Upgrading the landing legs

The frame I bought came with the tall legs that give good clearance for a camera. I nickname these 'Spider legs" since they kinda look like a spiders legs.

The problem with them is that at a critical point in the legs, there is a slot cut in for what I assume is for routing wires. This makes them extremely weak where they need to be stronger.

The first 2 flights, one broke. A splint was rigged but it and another leg broke, and there were no crashes or even moderately hard landings.

I opted for a far better configuration. It involved removing the tubes and replacing them with the larger ones that come with the kit. The up side is that it provides a lot more clearance, is many orders of magnitude stronger and more resilient.

 It also allowed for the 2 cameras to be mounted far enough ahead that they are between the front motors.

 The battery was moved further back to ensure good balance. A keen eye might notice the foam between the battery and the plate. It is to prevent the bolts from digging into the battery and damaging it.

Handy Video Box

Regular reader know that I like to have a fixed FPV camera on my Quadcopter as well as the pivotable HD camera. I was wasting a lot of time sorting through the birdsnest of cables.


The solution was to build a video box. A lucky find at a garage sale netted the aluminum box for $4

I bought a second 7" screen. and cut a panel of 1'8" ply to fit the two panels
This is backed by strips and blocks of 1" x 1" wood.

A little black acrylic paint dresses it up

A sun visor is made of black foamboard. This is edged with black duct tape to prevent delamination and it is a hing in some areas. The shade is held by 3 small Velcro spots. Never count on the self adhesive, always use a little contact cement and let it set before attaching the parts. Patience is your friend.


Another strip of 1" x 1" gives more clearance for the cables and battery. Another foamboard panel forms the lower door. a single Velcro dot keeps it closed. Note the notched out sections on the panel, This is for the Receiver wires.

The receivers are attached to a small strip that hooks onto the lid and is secured with Velcro again.

I built a power box for before I came up with this. It is just an electronics project box with a series of sockets connected together. Multiple formats to connect to whatever battery pack are on the other end.

There is enough room for my laptop to be the ground station for flight planning as well as it's own telemetry. The fixed FPV camera also has an OSD (On Screen Display) telemetry too.

Now setup and takedown takes mere seconds and the equipment is not getting damaged.