RC Aircraft

Blackbird FPV Wing

Completed Model

This inexpensive FPV wing from AliExpress performs really well for a PNP kit. I orginally put in the same ultra small and cheap VTX and camera like I used in the MicroBat, but decided after the maiden that since it flew so well it needed a better camera system. Not bothering with a flight controller since again, flies well enough on it's own, and don't intend on going ultra-far when flying it around. I had to cut the foam a bit to accomodate the larger camera, as well as some small cuts in the fuselage for the radio and video receiver antennae. Created a small wiring harness to plug into the battery balance port to be able to power the VTX, the camera, and the Hawkeye Thumb camera, as well as glued the camera mount to the canopy. I've made a few 3-cell 18650 battery packs that I'll be using for longer flight times.

Fuselage and camera

  • Maiden TPV Flight
  • Maiden Bloody Maiden
  • 10-fingered FPV Flight
Flew pretty perfect straight off, just requiring a bit of up trim. Pretty sure that tree at 1:02 moved in the way.
After the launch, I may have had the battery too far forward, as it was causing the plane to constantly dive downwards. Since it was pretty severe, I wasn't able to input any down trim on the transmitter since I couldn't take my hand off the stick, as I was pulling down constantly to try to keep it from crashing, so I landed it immediately to try and adjust the battery for a better CG. However, for some reason, upon launching the index finger from my throwing hand caught the prop. A few things flew off as the plane crashed down, and I was half expecting one of them to be my finger. One of the things was a blade from the prop that broke off when it hit my finger. I was bleeding pretty good from the skin that split on the back of my finger below the nail. By the time I was done, the place looked like a crime scene from all the blood splatter all over the snow, as well as on the plane, transmitter, and goggles. Luckily I didn't break it; I think having the glove where you can poke fingers through helped a bit since that part of the glove was sitting on top of my finger when it was struck (though who knows at almost full-throttle prop speeds).
Weary of what happened the day before, I launched the plane from the wing this time side-arm, without incident.

Parts List