Stingray 500 - REVIEW

by FliteTest | November 27, 2013 | (40) Posted in Reviews
 
curtisyoungblood.com

Today we had the pleasure of being visited by 3D and FAI World Champion, Curtis Youngblood. 

He also brought along his friend the Stingray 500.

This is the first ever commercial collective pitch quad copter. 

The blades are custom built and designed by Curtis himself. 

Under the hood, the Stingray stays relatively simple.

All four blades are driven by a single 3000kv motor which distributes the power using an ingenious belt system. 

The four servos are controlled by the TG-Multi. This control board was custom designed by Curtis and his father. 

The canopy is beautiful for FPV racing or just FPV flying. 

On top the view gives a great perspective of the Stingray itself or it can be placed down by the front scoop to have less body and more scenery in the shot.

In the air the Stingrays 3D capabilities are unparalleled. Trust us, these screenshot do not do it justice. 

Thanks again to Curtis for letting us check out his beautiful mulit rotor and for these amazing shots of Canton, OH. 

 

Be sure to visit Curtis here and check out all the goodness he has to offer!

 

Also, be sure to chat it up on the forums!

- Find this article & others like it at www.FliteTest.com -

COMMENTS

liveyourdreamsRC on December 2, 2013
Also FT, if you still have access to these, could you do a race episode or at least some FPV with them? And also you did an amazing job filming this episode. I have seen others of this quad and they just aren't capturing the full potential of this quad. Keep it up!
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Billbo911 on December 2, 2013
I am not a Quad pilot, but I gotta say, I GOTTA GIT ME ONE O' THEM!!!

As an engineer, I must say, I LOVE this design. The simplicity and efficiency are genious!

So, has Amazon Prime Air seen these yet???
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bukueOner on December 10, 2013
Doubt it would have much payload capacity so i don't think amazon would get it especially considering they're around $700 a pop. Plus there's better quads out there anyway. It would be hard to even get a fpv system running on it with a small custom frame like that. - See more at: http://www.flitetest.com/articles/stingray-500-review#sthash.Li8b7zXW.dpuf
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TDOL666 on December 3, 2013
Knuckle Quad conversion kit ^_^
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jay302 on December 3, 2013
I love the design! There is one thing I can't seem to wrap my head around. How does rudder/yaw control work? In a conventional quad, it's controlled by the torque of the motors...
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TriTriAgain on December 6, 2013
As I see it, like you said, it's the torque the motors produce that makes the quad rotate. So on this quad its the same: The two opposite motors lower their angle of attack, creating less drag or torque, while the other two increase there angle of attack, creating more drag or torque.
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cpheliallday on May 15, 2014
Technically because it's mechanically driven there should be no difference in speed between the rotor heads, no matter what the angle of attack? It obviously works, however; it seems like the opposite of "works on paper but not in practice". One would think that by increase/decreasing pitch at any of the rotor heads, it would cause too much lift/no lift to control horizontal yaw smoothly. (Without also pitching one way or another) Then add a bank turn and the blade pitch to yaw theory makes even less sense.
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flyboymaxwell on December 2, 2013
Awesome!!!
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liveyourdreamsRC on December 2, 2013
Very nice. I like the look of it and everything about it; I just wish it was a little cheaper.
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casehatter on December 2, 2013
I have never been into copters but finally one central motor and oh shit I'm excited sorry but to cool
Finally..!! Control pitch instead of motors way to cool GOOD DEAL..!! sign me up..!!
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Air-headed Aviator on December 4, 2013
THAT'S what I'm talking about! That is what I like o see here! If anything, I want one of those!
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Crashpilot1000 on December 2, 2013
Thats what I call real progress in the multirotor(excl. heli) area. In contrary: "3D" of reversing esc is plain BS because its just a pile of disadvantages paired with no gain of in flight maneuverability.
I really like the concept of that pitch controlled multirotor. It must give much better response and maneuverability compared to a normal quadcopter. Maybe a Tricopter version of it could outperform a heli. I wonder if the esc is used in "idle up" or if an throttlecurve is needed.
This thing (scaled up) may allow to use an combustion engine...
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Crashpilot1000 on December 2, 2013
I forgot: The design reminds me of C64 Spacetaxi ... those were the days...
http://vintagetech.netii.net/GPICS/space%20taxi%20copy.gif
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mipi on December 3, 2013
"Pad one, Please"
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Crashpilot1000 on December 4, 2013
Hahaha, exactly!
Since the stingray design is 1:1 to spacetaxi it should have a soundchip playing "Up please" on start...
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LokaDesign on December 2, 2013
nice! gonna get me one for christmas!
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Dirt Pilot on December 3, 2013
This is the next big thing in RC flying.
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lracnolip on December 3, 2013
Really cool, would of liked to see David and Josh fly it and give their opinions
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BuckE67 on December 4, 2013
Awesome!
Lockheed sees this video and immediately has a new project for the Skunk Works!

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iitra on December 3, 2013
G'day from down under this is fantastic what a great piece of engineering ill have to look at getting one myself, there was only one thing better then seeing this fly for the first time thats was the look on David's face when this stingray took off i had the same look. This is a massive leap forward for multi rotors thank you really loved seeing the stingray fly
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thejosh108 on December 3, 2013
This is impressive! And i don't even fly quadcopters. I found that this Video really worked well with podcast 006. Keep it up.
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Nathan_116 on December 2, 2013
now all you need to do is figure out how to make one out of everyday materials and then we can scratch build one!!!!!
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liveyourdreamsRC on December 2, 2013
That would be cool! The only issue is with the flight controller which is custom made for the craft...
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fr0sti on December 7, 2013
100% agree !!

Hope we could find soon some updated firmware for KK2 with collective pitch function :-)
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ChiggenWingz on December 7, 2013
I literally bought one of these after seeing this review. I come from a quadcopter background so I thought this would be cool to fly. But the setup instructions are very orientated for helicopter pilots as there is a lot of assumed knowledge in regards to standard helicopter setup configuration, such as linking throttle speed along with collective pitch (took me 3 days to figure out what I was meant to do).

The other pain in the ass thing, is there does not appear to be any auto leveling. So this is by no means a good copter for casual quad-copter pilots that want something new and fun to zoom around in. I'm sure that any pilots who are use to helicopters or regularly use rate control mode on their quads will find this fun. But atm, it goes into my pile of too hard to fly :(
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mad_milchmann on December 6, 2013
Please do an FPV racing video with two stingrays! that would be awesome.
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Airborne Media Pros on December 6, 2013
Nice work guys.
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the vicar on April 26, 2014
Wow awesome flying. Great machine love the fact it is just one motor. Looks as good as it flies.
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cpheliallday on May 15, 2014
it would be very interesting to see how shorter 4 blade rotor heads would fly.
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Hesara on June 13, 2014
Epic
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Sokolovskii Igor Lvovich on October 23, 2018
Good afternoon.
1) My name is Sokolovskii Igor Lvovich. I am Development Innovative Electric power technologies. I live and work in Russia. I write you on a problem of accumulator power supply of electric motors in your products. I see two problems:
(A) Small flying range with a product non-return point.
(B) Long accumulator charging of a product.

2) INSTANT ACCUMULATOR CHARGING:
I experimented many years with different types of Accumulators and I have technologies as I called them, "Samozapitka Sokolovskii" which allow to charge instantly Accumulators of various types and also their Samozapityvat in the course of operation of accumulators with payload. You watch instant accumulator charging for Smartphones:
https://www.youtube.com/my_videos?o=U My channel
https://youtu.be/LPzVvXt7Zwo Instant charging of mobile devices
https://youtu.be/9CXRXQzZNdc Sokolovskii Igor Lvovich Laboratory
This technology with is applicable to any products, the Accumulators working at any kinds.

3) SELF-POWERING OF ACCUMULATORS WITH PAYLOAD:
https://youtu.be/hKTFR6NdiDI the External accumulator on self-powering for the Tablet. The battery of the external Accumulator is not discharged.
https://youtu.be/0V9XzOYpoFY Samozapitka for external ACCUMULATOR CHARGING.
https://youtu.be/uS6KCybvk2I Samozapitka for the Mobile phone-3 + Video + Phone
https://youtu.be/524PXXY6XLY Samozapitka for the Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone.

4) SELF-POWERING of the QUADCOPTER (DRONE) of Stingray 500:
I decided to start to Samozapitke Kvadrokoptera (Drone) - and was surprised to the fact that their Accumulators it is almost impossible for Samozapitat as they have several engines. But I found one surprising Quadcopter Stingray 500 which flies as cannot fly any birds, insects and mechanical devices. Even it is impossible to aim at it. Such properties of flight are reached by the fact that it has ONE engine which is constantly working at the same power, and all maneuvers are carried out due to change of a step of screws. The Stingray 500 Accumulators can be samozapitat that it could fly, unceasingly long until it erases screws about the air environment!!!!!
Stingray 500:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmbIC245Q1I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnGhEInTXYc
https://www.droneshelis.com/Drones/Stingray/nd-ys5-k4003.html

If my technologies are interesting to you to mutual cooperation, write me on mine lichne. mail: mr.sil7777@gmail.com

I wait for the answer.
===============================================
Добрый день.
1) Меня зовут Sokolovskii Igor Lvovich. Я Development Innovative Electric power technologies. Живу и работаю я в России. Пишу вам по проблеме аккумуляторного питания электродвигателей в ваших изделиях. Я вижу две проблемы:
(A) Малая дальность полета с точкой невозврата изделия.
(B) Длительная зарядка аккумуляторов изделия.

2) МГНОВЕННАЯ ЗАРЯДКА АККУМУЛЯТОРОВ:
Я много лет экспериментировал с различными видами Аккумуляторов и у меня есть технологии, как я их назвал, "Самозапитка Sokolovskii", которые позволяют мгновенно заряжать Аккумуляторы различных типов, а также Самозапитывать их в процессе работы аккумуляторов с полезной Нагрузкой. Смотрите мгновенную зарядку аккумуляторов для Смартфонов:
https://www.youtube.com/my_videos?o=U My channel
https://youtu.be/LPzVvXt7Zwo Instant charging of mobile devices
https://youtu.be/9CXRXQzZNdc Sokolovskii Igor Lvovich Laboratory
Эта технология с применима к любым изделиям, работающих на любых видах Аккумуляторов.

3) САМОЗАПИТКА АККУМУЛЯТОРОВ С ПОЛЕЗНОЙ НАГРУЗКОЙ:
https://youtu.be/hKTFR6NdiDI the External accumulator on self-powering for the Tablet. The battery of the external Accumulator is not discharged.
https://youtu.be/0V9XzOYpoFY Samozapitka for external ACCUMULATOR CHARGING.
https://youtu.be/uS6KCybvk2I Samozapitka for the Mobile phone-3 + Video + Phone
https://youtu.be/524PXXY6XLY Samozapitka for the Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone.

4) САМОЗАПИТКА КВАДРОКОПТЕРА (ДРОНА) Stingray 500:
Я решил приступить к Самозапитке Квадрокоптера (Дрона) - и удивился тому, что их Аккумуляторы практически невозможно Самозапитать, поскольку у них несколько двигателей. Но я нашел один удивительный Квадрокоптер Stingray 500, который летает так, как не может летать никакие птицы, насекомые и механические устройства. В него даже прицелиться невозможно. Такие свойства полета достигаются тем, что у него ОДИН двигатель, постоянно работающий на одной и той же мощности, а все маневры выполняются за счет изменения шага винтов. Именно Аккумуляторы Stingray 500 можно самозапитать, чтобы он мог летать, нескончаемо долго, пока у него не сотрутся винты об воздушную среду!!!!!
Stingray 500:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmbIC245Q1I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnGhEInTXYc
https://www.droneshelis.com/Drones/Stingray/nd-ys5-k4003.html

Если вам мои технологии будут интересны для взаимного сотрудничества, пишите мне на мою личнe. почту: mr.sil7777@gmail.com

Жду Ответ.
===============================================
С Уважением
Sokolovskii Igor Lvovich
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Stingray 500 - REVIEW