Trex FPV 600 All ready to Go!!!

Project: Trex 600 for FPV and AP !!!

Camera protector hangs down  for those less then perfect landings

 

 First I used a Pan N Tilt mounted camera but I switched to fixed later.

Set-Up:

Trex 600 w/ stock motor and ESC

550mm Carbon Fiber blades

Spectrum DX7 2.4ghz radio

Spectrum AR7000 RX

Digital servos DS821

Futuba 401 Gyro

Futaba S9254 tail rotor servo

Thunder Power 22.2 5000mha Lipo

Align BEC 3amp with 7.4 lipo

 

FPV/AVP gear:

Hobby Wireless 12v 900mhz Audio/video TX

Hobby Wireless 12v 900mhz A/V RX

Samsung DVR

Pyle 12volt video amp splitter (1 in/2 out)

Hobby Wireless KX-151 High Res CCD Camera

Impulse 11.1v 900mha lipo

 

 

 I've been waiting for a hobby manufacture to make a large Co-Ax r/c helicopter like a Blade CX or Lama but 600 (.60) size. I think a heli like that would be a great aerial photography and FPV platform because how easy they fly and hover. The two blades would also allow for heavier payloads. Since I don't want to build one from scratch I decided I'd put together a electric Trex 600 to handle my needs. I've been wanting a bigger more stable heli ever since I started flying FPV with a Trex 450se. The 450 is a great trainer for FPV and the parts are cheaper but after getting it mastered I needed something that could haul a payload like a DVR, OSD, etc...so the 600 fit my needs.

 With my set up I record video to a on-board DVR for a clear video and send the a video to a TX. To do this I spit the video signal from the camera using a 12 volt video amplifier. This allows me to send the video to the DVR and the Hobby Wireless 900mhz transmitter without losing quality. The video amp also has GAIN adjustment for each output which helps with adjusting the brightness.  The audio I split with a "Y" to the DVR and A/V TX.

I also like to use the stock canopy and because the DVR is under it I use the DVR's remote on/off/rec button which I modified to allow the FPV gear to be plug into it. In the near future  plan on adding a OSD that has artificial horizon. This will be a good FPV heli tool for keeping it in the air.

 

 

 

 

Trex 600 next to Trex 450se

 

FPV helicopter Video:  Trex600FPVflights

Safety must be First!!!  Never fly over, toward or near yourself or other persons with a R/C Helicopter.

My thoughts on FPV R/C helicopter flying:

I have to say it's a rewarding feeling to fly a FPV piloted plane but a helicopter adds to it even more. Unlike a plane a heli goes straight up on take off and keeping it hovering can be a challenge at first (if not always). There's a bit of a "WOW" factor when flying a R/C helicopter in the first place so that adds to it when your doing it by video.  The nice thing about a plane it can glide allowing you time to plan your next move where as a heli your watching the screen intensely gathering visual info from objects so you can judge your heli's movements. It's important to fly ahead of your heli rather then behind it, meaning that you need to plan your moves rather then reacting to the helis movements. The FPV heli is not as relaxing as a plane to fly or is it as easy so I spent a lot of time and money on parts when first practicing FPV heli piloting. I removed the Pan & Tilt mounted camera that I first had installed and went with a fixed camera mount with some neoprem foam damping. The reason is, I never needed to use it and with a heli you can Pan the whole aircraft pointing it where you want to look. I also could not get rid of the vibrations amplified by the servo slop.

Trex 600 Maiden flight: youtubeVideo

Testing for a Desert Race video:  MainPit

10 Tips for a successful R/C Helicopter FPV flight (Standard Disclaimer applies)

1. Always perform a range test and have a spotter. Be in a wide open place with nobody around (middle of nowhere).

2. It's recommended to do a normal view flight for a couple of minutes before every FPV flight. This will allow you to make any corrections to the heli like trimming before you fly FPV. It's almost impossible to tell that something is wrong in FPV mode until it's to late.

3. Get some altitude, my first flights I stayed close to the ground with training gear but as soon as I could I took it up to a high altitude so I had more time to react before hitting the ground (In the beginning you will hit the ground so have lots of parts).

4. First thing is to try and hover and then move on to slow turns. This is where your experience as a Heli-pilot comes in as you must know what control inputs you need to make to turn with a R/C heli and how to bring it back to a hover (Nothing like turning a plane) along with flying the in front of it rather then behind it (better to plan your moves instead of re-acting to the helis).

5. Not recommended to watch the monitor/goggles and the heli at the same time during forward flight as you are sure to lose orientation and crash. Stick to the monitor/goggles except for when hovering to land.

6. Land in Normal View until you get the hang of FPV piloting. The hardest part about landing in FPV is not striking the tail rotor.

7. Set up the FPV heli like a scale one. Use heavy weighted fly-bar, paddles and program some expo-rates.

8. Keep the heli moving FORWARD as much as possible. If it starts drifting backwards spin the tail into the direction it's drifting. This is the easiest way to recover.

9.  PRACTICE on a simulator in the cockpit view.

10. PRACTICE on a simulator in the cockpit view.