Awesome!
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Did the maiden this morning. A friend did a short video using his Iphone in the middle of the flight. And one of the video from the goggles. I'm glad I didn't push hard for a refund. This thing is everything I hoped it would be. It's really interesting to see fly and the friends who put on the goggles said it was an amazing experience. High clarity, resolution and big WOW factor. The transition is the best of any of the VTOLs I've ever flown. It is smooth, precise and extremely controlled. I'm still devising ways to make it more "bomb proof", like securing the battery so it doesn't fall out during flight and a locking mechanism so the wings don't fold, as reported by some owners. When I get familiar with the control responses, I'll start flying with the goggles and defeat the nannies (ie, beginner mode). Another few short flights ought to do it.
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I know the feeling!Comment
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Hey LOOK Ma!! No canopy!!
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Another informative video. It answered a couple questions for me that was running through my head.
I have unlocked "beginner mode" so I can do rolls and loops and fly lower. Haven't flown it that way yet due to weather. I also took out the screws for the canopy so I can take it off when I fly. I put it on for carrying in the suit case to protect the stuff in the cockpit.
Out of precaution due to the reports of the battery falling out and the wings folding in flight, I devised some simple locking mechanisms for the battery (to prevent the lock from moving) and the wing locks (to prevent the release buttons from moving). I have a small USB-C extension on the way. I plan to have an external connection point so I can download the video from the onboard camera directly without having to remove the cockpit every time. Your 4K video proved that the quality and resolution is superb.Comment
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This is the extension. Just got it. Will install soon and take a photo.Comment
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I'm afraid you may be correct. As soon as I took it out of the bag, I thought the same. I have another one on order that's quite a bit smaller. We'll see.
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Yup that one looks like mine. But mine isn't long enough to reach out side. But I have another that is too long lolComment
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Ain't that the truth. The next length up is almost a foot long, then next are the 10 foot ones.Comment
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Finally got the extension installed and was able to extract the 4K videos from the air unit. Videos are magnificent. My TV can't even show them in 4K but still very impressive.
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I have bad news to report. It finally happened to me ........................... ONE WING FOLDED IN FLIGHT! Several others have made the same report and so far, FlyWing has dismissed it saying that the wing locks CANNOT unlatch and that the end user did not securely snap the wings together. Even with my precautionary mods to hold the latch button immovable, the clasps did not hold. Right after transition to plane mode, 2 "pops" could be heard, seconds apart. This tells me that the latches were secure but the clasps gave way and came off the other side. It's a poor design or poor molding process or both. The clasps can warp or the hooks aren't "sharp" enough and under load, they slip over the fixed part that they grab onto. Upon hitting the ground, 2 hinges got torn, blades broken and plenty of blade strikes when the wing halves hit the foam body. I believe I can rig up something to hold the wings in the locked position so I can fly it but I want FlyWing to send me enough parts to repair all the damage. This thing flies so well and transitions extremely well. I don't want to abandon it.Comment
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Now that is bad news! I wonder if it would have been better off just to glue the wings in the lock position and leave them that way permanentlyComment
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Certainly gluing them permanently in place would prevent them from folding but you must ensure you're using some very strong glue like Epoxy. There is tremendous mechanical advantage working on those 3 little hooks to pry them apart. If you notice in your videos, that start up shutter for a couple of seconds until the props spin up and throw the blades straight out. That can cause wear and tear in those locking hooks. Also, you can see at certain times in the video, the wind buffeting is enough to shake the camera. That's causing the wings to flex, applying force to try and pry them apart. Given enough flights on some X-Wings, I believe those hooks and the latches they grab onto, will wear and weaken. When my wing folded, 2 of the 3 hooks sheared right off. There have been several reports of this happening and the cases are growing. I didn't believe it till it happened to me.
I have just finished modding latch area with a couple of long screws to prevent them from coming apart during flight. That means taking a few more minutes before and after flying to get the thing back in the box. It's ready to go again although the cosmetic damage will always be seen. I just hope the crash didn't damage any of the electronics. I've written to FlyWing with photos explaining what happened. I'd like them to send me enough parts to bring it all back to original condition. We will see if they respond.
For me, space is limited both in transport and storage at home, so leaving it fully assembled doesn't work for me.Comment
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