Tricopter

This is how I built my first tricopter. I did not design the base plates for the frame David Windastå did. Most of this is also from flight test and Hall studios. I will not refer to it as a drone because the topic of drones causes controversy so let's begin. Here is a video of the first flight

Downloads

IMG_2987 (1).MOV

tricopter.m4v

Parts to a Tricopter

You will need tools
Drill
Jigsaw or hand saw
Pliers
Soldering iron and solder
Hot glue gun and hot glue
Packing tape
Zip ties
Tape measure

You will need
3 brushless motors 3 electronic speed controllers $21.50 each $64.50 for all
3+ propellers (you will crash and break your propellers) $2.79 each $8.37 for 3 sets
A metal geared servo $26.61
Kk2 board $29.99
A 3 cell 2000mah battery $8.50
10 Male to male servo leads $3
Radio and receiver $60
A sheet of plywood
Wooden booms any width up to 1 and 3/4 inches. Hight of 1/2 inch
11 screws and 10 nuts ( Any will work)
Wire harness aka power breakout cable $3.99
Wire Close hanger

lipo battery charger $30.00

tricopter frame

total cost $204.97

Working on the Base Plates

Use the template you printed and trace it out on the plywood two times. Remember to mark the holes. Then cut it out with any saw they don't have to be perfect!

Booms

Cut out booms at any length I think that 12 in for the front two and 14 inches for the back works the beast because it has the best yaw. Bigger ones are sluggish with yaw and smaller ones are twitchy. But always make sure the back one is longer.

Drilling

Drill out the base plates with a drill bit that matches your screw size. Have the two base plates together when you drill so they are perfectly lines up. As you drill the holes then put the screw in and nut and just tighten it down a bit to hold the frame pieces together. Then drill the holes for the booms 1/2 inch from the edge and 3/4 inch from the end. Do not do the longer back boom yet!

Back Boom Attachment

To attach the back boom insert it in to the frame and mark out a dot in a each hole then drill out the dots.

Putting on the Booms

Attach the bolts through the holes and finger tighten the nuts. This should look like the picture.

Painting

To paint the frame remove the front two booms and make them a different color from the base so you now the orientation.

Yaw Mechanism

This is the hardest part every tricopter will be different you could build one like mine or buy one. I cut off just enough wood to hold the motor on the back and ran a screw through that into the back of boom hot glued in place. That acts as the pivot point. Then drill a smaller hole on each side that will Fit a close hanger wire. The attach the servo to the bottom of the boom with hot glue bend the wire into the servo horns then test.

Soldering Motors to Wire Harness

Solder the red wire of the Esc to the red wire of the harness same for the black wire do this for all 3 motors. Then also solder the Esc to the motor you can use bullet connectors or just solder them together. If they spin the wrong direction switch two of the leads.

Connect to the Flight Controller

Attach the flight controller to the frame any way you want ( I used hot glue and foam) Connect the motors as it tells you left motor is pin header one, right motor is pin header two, back motor is pin header three , the servo is pin header four. The connect your receiver to the kk2 board pin one to Channel one and pin two to channel two and so on. I attached my antenna to a Lego that sticks straight up to get it more range with less dead spots.

Landing Gear Battery Holder

For landing gear I used some wood blocks with holes in them hot glued to the frame.

For a battery holder I drilled two holes under the frame to attach zip ties to to hold the battery.

Setting Up the Kk 2 Board

I used the basic tricopter settings and have not Changed them but you have to put it into tricopter mode. I also left my radio the same.

You go in to menu then Down to set motor layout and the tricopter

Flying

You can fly the tricopter just like any hilicopter in the rc world but it has an aggressive yaw.

Add Any Thing That You Want

Ideas
Fpv
Bomb drop
GPS
Retract landing gear
And many more