Well I’ve had enough of fighting the Arris Lander X3 electric retracts on my large 960mm hexacopter drone.  The gear retracts fine but it does weird things going back to the down position.  It takes about 30 seconds and about 20 attempts before the gear is completely down.  It will start by going down 2-3 inches, then it goes back up an inch, down three, up two, down three, up two.  The gear finally goes down, but not without a LOT of waiting and wondering if it will burn out something, or simply fail.  I do NOT want to have to hand catch this bird.  That’s a no-go.

The retracts come with mounts, larger legs, and the electronics needed to control them.  By removing all that I did free up about 150-170 grams of weight, which adds a few seconds to the flight time.

Pictured above is the big bird with the old/new gear back on, next to my 250mm racer.

I’m hoping to take this big bird traveling to the bahamas later this week.  I stripped the old stuff off today and did some test flights, which were successful.

Handheld mini GPS tracking device provides one-handed flight control for Typhoon series of drones

ONTARIO, CA (October 13, 2015) – Yuneec International, the world leader in electric aviation, today announced the launch of the Typhoon Wizard, an ultra-lightweight remote control that will revolutionize the way multicopters are flown.

Yuneec Wizard – One Handed Drone Flight Controller

The ultra-lightweight and compact Typhoon Wizard allows users to pilot their Typhoon multicopter with the use of only one hand, making it even easier to capture life’s memories from a bird’s-eye view. Users will benefit from the convenience and portability of the included water-resistant carrying strap, which allows hands-free navigation. For additional convenience, the Typhoon Wizard is compatible with the entire Typhoon series of drones.

Manual controls, which users are accustomed to on the ST10+ remote control, can be easily accessed from the Typhoon Wizard. Functions such as changing flight modes, starting or stopping motors and flying manually are all accessible with a click of the center button on the Wizard. Features Typhoon consumers have come to know and love, including Watch Me, Follow Me, and Dynamic Return to Home, are also now a single-handed operation.

“The Typhoon Wizard is the perfect companion for your next adventure. Simply clip the Wizard on your backpack or stick it in your pocket and watch the Typhoon follow you on your next hike, bike ride or surfing lesson. It truly is that easy to use,” said Shan Phillips, CEO of Yuneec USA.

Consumers can also benefit from two new features exclusive to the Typhoon Wizard.

Height-tracking: ensures the Typhoon follows users as their altitude changes while staying clear of obstructions.
Point-to-Fly: when enabled, the aircraft will fly in the direction the Typhoon Wizard is pointed by the pilot.

The Typhoon Wizard package includes a microUSB cord for charging and a water-resistant carrying strap. The device is available for the suggested retail price of $199.99 USD. For more information visit www.yuneec.com.

About Yuneec International
Founded in 1999, Yuneec is the world leader in electric aviation. With hundreds of patents held, Yuneec’s core technologies power manned aircraft, Typhoon and Tornado drones and its market-leading line of radio controlled aircraft for the hobby market. With offices in North America, Europe and Asia, Yuneec manufactures over one million units a year that are sold under OEM/ODM brands as well as the Typhoon brand of multicopters. The company’s achievements include the introduction of the industry’s first “Ready to Fly” radio controlled electric powered airplane, and the design and manufacture of market-leading radio controlled helicopters and microcopters.

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I took the big bird up for a flight in the Wasatch National Forest today.  It was nice to fly the T960.  SO much different than a 250 racing quad!  Big and slow.

Because I can, here are a couple of glam shots from today.