This has been one of the best shows i've seen. It feels so much more real, you didn't hold back on the negative and also showed some of the positive. I really enjoyed the ending where we get to see some flight time with it. Keep up the great work!
I understand. I actually only recently tried the cheap foam builds myself. But what that has done for my personal pucker factor when flying in the backyard or somewhere new and untested can't be overstated. The confidence you get when you're not as concerned with damage to the airframe is very liberating. Plus, all that extra flight time you get from flying when you normally wouldn't risk a pricier bird only makes you a better pilot in the long run. At least in my experience, YMMV!
Thank you for reviewing this plane. We have been flying it at Team Echelon for over a year now. I agree with most of your criticisms and praises. One thing should also be mentioned. The servos being on the bottom of the wing is not optimal. I mounted mine on top. You'll eventually damage them on landing.
I love mine, been flying it for months. I roll it with no problem. I did covered mine with vinyl so wings are lot stronger and can go pretty fast with no trouble. I just glued the wing tips on, tossed all that wood and screws for the tips. just my 2 cents
A "Who is David Windestål" Episode would be so EPIC! He has been such an inspiration to myself and so many others as well. I love his innovative ideas and his knack of thinking outside the box is a model to take to heart. He has (with the help of Flitetest and also Stoneblueairlines) given me the incentive to fly FPV and build and fly a multirotor also with FPV. I hope one day I have aerial videos even half as good as some of Davids'. I doubt it but it's a goal to strive for!
Thank you Josh for mentioning "not playing on the wrong side of the playground" and how to get back through head wind. Great advise to those with little experience under their belt and stars in their eyes. Excellent video again guys. keep up the great work. This was one of my favorite episodes cause it re-affirmed some suspicions, and made me thankful for some of the choices ive made. The Zephyr II (for the record) has NO flex if setup with TBS wood battery box. see how it stacks up to FT's xp
"this is an e-flite motoRRRR... from the scimitaRRRR...that we flew into a toweRRRR..." Love the way that little Swede rolls his RRRRRs! Keep the vids coming chaps, nice to have David with the JJ Duo. Awesome work as always!
Hello Flitetest this is Ray from Florida, I have an idea for an episode that many of us might be interested in. Alot of us love David Windestal's presence on the show, he's like family now and when he's gone the comments reflect this. he always has innovative electronic ideas that are brilliant. Its hard to find someone that smart but still fun and not boring. It would be great to have a show about Davids history and how he came to learn so much about innovative electronics. good dude.
Great thorough review. I really like that you guys talked about the good and the bad and left it up to the viewer to make their own opinion. Keep up the great work!
That is because it is a brushless outrunner motor and David pulled out only half of the motor off of the plane. The part of the motor that the prop was attached to was the magnets and the other half that remained on the plane was where all of the coils and wires of the motor remained. You can do the same thing with any kind of brushless outrunner motor if you remove the collar and c-clip but you only see it done on pusher prop applications.
oh yes I have lost the conopy on my X8 a couple of times the whole model isnt perfect especialy turning into a cross wind hence i scrapped it and moved to a skyhunter ..
I think David just left off the c-clip from the shaft. since it's a pusher, the prop will actually push against the bell and keep it seated so it's not going anywhere in flight. The drag from the stopped or windmilling prop might try to pull it off, but those motor magnets can more than overcome that.
Thanks JDJ ~ very interesting demo , I must admit the wing tip flex concerned me but over all the rig seemed to handle it and hold together well , I look forward to Dave's extended fly time on this rig AND I would really like to see him throw caution to the wind and really tweak out this platform for FPV and max time and way points and payloads ! Thanks for the Demo !
No problem at all. One thing about this hobby, you'll find no shortage of other people more than willing to help out! Just let us know if you get it sorted out or need anything else!
I'd fiberglass that thing. Also replace the nose with an observation dome and turn the camera into a 180 degree view out of the wind. Put those antenna inside too and then run the thing as fast as you like.
Just a thought on the strengthening...you can use a guideline and a hobbyknife set a depth and cut a small notch in the bottom if the wing and install longer larger diameter carbon rods with hotglue or foam CA...running a solid one as far across the wingspan would probably yield the most effect but two running from center outwards would help also..you could also try using small rod from the top of the winglets down at a 45 angle into the topside of the wing and vertically in the winglet tips.
wow I posted here 10 years ago. Well this weekend I took out my X8 and flew it. Forgot how much fun it can be. I did change the camera to a DJI O3 air unit so now can see it HD.. really cool now.
Ahh, I see what you did there. Just glancing I missed the missing bits at the start! New flitetest vid and I learned a new trick! It's been a pretty good Monday!
I noticed in the video that the engine was removed from the body and quickly replaced...with a SNAP sound. Was that a quick disconnect / connect thingy so that engine removal doesn't require the 4 screws/nuts and a bizzilion hours of BS to do?
I've flown an Exceed Rocket series 2215 with no c-clip (I snapped that end of the shaft off) for a year now in the tractor mode. I can hang the plane from its prop but the pull of the prop never overcomes the attraction of the magnets. It does blow minds though, when you grab the prop and yank it, and half the motor right out the front of the plane.
The glitching you experienced on 433Mhz near the tower was most likely from a 70cm Amateur Radio repeater on the tower. Just as a heads up for those interested, unlike in the UK, here in the US you need a minimum of a Technician Class Ham license to operate any type of radio (telemetry) on 433Mhz.
Re the camera bump underneath it and 'landing on your camera' or it flipping on landing; get two strips of foam offcuts from, well, anywhere, and make two ski's either side of the camera compartment. It'll take the hit of landing and keep things smooth. Please note: I have never flown a remote controlled ANYTHING, but even I came to that realization instantly. You guys do this for a living. Get a grip.
I really like these long episodes! keep them coming, very interesting, i also like the long intros! great show! i just flew your old fogey, it was a great design! Thank You!
It was be awesome to see you guys get into strengthening these kinds of things with carbon fiber reinforcement. It's really not that hard to do. The entire thing doesn't need covered in it, just key areas. They even make a type of carbon fiber (cf) cloth that comes with the epoxy already embedded in it- prepreg. You don't even have to use vacuum bags- you can just do a hand lay up. I just think it would really take your content to the next level.
It's really crazy how there are absolutely ZERO negative aspects to ANYTHING you guys review. Even when you say you don't like something about a plane that ur not reviewing... when you go watch the review of said plane, those negative comments are nowhere to be found in the review itself. I guess they must slip your mind.... every single time.
Great video ....please ,please, please make a video on how you modified the servo for the camera mount ..and maybe explain the benefits in more detail why the external pot works better than a of the self 360% servo .. Keep up the good work and also nice to see the APM in action , I love mine too .
That bottom bump for a camera would be perfect for a downward pointing camera for scouting my fields. Have system with nav points programmed and use it as a UAV.
I got to thinking about the wing flex...I wonder if it helps smooth out some of the bumps that you'd normally see on video with a more rigid platform...seems so smooth in the air but then you spin the camera and the wingtips are bumping around pretty good. It might be engineered that way to give some shock absorption to the airframe since it can almost carry any camera anywhere?
The thing about autonomous flight that make them cool is that it's not that your wrapping your mind on what they are, it's that your wrapping your mind on what it's not and that is that the plane is flying itself
Nice one guys... just a suggestion here... would it be cool to make a bubble canopy and enclose the cam inside the cockpit? You could make a quickie one by rolling some lexan over the nose and sketching out a cockpit..then the cam wouldn't create any drag and the cam lens is protected ...
Hi Folks, Great show :) Is there an upgraded / new version of the Skywalker X8 to improve the wing "errors"? Or can you recommend a better model? Thanks for that folks
a early retractble landing gear servo.turns 180 . half a turn..for what was then called mechanical retrax,,,the servo did all the lifting of the gear..strong motion
PLease David, tell me, if you take the distance between the wing nose and these fingers place (for launching), where is the CG locating ? about 440 mm or 443 mm ? these measures pointed approximately between these "two eyes" and the Smiley right ? please answer me, before I make the maiden flight. Greetings from Sweden.
when flying with FPV, why do you mount the camera at the front of the plane and not somwhere back, where you could see some part of the plane as a "reference"?
I think its VERY EXPENSIVE for what it is!!! Best part of $200 & it does not come with any electronics at all!!! The Raptor is less than $90 & is PNF!!! I know its a lot smaller, but will carry a 5000mah 3S & fly for 30mins+!!! It seems this plane is badly made & needs to be heavily modded to make it fly as it should, plus its TWICE THE PRICE of a Raptor!!! 3 times the price when you factor in motor, ESC & servos. Then you have to start shovelling Carbon Rods & cover it in wrap to strengthen it. Call me tight, but I expect it to be spot on for that sort of money. I would recommend the Phantom 1550mm Wing, just under $100 PNF & will do nearly all of what the X8 can do. Great Video as always.
I know this is well down the track, but I just got a FPV Raptor, and it is the biggest piece of garbage I have ever owned. The wing loading is so high it launches straight toward the ground, see many UA-cam clips, and is seriously underpowered and flies like a heavy pig, and that it just a bare bones plane. I hate it!! Thinking of the x-8 to replace it.
I am totally digging the performance of that plane. Slow, graceful and great video footage. Exactly the type flying I want to do. Not impressed with the structural integrity of the wing but spars can be added. Also impressed with return to home features. How much would that setup cost as-is, in this video?
When this came out I was hoping of mega flight times and also agility and uber performance. As a Skywalker 2 pilot what have people maxed out in flight times due to her big CARGO BAY that she can carry?
10 років тому
You could do 150km going for almost 3h ua-cam.com/video/qzEIqMtkMwM/v-deo.html
i would totally but a kit with everything in this video!!! How much did all that stuff cost? with the long distance radios and the FPV head thing etc, all together?
it's possible that someone near the park just cranked up a new wireless router close enough to give you trouble. At least if there are houses around, or a new carrier on a local cel tower near the park. one of the issues with 2.4 is there is a ton of traffic, which is why they made it spread spectrum which "hops" the "channel" you're on many times a second. It helps but nothing is foolproof. Sometimes your best option is to get somewhere "quieter" RF-wise. I hope this is some help to you!
Death of UA-cam The overlay is determined by the type of OSD AP you are using. and the particular settings available on the autopilot.. some of them allow you to use up to 3 different settings. like all the FY products. I don't have no experience with the Ardupilot.. so you will need to do some search on it but feel that they really diminish the actual potential of this platform. is so versatile that in the past I have flied with up to 16 pounds total of equipment and landing gear! it is spacious enough to put a large 10X optical zoom camera on it and it have room to spare..
If the RX antenna are not diverse or set at right angles to each other, it could cause problems to the signal in certain attitudes. To be honest though, I have heard of Spektrums having issues that have only cropped up lately, but I can't remember offhand which protocol. My advice is to check your Rx antenna to make sure they are as diverse as possible and if you still see some glitching (range test on the ground first) I would try another flying area.
I can believe that! Those rare earth magnets do pull pretty good. Not sure if I'm ready to completely trust them yet though. Call me old school or whatever, I LIKE a mechanical backup! :) I still check all the motors on the hex every few flights...when I crash it, I want it to actually be my fault. I'm not sure I should have said that out loud.... :/
Another great review. One small questions - the winglets lean inwards - is that correct ? - should they not lean outward ? - does it make a difference ?
Shouldnt make that much difference, as long as they are pointing straight. Look at the dart 250 for example ( ok its a massively different size plane ) that one you have the option to mount the vertical's in OR outwards.
Please give me a link to where to buy and the brand of frequency checker you used to find the signal you were using. I fly a couple of miles from a transmitter tower and I would like to know what frequency they are on compared to my radio. Thank you GFB
Hey what RC plane would you recommend for a beginner? I'd like the plane / camera to have a range of about 1-4 miles, and my budget would be about $300.
hey guys how or where I can find a glasses camera like that... I have to look for horses in a huge ranch and thet will help me a lot... tnx if u'll reply
You mean the fatsharks they have on? they are FPV goggles, just Google "FPV Gear" you can get a monitor or goggles, there all kinds of crazy FPV gear out there.
Flying Humboldt so to be in their conditions I've to buy fat shark google and fat shark camera or it is a single kit?.... just for know what does FPV means? tnx mate
andrea tonani Fpv means first person view, steering a model through live video in this case. Fatshark has some kits available, but be careful to what you are allowed to use in your country! (I you are from the USA you can use everything from them^^)
a research subject for david: spin recovery on the x-8 is reportedly difficult and unconventional. it would be good for him to check on this characteristic. also, diepole antennas work better ont he ezuhf. ferrite rings on all the servo wires going into the reciever are pretty much a must for max range. it is very susceptible to noisy onboard interference. the diamond antenna in the best for this transmitter. the nayoya works but there is no comparison. excellent review of the airframe guys.
hey your reviews are fantastic!!! Found your X-8 review after seeing the X-8 Rc Turbine. I wish there were a smaller version. This is a little big. To eliminate the possibility of prop strike, have you looked into ducted fans. With the variety out there, I am certain you will have no trouble adapting this model and save hands. Keep up the amazing reviews.
So, I was looking at FPV glasses, and I saw some VR glasses. I was wondering if you'd considered modifying your camera mount to take the head monitoring output from VR glasses for camera control. You could add a few degrees of vertical movement and keep 360 degrees of horizontal movement. Awesome review and flight!
Thanks for finally reviewing the X8. I couldn't decide between the X8 or the Zephyr II. Definitely going with the Z over the X. I could probably figure out a way to stiffen the wings, but why all the hassle? DAVID: How about a BUILD for that 360 pan? Just show us a step by step, especially showing how you rigged up the pot or whatever. To me, that's way more interesting than, please excuse my terms, but those crappy cheapo dollar store foam contraptions you guys build (sorry, just being honest).
Can you recommend me a good autopilot that has RTH feature? I have an Apprentice S airplane and I'm setting it for fpv but need something like that (auto pilot with rth) in order to feel confident to fly far without losing the plane. I would appreciate your advise. Thanks.
Did you guys ever try to build a Crash front deploying airbag system? Is there anything like this or is it not physically possible to engineer a miniature system like that and mount it on the heavy front side of the plane? It could activate via a altitude reader, a altitude reading radar or laser that would activate the airbag at the last moment? Or a manual deployment activation from your remote control? I'm sorry I might be way over my head. God Bless☮♥️💙🇺🇸💙♥️🛩📲☮
Excellent. - Great review guys. -- Do you ever get to play in low-flying clouds? (That was something my dad and my brother used to do. My dad had a Piper and a Cessna all the time I was growing up.) I can really relate to your comment of standing on the wingtip too. -- Keep up the great work!
hi i got question from you i want to buy some delta wing like reptile 800s, i don t know how to install gauges on that, just let me know please. thank you.-
I've had the X8 for almost 2 years now. I've yet to find another plane that can carry as much weight while keeping the wing loading low to require little power for cruising. Having enough space inside to separate gps, VTx, Rx, ESC and camera can be very important depending on which frequencies you're using so a large plane is priceless in that aspect. Check out the X8 forum on RCGroups you can find out what this plane is really all about. Personally, I find it rock stable, able to carry anything, great range (2 - 3750mah 4S for the motor plus another 3500mah 3S just for the electronics) of over an hour @ 50% throttle. What I hate about it is trying to throw a 7lb 3 oz pusher because of the prop. As for the wings flexing, mine do on really windy days while flying fast but keep it below 70mph and you're ok. Many people add a flat carbon fiber along the trailing edge to solve the problem and that doesn't break the bank. They made a mistake in the review about the trailing edge needing to be taped, it doesn't and is supposed to have reflex like a lot of flying wings which incorporate a lifting body...duh! For long duration cruising, it's hard to beat because it's a very clean design. For vertical dives and low level flying around trees and between power lines, get something much smaller and more maneuverable or else you'll be bringing pieces of foam back home!
I like that! I did a "budget" hex with almost all HK products. (I splurged a little on the ESC's by getting flashed 30A's) But it flies great even if I don't... I'd love to see a budget long range setup with some budget goggles! I don't want to fork out 3 or 4 bills for goggles when I already have video Rx's...
I can't figure out how David program the transmitter for the rud and camera turn at same time without head track. Was there a switch to change the control of rud and camera turn?
Excellent, honest review. I can't tell you how tiresome some reviews are, with nary a negative, except maybe,,,uh,,,I'd give that 4 out of five,,,,but really,,,it's great. Again,,,well done, guys!
Does anyone know if the lastest version of the X8 can built such that the wings are easily removed for transport? The folks at FPV Model say it can't (they claim you must tape and glue the wing roots to the fuse) but just looking at it it looks like detachable wings are totally doable
How about David build a portable PVC launch system for this plane. Kind of like a High-start for gliders but really short like 6'. Basically sling-shot the wing into the air at an angle of about 40 degrees and can be triggered to release the bird by foot switch. Could be pretty easy/safe and cheap to make.
![☀ Рекордная дальность на цифре. Легко и непринужденно. [Walksnail VRX 50KM+]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CEHRqYhqy08/mqdefault.jpg)
![☀ Рекордная дальность на цифре. Легко и непринужденно. [Walksnail VRX 50KM+]](/img/tr.png)
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I still love watching these old episodes with David! Over and over again
This has been one of the best shows i've seen. It feels so much more real, you didn't hold back on the negative and also showed some of the positive. I really enjoyed the ending where we get to see some flight time with it. Keep up the great work!
I understand. I actually only recently tried the cheap foam builds myself. But what that has done for my personal pucker factor when flying in the backyard or somewhere new and untested can't be overstated. The confidence you get when you're not as concerned with damage to the airframe is very liberating. Plus, all that extra flight time you get from flying when you normally wouldn't risk a pricier bird only makes you a better pilot in the long run. At least in my experience, YMMV!
Good old days! I wonder what the Sweden is doing our days! I really miss the type of creativity and adventure that he use to bring to this show!
Rocket 🔪!!!
Thank you for reviewing this plane. We have been flying it at Team Echelon for over a year now. I agree with most of your criticisms and praises. One thing should also be mentioned. The servos being on the bottom of the wing is not optimal. I mounted mine on top. You'll eventually damage them on landing.
I love mine, been flying it for months. I roll it with no problem. I did covered mine with vinyl so wings are lot stronger and can go pretty fast with no trouble. I just glued the wing tips on, tossed all that wood and screws for the tips. just my 2 cents
A "Who is David Windestål" Episode would be so EPIC! He has been such an inspiration to myself and so many others as well. I love his innovative ideas and his knack of thinking outside the box is a model to take to heart. He has (with the help of Flitetest and also Stoneblueairlines) given me the incentive to fly FPV and build and fly a multirotor also with FPV. I hope one day I have aerial videos even half as good as some of Davids'. I doubt it but it's a goal to strive for!
Mr Scott made a great flight and now one comments on it!! Thank you guys for making this show!!
Thank you Josh for mentioning "not playing on the wrong side of the playground" and how to get back through head wind. Great advise to those with little experience under their belt and stars in their eyes.
Excellent video again guys. keep up the great work. This was one of my favorite episodes cause it re-affirmed some suspicions, and made me thankful for some of the choices ive made. The Zephyr II (for the record) has NO flex if setup with TBS wood battery box. see how it stacks up to FT's xp
"this is an e-flite motoRRRR... from the scimitaRRRR...that we flew into a toweRRRR..."
Love the way that little Swede rolls his RRRRRs! Keep the vids coming chaps, nice to have David with the JJ Duo. Awesome work as always!
Hello Flitetest this is Ray from Florida, I have an idea for an episode that many of us might be interested in. Alot of us love David Windestal's presence on the show, he's like family now and when he's gone the comments reflect this. he always has innovative electronic ideas that are brilliant. Its hard to find someone that smart but still fun and not boring. It would be great to have a show about Davids history and how he came to learn so much about innovative electronics. good dude.
Great thorough review. I really like that you guys talked about the good and the bad and left it up to the viewer to make their own opinion. Keep up the great work!
Legend says it's still circling to this day!
That is because it is a brushless outrunner motor and David pulled out only half of the motor off of the plane. The part of the motor that the prop was attached to was the magnets and the other half that remained on the plane was where all of the coils and wires of the motor remained. You can do the same thing with any kind of brushless outrunner motor if you remove the collar and c-clip but you only see it done on pusher prop applications.
A very brutal but very true review.
You guys have really improved your reviews once you got your independence
Did you guys noticed how closed you were to lose the canopy at 7:17?
oh yes I have lost the conopy on my X8 a couple of times the whole model isnt perfect especialy turning into a cross wind hence i scrapped it and moved to a skyhunter ..
Ian Davis
nothing a few nylon screws cant fix
nothing a rubber band cant fix.
I think David just left off the c-clip from the shaft. since it's a pusher, the prop will actually push against the bell and keep it seated so it's not going anywhere in flight. The drag from the stopped or windmilling prop might try to pull it off, but those motor magnets can more than overcome that.
Awesome vid. Always love waking up on a Tuesday morning to a new episode of Flite Test!
Keep up the good work! :D
Thanks JDJ ~ very interesting demo , I must admit the wing tip flex concerned me but over all the rig seemed to handle it and hold together well , I look forward to Dave's extended fly time on this rig AND I would really like to see him throw caution to the wind and really tweak out this platform for FPV and max time and way points and payloads !
Thanks for the Demo !
No problem at all. One thing about this hobby, you'll find no shortage of other people more than willing to help out! Just let us know if you get it sorted out or need anything else!
I'd fiberglass that thing. Also replace the nose with an observation dome and turn the camera into a 180 degree view out of the wind. Put those antenna inside too and then run the thing as fast as you like.
That sounds like an AWESOME set up!
That would be like the Parrot Disco Setup
This show is getting better and better. Nice work. I would like to see some backstages too. Cheers
Just a thought on the strengthening...you can use a guideline and a hobbyknife set a depth and cut a small notch in the bottom if the wing and install longer larger diameter carbon rods with hotglue or foam CA...running a solid one as far across the wingspan would probably yield the most effect but two running from center outwards would help also..you could also try using small rod from the top of the winglets down at a 45 angle into the topside of the wing and vertically in the winglet tips.
wow I posted here 10 years ago. Well this weekend I took out my X8 and flew it. Forgot how much fun it can be. I did change the camera to a DJI O3 air unit so now can see it HD.. really cool now.
Ahh, I see what you did there. Just glancing I missed the missing bits at the start! New flitetest vid and I learned a new trick! It's been a pretty good Monday!
the immersion rc rx has a built in spectrum analyzer. it would be good to mention that.
Cool! Usually it won't let me put links in for some reason. But I'm glad you were able to find it!
I noticed in the video that the engine was removed from the body and quickly replaced...with a SNAP sound. Was that a quick disconnect / connect thingy so that engine removal doesn't require the 4 screws/nuts and a bizzilion hours of BS to do?
Excellent flight footage and set up guys. Could you please show the entire set up package you used?
Thanks
I've flown an Exceed Rocket series 2215 with no c-clip (I snapped that end of the shaft off) for a year now in the tractor mode. I can hang the plane from its prop but the pull of the prop never overcomes the attraction of the magnets. It does blow minds though, when you grab the prop and yank it, and half the motor right out the front of the plane.
This is so cool! I am sure the FAA will ban them before you know it :{
Facts 😂 Bro if you respond after posting your comment 7 years ago😶
The glitching you experienced on 433Mhz near the tower was most likely from a 70cm Amateur Radio repeater on the tower. Just as a heads up for those interested, unlike in the UK, here in the US you need a minimum of a Technician Class Ham license to operate any type of radio (telemetry) on 433Mhz.
David you can always make great fpv videos, surprised this wasn't on your channel.
You could easily fly lunch to a friend about a kilometer away. That interior is CAVERNOUS! Thanks for the great review!
Re the camera bump underneath it and 'landing on your camera' or it flipping on landing; get two strips of foam offcuts from, well, anywhere, and make two ski's either side of the camera compartment. It'll take the hit of landing and keep things smooth. Please note: I have never flown a remote controlled ANYTHING, but even I came to that realization instantly. You guys do this for a living. Get a grip.
I really like these long episodes! keep them coming, very interesting, i also like the long intros!
great show! i just flew your old fogey, it was a great design! Thank You!
It was be awesome to see you guys get into strengthening these kinds of things with carbon fiber reinforcement. It's really not that hard to do. The entire thing doesn't need covered in it, just key areas. They even make a type of carbon fiber (cf) cloth that comes with the epoxy already embedded in it- prepreg. You don't even have to use vacuum bags- you can just do a hand lay up. I just think it would really take your content to the next level.
Another nice video of one of my old favourite fpv planes. Thanks guys.
It's really crazy how there are absolutely ZERO negative aspects to ANYTHING you guys review. Even when you say you don't like something about a plane that ur not reviewing... when you go watch the review of said plane, those negative comments are nowhere to be found in the review itself. I guess they must slip your mind.... every single time.
Great video ....please ,please, please make a video on how you modified the servo for the camera mount ..and maybe explain the benefits in more detail why the external pot works better than a of the self 360% servo ..
Keep up the good work and also nice to see the APM in action , I love mine too .
That bottom bump for a camera would be perfect for a downward pointing camera for scouting my fields. Have system with nav points programmed and use it as a UAV.
I got to thinking about the wing flex...I wonder if it helps smooth out some of the bumps that you'd normally see on video with a more rigid platform...seems so smooth in the air but then you spin the camera and the wingtips are bumping around pretty good. It might be engineered that way to give some shock absorption to the airframe since it can almost carry any camera anywhere?
Did you guys use the BEC on your ESC, the APM power module or something else?
The thing about autonomous flight that make them cool is that it's not that your wrapping your mind on what they are, it's that your wrapping your mind on what it's not and that is that the plane is flying itself
Nice one guys... just a suggestion here... would it be cool to make a bubble canopy and enclose the cam inside the cockpit? You could make a quickie one by rolling some lexan over the nose and sketching out a cockpit..then the cam wouldn't create any drag and the cam lens is protected ...
I will love you guys to come out with the rotating camera idea on a small 2,3 axel gamble to be use on quad or small plains
im flying a little hobby zone cub, but you helped me so much with your videos, love you guys X
Great Job! I have a twinstar as well and have crazy amounts of interference problems due to tight quaters... any tips?
Hi Folks,
Great show :)
Is there an upgraded / new version of the Skywalker X8 to improve the wing "errors"?
Or can you recommend a better model?
Thanks for that folks
geared servo for camera looks great Idea, Iwd love to know where can we get a gear like that
a early retractble landing gear servo.turns 180 . half a turn..for what was then called mechanical retrax,,,the servo did all the lifting of the gear..strong motion
Another great video. Please give complete details on the 360 degree camera setup. I would love to build that!
Rick
With so much space available like other flying wings, have you considered solar panels for extended flight times?
Bring back the Swede
Yes!!!
If you can program a flight path, can I make it flight 75 km overseas? From one island to another?
Probably, if you use the right equipment
PLease David, tell me, if you take the distance between the wing nose and these fingers place (for launching), where is the CG locating ? about 440 mm or 443 mm ? these measures pointed approximately between these "two eyes" and the Smiley right ? please answer me, before I make the maiden flight. Greetings from Sweden.
Loved the review guys! Especially that you pointed out the what's-not-so-great things about it. Keep it up!
when flying with FPV, why do you mount the camera at the front of the plane and not somwhere back, where you could see some part of the plane as a "reference"?
If it can take more weight, have you guys thought about putting small / thin solar cells on it?
Would they even be worth doing it?
+OminousPinapple Probably not, since those small solar cells aren't just powerful enough... Unless you take a ton of them.
YellowBlue RC
True... It kinda depends on how you do it in the end...
I think its VERY EXPENSIVE for what it is!!! Best part of $200 & it does not come with any electronics at all!!! The Raptor is less than $90 & is PNF!!! I know its a lot smaller, but will carry a 5000mah 3S & fly for 30mins+!!! It seems this plane is badly made & needs to be heavily modded to make it fly as it should, plus its TWICE THE PRICE of a Raptor!!! 3 times the price when you factor in motor, ESC & servos. Then you have to start shovelling Carbon Rods & cover it in wrap to strengthen it. Call me tight, but I expect it to be spot on for that sort of money. I would recommend the Phantom 1550mm Wing, just under $100 PNF & will do nearly all of what the X8 can do. Great Video as always.
When it 4km away you can't see those sexy curves though!!!
hahaha true
you are sooo tight!
Not tight, just skint!!! My BMW K1200s bike is trying to to put me in the poor house. Think its got to go!!!
I know this is well down the track, but I just got a FPV Raptor, and it is the biggest piece of garbage I have ever owned. The wing loading is so high it launches straight toward the ground, see many UA-cam clips, and is seriously underpowered and flies like a heavy pig, and that it just a bare bones plane. I hate it!!
Thinking of the x-8 to replace it.
I am totally digging the performance of that plane. Slow, graceful and great video footage. Exactly the type flying I want to do. Not impressed with the structural integrity of the wing but spars can be added. Also impressed with return to home features. How much would that setup cost as-is, in this video?
Hey guys, awesome work. Any chance of posting the Ardu Setup here or in your forum? Looking for tested gains...
When this came out I was hoping of mega flight times and also agility and uber performance. As a Skywalker 2 pilot what have people maxed out in flight times due to her big CARGO BAY that she can carry?
You could do 150km going for almost 3h ua-cam.com/video/qzEIqMtkMwM/v-deo.html
Could you cut the FPV bump on the bottom of the nose off and patch it up, or would it ruin the stability of the aircraft?
i would totally but a kit with everything in this video!!! How much did all that stuff cost? with the long distance radios and the FPV head thing etc, all together?
it's possible that someone near the park just cranked up a new wireless router close enough to give you trouble. At least if there are houses around, or a new carrier on a local cel tower near the park. one of the issues with 2.4 is there is a ton of traffic, which is why they made it spread spectrum which "hops" the "channel" you're on many times a second. It helps but nothing is foolproof. Sometimes your best option is to get somewhere "quieter" RF-wise. I hope this is some help to you!
I love the 360 pan add on.
Can you guys try to fit it on a DJI phantom 2?
I have not seen one video detailing the HUD overlay for flight data.. What is the options for something like that?
Death of UA-cam The overlay is determined by the type of OSD AP you are using. and the particular settings available on the autopilot.. some of them allow you to use up to 3 different settings. like all the FY products. I don't have no experience with the Ardupilot.. so you will need to do some search on it but feel that they really diminish the actual potential of this platform. is so versatile that in the past I have flied with up to 16 pounds total of equipment and landing gear! it is spacious enough to put a large 10X optical zoom camera on it and it have room to spare..
For those who don't know, the wing flexing mentioned at around 7:30 is called 'flutter'
I just bought one. Do you think it would take off from the ground with well designed landing gear?
If the RX antenna are not diverse or set at right angles to each other, it could cause problems to the signal in certain attitudes. To be honest though, I have heard of Spektrums having issues that have only cropped up lately, but I can't remember offhand which protocol. My advice is to check your Rx antenna to make sure they are as diverse as possible and if you still see some glitching (range test on the ground first) I would try another flying area.
Apologies if it's already been asked / answered, but... is there a full-up spec-sheet on the X8 configured as you have it here? Thanks!
Need some info on the Ground Station....looks awesome
looks like cellular by the array at the crown. But specifically, you'd have to know what carrier it is to know whether it is cdma,tdma,gsm, etc.
would it be possible to build a detachable "carriage " for take off?
I can believe that! Those rare earth magnets do pull pretty good. Not sure if I'm ready to completely trust them yet though. Call me old school or whatever, I LIKE a mechanical backup! :) I still check all the motors on the hex every few flights...when I crash it, I want it to actually be my fault. I'm not sure I should have said that out loud.... :/
Very nice, thz for share, but, where do you setup the cg?
Another great review. One small questions - the winglets lean inwards - is that correct ? - should they not lean outward ? - does it make a difference ?
Shouldnt make that much difference, as long as they are pointing straight. Look at the dart 250 for example ( ok its a massively different size plane ) that one you have the option to mount the vertical's in OR outwards.
Please give me a link to where to buy and the brand of frequency checker you used to find the signal you were using. I fly a couple of miles from a transmitter tower and I would like to know what frequency they are on compared to my radio.
Thank you
GFB
Hey what RC plane would you recommend for a beginner? I'd like the plane / camera to have a range of about 1-4 miles, and my budget would be about $300.
Please review the Ritewing Zephyr or Zephyr II. I am curious as to how you would like it as I have been thinking about getting one for a while.
Would you recomend covering the intire plane with fiberglass or carbon fiber to add strength to intire frame??
Question... where can I buy the" noise receiver" David has in his hands... Can't find it.
hey guys how or where I can find a glasses camera like that... I have to look for horses in a huge ranch and thet will help me a lot... tnx if u'll reply
You mean the fatsharks they have on? they are FPV goggles, just Google "FPV Gear" you can get a monitor or goggles, there all kinds of crazy FPV gear out there.
Flying Humboldt so to be in their conditions I've to buy fat shark google and fat shark camera or it is a single kit?.... just for know what does FPV means? tnx mate
andrea tonani Fpv means first person view, steering a model through live video in this case. Fatshark has some kits available, but be careful to what you are allowed to use in your country! (I you are from the USA you can use everything from them^^)
I'm from italy and I'll use it in Australia... allowed? why? there are some laws issues?
andrea tonani some issues in AUS atm with high powered VTX's 25mw is fine
a research subject for david: spin recovery on the x-8 is reportedly difficult and unconventional. it would be good for him to check on this characteristic.
also, diepole antennas work better ont he ezuhf. ferrite rings on all the servo wires going into the reciever are pretty much a must for max range. it is very susceptible to noisy onboard interference. the diamond antenna in the best for this transmitter. the nayoya works but there is no comparison. excellent review of the airframe guys.
hey your reviews are fantastic!!! Found your X-8 review after seeing the X-8 Rc Turbine. I wish there were a smaller version. This is a little big. To eliminate the possibility of prop strike, have you looked into ducted fans. With the variety out there, I am certain you will have no trouble adapting this model and save hands.
Keep up the amazing reviews.
So, I was looking at FPV glasses, and I saw some VR glasses. I was wondering if you'd considered modifying your camera mount to take the head monitoring output from VR glasses for camera control. You could add a few degrees of vertical movement and keep 360 degrees of horizontal movement.
Awesome review and flight!
Thanks for finally reviewing the X8. I couldn't decide between the X8 or the Zephyr II. Definitely going with the Z over the X. I could probably figure out a way to stiffen the wings, but why all the hassle? DAVID: How about a BUILD for that 360 pan? Just show us a step by step, especially showing how you rigged up the pot or whatever. To me, that's way more interesting than, please excuse my terms, but those crappy cheapo dollar store foam contraptions you guys build (sorry, just being honest).
Hello,
What are the best gliders and flying wing for FPV?
Or any other model.
Can you recommend me a good autopilot that has RTH feature? I have an Apprentice S airplane and I'm setting it for fpv but need something like that (auto pilot with rth) in order to feel confident to fly far without losing the plane. I would appreciate your advise. Thanks.
HK pilot from hobbyking (APM 2.7). I heard that it's the best one.
Or even better: the pixhawk
Did you guys ever try to build a Crash front deploying airbag system? Is there anything like this or is it not physically possible to engineer a miniature system like that and mount it on the heavy front side of the plane? It could activate via a altitude reader, a altitude reading radar or laser that would activate the airbag at the last moment? Or a manual deployment activation from your remote control? I'm sorry I might be way over my head. God Bless☮♥️💙🇺🇸💙♥️🛩📲☮
Great video, as always. How are these longitudinally stable?
great stuff. love the custom 360 degree FPV camera rig, i might put that on my bixler 2, more details on building that if u have time.
Excellent. - Great review guys.
-- Do you ever get to play in low-flying clouds? (That was something my dad and my brother used to do. My dad had a Piper and a Cessna all the time I was growing up.) I can really relate to your comment of standing on the wingtip too.
-- Keep up the great work!
hi i got question from you i want to buy some delta wing like reptile 800s, i don t know how to install gauges on that, just let me know please.
thank you.-
I've had the X8 for almost 2 years now. I've yet to find another plane that can carry as much weight while keeping the wing loading low to require little power for cruising. Having enough space inside to separate gps, VTx, Rx, ESC and camera can be very important depending on which frequencies you're using so a large plane is priceless in that aspect. Check out the X8 forum on RCGroups you can find out what this plane is really all about. Personally, I find it rock stable, able to carry anything, great range (2 - 3750mah 4S for the motor plus another 3500mah 3S just for the electronics) of over an hour @ 50% throttle. What I hate about it is trying to throw a 7lb 3 oz pusher because of the prop. As for the wings flexing, mine do on really windy days while flying fast but keep it below 70mph and you're ok. Many people add a flat carbon fiber along the trailing edge to solve the problem and that doesn't break the bank. They made a mistake in the review about the trailing edge needing to be taped, it doesn't and is supposed to have reflex like a lot of flying wings which incorporate a lifting body...duh! For long duration cruising, it's hard to beat because it's a very clean design. For vertical dives and low level flying around trees and between power lines, get something much smaller and more maneuverable or else you'll be bringing pieces of foam back home!
I like that! I did a "budget" hex with almost all HK products. (I splurged a little on the ESC's by getting flashed 30A's) But it flies great even if I don't...
I'd love to see a budget long range setup with some budget goggles! I don't want to fork out 3 or 4 bills for goggles when I already have video Rx's...
I can't figure out how David program the transmitter for the rud and camera turn at same time without head track. Was there a switch to change the control of rud and camera turn?
Excellent, honest review. I can't tell you how tiresome some reviews are, with nary a negative, except maybe,,,uh,,,I'd give that 4 out of five,,,,but really,,,it's great. Again,,,well done, guys!
Does anyone know if the lastest version of the X8 can built such that the wings are easily removed for transport? The folks at FPV Model say it can't (they claim you must tape and glue the wing roots to the fuse) but just looking at it it looks like detachable wings are totally doable
the only one that i know can detach the wings is the skywalker x6
Opterra wing!
How about David build a portable PVC launch system for this plane. Kind of like a High-start for gliders but really short like 6'. Basically sling-shot the wing into the air at an angle of about 40 degrees and can be triggered to release the bird by foot switch. Could be pretty easy/safe and cheap to make.