885, 5905, 5880, 5658, 5695, 5732, 5880, 5917
About the use of the keys (while referring to the frequency table in the later picture, the flight control needs to be configured with the JSON file we provide in order to achieve OSD tuning reference)
The new video transmitter comes with locked frequencies and bands! To unlock it, turn on the power, wait a few seconds until the video transmitter starts, briefly press the button (as for channel selection), release it, and then press and hold it for about 15 seconds until the red, blue, and green indicators light up simultaneously. After rebooting, the video transmitter will be fully unlocked!