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New Features: Latching Lid, Improved GPS Winglet, Balance Markers

A project log for MiniHawk VTOL

A fully 3D-Printable VTOL aircraft, designed as a hybrid fixed-wing plank + tricopter planform. For FPV and UAV experimentation.

steve-carlsonSteve Carlson 02/01/2022 at 06:230 Comments

The project is in a minor limbo as I continue to add features, but as usual, I struggle to start the instructions rewrite and other supplemental items. Here are some of the new features that have already been added to the STL files on the GitHub repo:

Latching Lid Design

I've printed and tested a new lid latch design. The old version used the flexibility of the lid as the retaining means, but this was very temperamental to get on and off of the vehicle without doing damage. The old design also would tend to detach under significant maneuvering. The new version uses detent blister in the side-wall of the lid to capture the locking latch, which rests flush when secured. I've made this the default lid design, and this has been applied to the FPV and NACA-Vented lid variants.

LockedUnlocked

Improved GPS Winglet

Oops, I lied, this is not yet pushed to the GitHub repo as of this writing; I've tested a new winglet design that fully encloses the GPS and Pitot pressure sensor. It looks really slick, but it is a pain to assemble and makes accessing the GPS or Pitot sensor intractable without breaking plastic. The gains are worth it though: The GPS and pressure sensor are completely enclosed and weatherproofed.

Weight-and-Balance Hints

The bottom of the wing has a tactile "hint" marker at 28mm past the wing leading-edge, which is the optimal center-of-mass location. As usual, I will adamantly insist that the proper Jack-stand method be used with a digital scale, but for verifying the balance in the field, these markers should be useful.

Everything Else

So what is next? Version 2.1 will comprise all the above features, plus the build instructions rewrite + PDF, a proper project logo, and other marketing/branding elements. A few other features may sneak in, such as the mounting frame for a Single-Board Computer such as the Raspberry Pi. 

A note on the community: At present, I am aware of 12 individuals who have attempted to build or are building their own MiniHawk-VTOLs. If you are trying to build one, please feel free to contact me; I'm happy to help and the feedback helps motivate me to keep pushing updates and to polish the design.

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