I love the Flite Test Bloody Wonder. It is easy to build and flies well. I'd converted one to FPV before but wondered what would happen if I took some old mini quad gear and turned it into a twin.
Enter the Bloody Racer!
It seems to be forever since I created any new content for Red20RC, even longer since I made a video. Trust me, it hasn't been for want of trying and I've still been very active - just a little bit time poor :(
You can find the original Bloody Wonder FPV conversion post HERE. All I did there was build a standard Bloody Wonder and plop a HobbyKing Mobius docking station on top. It flew really nicely until it landed in a puddle, then it went kind of soft...
What to do when you have two identical motors on the bench
So, I wanted to build something out of foam board and I hadn't had a Bloody Wonder in a while. The modifications were really minimal but I'll give you a list so you can follow along:
- I've never got on with the "swappable" type pods so I made the fuselage a single box permanently secured to the wing.
- I strengthened the nose area with a G10 plate and cheeks (ply would work just as well). This also formed the mounting point for the FPV camera.
- I made up two small wing pods with G10 motor mounts that attach directly under the wings. Small holes in the wing skin allowed me to route the wires cleanly into the fuselage.
- I used two aileron servos, mounted inside the wing pods for a nice clean installation.
Power came in the form of two Nemo's 2206/2300 mini quad motors with DAL tri-blade props. I had the props counter rotating to remove any torque roll effect and appease my OCD. With a 1300mah 4S wedged in the nose it balanced out nicely.
Off to the field we go!
The Bloody Racer flies pretty much how you would expect it to - fast, agile and awesome fun!
The first launch was a disaster because I didn't have enough up elevator dialled in and only gave it a half-hearted toss. The second was much better and it flew on rails pretty much out of the hand.
Even with the draggy, folded wing the speed is still impressive. I am always impressed by how nicely the Bloody Wonder design tracks and this twin conversion is no different. Rolls are axial and loops are straight with no tendency to tip stall or spin at slow speed.
With the clear front view the FPV experience is very pleasant. The design gives you plenty of confidence to fly low and fast. Anyway, have a look at the video and see what you think...
Conclusion
Sadly, the Bloody Racer is no longer with us. Since shooting the video footage I had a receiver brown-out and had to put it in hard. But would I make one again? Yes I definitely would!
I'd like to make one that is moulded or cut from foam rather than foam board, but that takes a little more time and planning so we'll have to wait and see.
Log In to reply