McMaster-Carr iPad App

Looks pretty nice!  I't's here.

Electronics You Need To Get Started

Here's pretty much the electronics you'll need to put together your first plane (not counting transmitter/receiver).

Clockwise from upper left:  LiPo battery charger, brushless motor, servos, electronic speed controller (ESC), battery voltage checker, LiPo battery.  In the center are bullet connectors (note the bare wires on the motor) and props.






Here's some notes on how much these things cost, cribbed from an email I sent to MarkV over at the Brain Wagon:

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here's the build list, which I tried to make as complete as possible.  let me know if I left anything off!

everything's from hobbyking.com except for carbon fiber, epp foam, and glue which are from rcfoam.com.  all the numbers are what I paid including shipping.  all the zero items are things i've got excess sitting around from buying bulk quantities.

traditional glue is hot glue, but i like the foamtac coz it's a bit lighter and (imho) more resiliant.  try gluing a couple of pieces of scrap foam together and if it doesn't give you zen tranquility then use hot glue, keeping it as light as possible.

the epp was more expensive than i remembered... it was about $60 for 6 sheets, not 10 as was my recollection.  I'll stop everything off in the morning and we can check out the tx/rx if you've got batteries...


power system

$10.24    1500 kvm, 24 gram "blue wonder" motor
 $1.25    8x4 props (2)
 $8.58    18A ESC
 $0.00    theraband prop saver bands
 $0.19    JST pigtail, ESC side
 $0.72    2mm bullet plugs, male (3) (motor side)
 $0.72    2mm bullet plugs, female (3) (ESC side)
 $0.00    2.5mm heat shrink tubing

body

 $4.00    carbon fiber 3mm
$11.60    9mm 1.9# EPP foam, big sheet
 $0.00    blue velcro

control surface

$0.00    skewers (2)
$1.03    1.5mm pushrod snap connectors (2)
$6.46    9g servos (2)
$0.00    paper clips (2)
$0.29    control horns (2)

misc

$5.50    beacon foamtac glue
$1.19    transmitter strap

batteries

$13.73    2S/3S balance charger
$14.40    3S 500 mAh LiPo batteries (2)

Tx/Rx

tools
    hot glue gun w/ low temp setting (good one here)
    razor blade cutter with lots of sharp blades
    reaming tool or drill if you're careful (for enlarging servo holes)
    jewelry pliers (for pushrod)
    soldering stuff

Build-a-Quad Kit

I received a couple of emails asking about building a quad, and how much it would cost in parts to do it yourself rather than buying a ready-to-fly model.

Here's a HobbyKing based shopping list.  I think it's pretty feasible, a lot easier than building a plane since there's no moving parts.  You will need some basic soldering to put connectors on the speed controller.

Executive summary:  quad parts, about $230 including shipping.  radio and charger, about $100.


Frame and Power Distribution.  There's a lot of latitude in the frame.  You can make one out of old boards and plywood for almost free.  This is a popular frame and good for a first unit.  The power distribution board lets you easily hook up the speed controllers to the battery. 

      $20   Hobbyking X550 Glass Fiber Quadcopter Frame 550mm
      $ 4    Hobby King Quadcopter Power Distribution Board

Power System.  This includes the motor and motor controller.  You will need four of each.  The NTM motors need an accessory kit for mounting (thanks to Andreas for catching this!)
      $40   (four) HobbyKing 20A BlueSeries Brushless Speed Controller
      $64   (four) NTM Prop Drive 28-26 1350KV / 310W
      $ 8   (four) NTM Prop Drive 35 Series Accessory Pack
           
Control Board.  There are lots of options for control boards.  This is one of the simplest and cheapest.  It's good, but doesn't have stabilized mode.  It's what I started with, except when I bought mine it was $150!  See below for other options.  You'll need the programming cable if you ever want to update the programming.
      $20   HobbyKing Multi-Rotor Control Board V3.0 (Atmega328 PA)
      $ 5   USBasp AVR Programming Device for ATMEL proccessors

Batteries.  If you're in the US, it will probably be cheaper (counting shipping) to order separately from the US warehouse. You will probably want two to begin with.
      $19   Turnigy nano-tech 2200mah 3S 35~70C Lipo Pack

            Turnigy nano-tech 2200mah 3S 35~70C Lipo Pack (USA Warehouse)

Props.  You need two each "normal" props and two each "reverse" props.  It doesn't hurt to get an extra bag of each, as they are the thing which you will break most frequently as you learn to fly.

      $ 3   Slow Fly Electric Prop 8045R SF (4 pc)

      $ 3   Slow Fly Electric Prop 8045 SF (4 pc - Green)

Connectors.  If you get the motors and power distribution board above, you will need two packages of this connector for your speed controllers.

      $ 4   (two) PolyMax 3.5mm Gold Connectors 10 PAIRS (20PC)

Shipping.  I'm estimating about $30-$40 or so for all of this.

Other items you will need.  Once you have a battery charger and radio you are good to go on the ground side.


Battery Charger.  These come in all sizes and price ranges.  These are three units that I have personal experience with.
      $12    Turnigy 2S 3S Balance Charger. Direct 110/240v Input

             At the low end... plugs into wall, works well but wil

             take about 4 hours to recharge the batteries above.

      $25    hexTronik Balancer/Charger Dual Charge Capable

             Needs to be plugged into your car or an external

             12V power converter.  Will charge in about 1.5 hours.

      $33    Turnigy MAX80W 7A Lithium Polymer Battery Charger

             Needs to be plugged into your car or an external

             12V power converter.  Will charge in about 30 minutes

Transmitter/Receiver.  Tons to choose from.  The 9x is a nice low-price unit.  It comes with a receiver; extras are about $10 each.  You want a "mode 2" which means the throttle is on the left stick.  These are frequently on backorder.  The Internet believes there's a new model coming.

      $55    Turnigy 9X 9Ch Transmitter w/ Module & 8ch Receiver

Camera Mount.  This one is designed for the X550 above.
      $13    Hobbyking X550 Glass Fiber Tilt Camera Mount

Quad Dome from Electronic Goldmine

Looks like these might be nice for a quad hat; also available in red, if you like that HAL look.  Sales page says:

Green See-Thru Super Quality Acrylic Dome-The Electronic Goldmine:

"These domes make great additions to small robots. They are large enough to mount sensors, small circuit boards, LEDs, lamps, etc. underneath. Each dome is 2.83" in Dia. plus a .5" mounting lip. The highest part of the dome (at the center) is about 1" tall. These were made for large projection TVs and came in to us in sealed master cartons so they are in perfect condition. Green See-Thru.

Bidproduct has tiny parts

At Bidproduct. Everything you need that's really small. Motors, ESCs, props, gears, receivers, etc.

Lots of doo-dads and containers

American Science & Surplus : Containers: "Itty Bitty Zipseal

Zipseal plastic bag of the size gnomes use to store leftovers. 1' sq, 2' sq, 2' x 3' or 3' x 4' (our each come in bags of 100 count), clear polyethylene (the 2' x 3' 27906 has a white strip across one side, 36562 does not.). Store rings, small rock samples, biology parts, and model pieces. Great for cleaning up behind your Guinea pig when you take him for a walk"

Vendor: RC Connectors

Specializing in small connectors and accessories, as for a Vapor and 1S batteries.

http://www.rc-connectors.com

Interesting uses for bamboo skewers

Control Rods:

Or you can cheap out and use 150 for $0.99 bamboo skewers, some paperclips and shrink tube. I zip tied a tooth pic to one of the paper clips that I made too long and was flexing.

courtesy of jakezilla

and Wing Reinforcement:

I split them lengthwise with a razor blade, and then glue the strips to the leading edges. You get reinforcing and a rounded leading edge in one operation.


And an awesome reinforced fuse.

more


http://www.rcpowers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1251