So dumb that I can build 252 pound quadcopter as long as I sit in it and fly it. But if I fly a 252 gram quadcopter with out registration I am breaking the law.
Oh, I can guarantee you'd have to register a 252 pound quadcopter capable of carrying a human in the U.S. Prior to the new FFA rules, anything over 55 pounds needed to be registered as an aircraft.
Just a thought, I wonder if Heathrow was caused by a black helium balloon with some small leds attached? In theory once inflated it weighs in negative grams so perfectly legal......🤪𗀏𗀝𗀅😳
But there are some restrictions on kites and indeed tethered balloons. I think, from memory, untethered ballonos are only restricted by size, and the number released at once. _all of which I discovered thanks to Bruce and his LTA experiments_ My kites have been flown illegally many times and some of the charity balloon releases I've attended have been a bit dubious too ;)
The 250 gram limit is there for items that weigh 250 and up, requiring your registration number to be displayed on the frame. Insurance is also recommended as well.
Bruce - This is really exciting and something I've been dreaming about for a long time. If 250g is the 'safe limit', then anything less than that should be considered 'toy grade' or 'hobby grade' and should be unregulated. But I'm betting with a clever flying wing design that was maximized for efficiency and some careful choice components, one could make a quite long range set up. I think this would be a fantastic challenge to see how many miles one could go on a nice, light setup. I also suspect you are correct, once the regulators realize what the tech can do, they'll have to 'play catch-up' again and they'll lower the 'safe limit' to something unattainable in long range FPV.
Sadly it's already down to a 100 gram exemption here in Australia...Although I now have many sub 250g models that I'll continue to fly with impunity, knowing that the authorities (term used loosely here) don't like to be told that lesser legislation endorses this 250g threshold, and that they're being a little harsh for not allowing me to fly (well away from sheeple and property in the middle of a park mind you) regardless of registration/licensing requirements, and that I'll continue to fly even when this madness creeps further in here.
@Koala Tails my interpretation of it is, that under 100g is toy grade and if achievable get as much as you can out of it, because it's likely to cause no harm to puppies, kittens, small children, etc. I personally believe that 100g - 250g should be exempt also, but governed like all other UAS here (without required special permissions being sought) and comply with the 122m ceiling, 30m restriction on non participants/property and no fly or low fly areas near controlled airspace being enforced is acceptable so I can just fly with no extra cost or BS.
I'd really like to see your sub 250g HD camera drone project with low frequency control/video for forest penetration, a camera mount that can tilt straight up and down for flying in and out of the forest canopy and water proofing for flying above water falls, rivers and in the fog. I'd also like to know how to make a relay quaopter to relay radio signals from a quaopter flying above the forest canopy down to a quaopter flying along a creek. Thanks so much from the wet coast of Canada. Your work is amazing Bruce!
Shopping and building is going to get increasingly frustrating as suppliers recognise that they need to claim lighter weights for parts just to compete. Is there a true database of quad part weights suitable for a sub 250 build - not the AliBangGear fictitious claimed weight?
The biggest problems with the whole 250g mess is that bigger planes tend to fly better and will be a lot easier for people to learn on without quite so many crashes, repairs, and frustration. Which is easier for a beginner? Tek Sumo or Bonzai? I'm still pretty new to fixed wing, so to keep it legal I'm going to have to learn on stuff that's way smaller and faster than I'd really like. This easystar sitting on my shelf is 680g. What a dangerous machine.
Regardless if under 250g or above 250g, you are required to fly in only authorized airspace, use a app called Airmmap and use flight plan when flying it's signed off by FAA and will tell you if the airspace you are in you can fly in or not
There's such an app in Poland, too. The weight limit for flying in controlled airspace (built-up areas, etc.) is 600g, but outside that it's pretty wide open (25 kg). Distance to airport limit for 600g is 1 km, for 25kg it's 6 km. Also strict ban in city centre, and the usual security exclusions.
Very much looking forwards to the builds of the below 2 sticks of butter class! About time people with small houses get some awesome small builds done by the king of builds :-). Lol I'd love for you to do a bonsai style build on the style of the ANN builds of old. very much step by step and beginner friendly.
I like your message but xclass size quads are just coming on to the scene and with things getting cheaper thing are getting bigger!!!!! At least in America. from what I can tell a great majority of people in the states or at least the hobbyist that I have talked to, don't care about the new regulations coming out because, they are going to fly and do whatever they want to , no registration or regulations are going to effect us! Much love for yous down under!
For flying wings why not use Li-ion cells to reduce the weight even more, for a single motor 2s li-ion 18650 is awesome, take for example the Nano Goblin model with it's 90-ish min. flight time :):):) I will build something similar to it. Also thank you for the video, Thumbs Up.
Republic of Moldova, High Amp discharge battery's cannot be ordered or imported without high taxes as in 150$ for package. So we use li-ions from vape devices :):) sorry for bad english
Thank you for the video. I am in Canada and just astounded at the licensing process and the knowledge test and am thinking of just sticking with the sub 250g.
Bruce! As a hobbyist and one who will be bound by these regs in the near future I couldn’t be more excited for this upcoming content. You’ve peaked my interest:) Cheers!
I am afraid a weight limit may come to the USA. I hate that a few idiot's can mess it up. Keep the videos coming Bruce! I love most of the topics you cover.
Bruce, what will we doing? Well, we do what we did already since 30 years. We build these free flying indoor flying models with 1 m wingspang and a weight of 3g. And each of them will be a piece of art.
Thank You for the video. I have seen "ads" in my browser for these types of models, but I have never seen an actual one first hand. I look forward to watching the video later. :) John
Update: Under Transport Canada regulations, drone operators are required to have at least a Basic certificate to operate any RPAS, (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System), that weighs 250 grams, (0.55 lbs), or more. The Advanced certificate allows RPAS operations closer to people and outdoor events among other privileges. Training for Advanced certificate holders to become RPAS Designated Flight Reviewers is also being offered free of charge. Typically, course fees for the Basic certificate is $250 and around $1,200 for the Advanced certificate.
I'm in Canada, and I am starting my search for sub 250g quads with flight performance comparable to my 5" for when summer comes. I would love to see more sub 250g videos out there.
I would love to see you design and build something out of the FliteTest foamboard. I am waiting for years now for some kind of colab between the two channels that got me into the hobby and are responsible for the abundance of winged or propped clutter all over my living space.
Yes, I suspect when they see what can be done with a 250g quad they will lower the limit. Remember: the rule of hysteria is that it's *never* about material concerns, only public *perception* . Now when my man with the red flag finally turns up I can go for a nice 5Mph drive...
Any news on your sub-250g camera platform video from a while back? Looking at what's out there I'd say that a sub-250g fixed-wing with camera gimbal sounds perfectly feasible, not so sure how possible a multirotor would be. I wouldn't be surprised if before long we start to see all-in-one micro flight controllers with built-in ESC, OSD, VTX, etc. Having everything share a single board would great for weight/space saving projects like these.
I love flying FPV wings, and i know that with a small wing it is possible to do things that would be impossible with a big wing, and I think a new FPV modality could arise, with wings of approximately 60cm and around 250g. If you are interested take a look at the videos I record with a little wing that i made with scrap bumper foam.
I have a thread on the flite test forums and will be releasing foam board plans for an FPV wing. Should end up about 180 grams with a 4S 550 mah. Runs a DYS F4 flight controller and a 20 amp armattan esc with a 1407 and a 4 inch prop :) less than half a sheet of foam
Love the idea of a sub 250g series, I'm seriously considering not registering and building to just below the limit, I'm planning on doing a test build prior to the regs being implemented in the UK so I can do some comparison so any ideas will be gladly welcomed.
Sub 250g definitely the way to go here in the UK , recently bought a 5 inch diatone gt515 , with. 650 4s comes in less than 250g , and it rips 👍 #send it
The problem with smaller quads is that they just don't fly the same as a 700-800 gram 5 in they don't carry themselves through all the same maneuvers. I personally find these restrictions annoying as all hell and it makes me hate DJI and the likes that gave flying camera's to people who have no interest in flight. We had people flying nitro powered 3D heli's doing tic-tocs and flying inverted doing crazy shit I can barely comprehend for years with no need for regulations and those things can and have killed people yet now when every idiot and their kid gets a "drone" it's all over for those who fly responsibly, personally though they can kiss my ass I'm gonna keep doing what I've been doing for years and if they want to fine me then so be it, I'll tell them exactly where they can stick it.
Not being Canadian, I'll continue to fly both sub-250g and bigger stuff too. I'll comply with the rules and see what happens next. But, as always, the experiments by Bruce are bound to be interesting
Have you considered using that flight controller to take out some of that twitchiness, that a flying wing brings to video. I'm sure the roll component would be easy, but damping the yaw would require a rudder (or rudderlets). I've got a Bonsai that I use for FPV, but the constant swinging back and forth drives me nuts! I think I'll try single rudder on the center-line first.
Love the sub-250g revolution. Looking forward to seeing what you’ve got coming on that side of the scales. You’re wrong about regulators dropping the limit down to 100g though. We all know the 250g line wasn’t created based on any actual logic, either physics or performance-wise, as anyone who understands the difference between a ton of lead and a ton of feathers can easily grasp. Even from the performance side, the quads believed to be causing all the problems (Phantoms) are well over 1kg, racing/freestyle quads are about 500g, and toy-grade interior quads are well-under 100g. If performance were the issue, the line would’ve either been either 1kg or 100g, depending on whether or not the regulators acknowledged the existence of racing/freestyle quads, which is debatable). If that wasn’t proof enough, look at all the laws proposed or passed since then. How many of them address either the actual performance or danger presented by UAVs? No, the regulators quite clearly have no interest whatsoever in what our aircraft are capable of. They’re being advised by manned aviation experts and commercial drone industry lobbyists who know nothing about model aircraft, so it’s the blind leading the blind. So, while it would’ve made far more sense to put the limit at 1kg, or come up with different weights for fixed-wing and rotorcraft, the ongoing miniaturization combined with the work of innovators like yourself mean we’ll soon be able to do whatever we like, just as long as we’re under 250g. And nobody will ever bother us about it, because they don’t know or care enough to bother to examine the reality of the situation.
Could be good for the market in the long run. There will be more money for anything under 250 grams that meets the demands for pilots who were pushed out of their niche, like racing or freestyle. I've always mostly just flown micro, so Im looking at an upside despite the nanny govts trying to prevent fun.
Creating ridiculous regulations that don’t address real issues is never a good thing, no matter what happens in the market. They destroy the integrity of the legal system and do nothing to increase safety. I fly micros too, so it doesn’t affect me that much either. And while looking for the silver lining is admirable, in this case, unfortunately it’s apparently zero visibility all the way down to the deck. We’ll muddle through, but the idiocy at the regulator levels bodes very poorly for the world in general.
I just wanted to add, that I remembered the "incident" that happened to you, based on some "calls" from folks in your community, in which you made a video about, quite a while back. Due to some similar events and ongoing "special attention to me", by "my community" here in MA, USA, I decided not to fly models outside at all. It is quite a shame, since I really used to like that hobby much more before some "trouble" was sent my way. Although I am a former AMA member, and never caused any problems, it seems that some folks have labeled *me* as being dangerous, and I will not disclose the comments that I may have heard a while back, when flying both indoor quads, and a small indoor helicopter, inside my home. It is too bad that some folks have "ruined" the hobby for some of us, and sine the "heat is possibly on me", I have refrained from flying outside, for now. I am not sure how it is in other parts of the world these days, but it is really a shame that some "bad apples" have such a negative impact on great, inspiring hobbies, and also on good people, just because they wish to partake in (safe) activities, that are not "in line" with the interests of others. At some point in the future, I may relocate outside of the USA, and Canada seems like a viable option. Note that I am not guilty of any wrong doing, nor have I ever been arrested, it is a different matter altogether. I would very much appreciate some contacts from anyone in Canada, who may know of some locations that are "RC model friendly", and it is not too expensive to live. I am retired, and would be most comfortable in very modest living conditions, even something like an old RV or trailer, and a very small piece of land, close to a suitable flying area. Please feel free to contact me, here on youtube, if anyone wishes to chat, discuss models, etc.. Many Thanks in advance, John Miskinis
Hi Bruce, I hate to mention it... but... what happened to your sub 250g 2 axis gimbal quad? That was quite a promising idea for a follow along DIY version. It’s clearly possible as China are churning out various sub 250g quads with similar functionality to the DJI Spark.
Under 100 grams haha, my current plank build has inav with gps 777mm wingspan and depending if I'm using a 1s or 2s and the mah of battery should weigh in any where from 70-90 grams with a 20-30 minute flight with no thermals or sloping. I love micro's if somebody would have told me 5 years ago I could be building something like this that i could fly 5 miles away I'd have been the happiest person on the planet. My next step is to find someone to cut up some solar panels and go for over an hour which should be easily achievable that one might break the 100 gram mark should be able to keep it around 150 though.
@@_droid Micro's especially 1s are not really what I would be considered efficient most the pre builts your lucky to get a 10 minute flight 5-7 minutes is about average more than likely I could probably push it to say a 40-45 minute flight if I wanted to rewind another motor or run a bigger battery but, flying something barely staying in the air solely for the purpose of endurance isn't my idea of fun, where as a 20 minute flight with enough power to go vertical is far more exciting and with the price of micro batteries I can have 10 with me to fly for hours or even charge in the field off a 5000 mah 3 cell and fly all day. 25 minutes for a 2400 is pretty good, how many cells is the pack you're running? Getting a micro quad to fly for upwards of a half hour would be more impressive though Haha not impossible though some people have flown a single li-ion cell and got upwards of that. I'm more into planes though I have some quads and heli's but, there's just more challenge and fun to me in keeping air flowing over a wing and fighting the wind. It makes me laugh when quad pilots complain about wind if you can't keep a quad on course in the wind there must be a hurricane coming haha.
I think it's going to have to be micro's to fly nearly anywhere soon. Especially the park near where I live that will be covered by the UK's new airport nfz. I saw an ad for a new micro camera drone the other day so I imagine it wont be long before we have sub 250g 4k cameras with 3 axis gimble etc soon. Like you said Once these are popular the weight limit will change and we will be back to square 1.
Inspirational stuff with the new restrictions which we're all likely to cone up against at some point. What about a light weight, long range tricopter?
Bravo bon continuation..... I have been covering light-weight "depron " foamies for years with tissue paper ( the best is the fine SAA mulberry bark paper from Thailand), using white wood glue , 3mm or 6mm depron..MUCH increased rigidity and very light for 1m plus spans.
I've been flying my sub 250g strix Nano Goblin up to 8k and 1+ hour of flight time on a LG 18650 2s1p. Maytek f411 mini FC 1806 3400kv, foxeer mix fpv HD camera TBS unify v3 5v and 10a ESC with a decased foxeer lollipop 2 5.8ghz antenna mmcx, You should check out that little plank Bruce from RMRC it will give you some good ideas. For your build.
It's not hard to build a Mini Parkjet that runs on a 3S LIPO with a Micro FPV Camera and have the AUW under 250 grams. I do it all the time ;-) They're a blast to fly as well. See you in the Air!
Yeah, the great thing is that in many countries, sub 250 gram machines are classified as "toys", which means they don't fall under the authority of the aviation governing bodies. I've got a few quads in this category, because the rules and regulations are especially stringent in Austria... And looking at the typical performance of recent 3" quads, I don't see a need to go bigger anyway.
There is no 250g limitation in Austria. You can act against the regulations in Austria with a 3" quad too if you go fast. It is all about the kinetic energy.
need to explore using LI ion battery packs, higher energy density, a couple of 18650 or better yet 21700 cells in series will yield 3000-4000 mah, 10-15 amp draw. problem is building the packs, need to spot weld tabs to batteries, just a thought
I think that in the near future, as the sub 250 gram models will become more powerfull and versatile, the 250 gram weight limit will go down as these models arent considered as toys anymore....
Hi Bruce. Do you have a build video of that wing? I want build my 1st gps airplane. Could you help? Thank you for ALL you work. I had learn a lot with you. :-) Best regards from Portugal
Small quads have a very limited BVLOS capability - they don't have enough duration to go very far and get back again! But wings are certainly interesting ... I have a Mini Swift that only weighs 118g ready to fly and would easily take the weight of a VTx and camera.
I seriously doubt these rules will be enforced so strictly, the 250g limit seems to really target DJI type drones. Us hobbyists aren't really who they're trying to control.
I fully anticipate that the legislators will ratchet their laws over the passage of time. We can pretty much thank the "I'll do as I like, you can't tell me what to do" crowd for putting the skids under the hobby. I don't think it'll die but the laws will make it increasingly difficult to actually comply.
The trouble with accepting all these "walk a red flag in front of the vehicle" type knee jerk restrictions (what idiots they are :) is that; it ignores the fact that UNMANNED aircraft IS the future. That's where we'll end up, and it's crazy to ignore it by not preparing and supporting development and interest. China for instance IS heavily sponsoring and supporting the fpv racing arena with money for events and national televised coverage. So they'll soon have about 50 million trained uav pilots. Talk about military drone swarms!. I still maintain idiotic legislation should be ignored by way of peaceful demonstration - continue to just fly safely. Happy flying! :)
Lets be honest here give it half a year and we have 6s 3inch quads under 250gramm . We just need lighter Motors those are the biggest downpoint atm. Manufactors need to realise we need high voltage gear so we can use less amps and therefore smaller cells. why not run 10s? Efficency would go up like hell and we would only need 10-15 AMP
I thought about this, but ... a bullet weighs a few grams, and with enough speed... The powers that be may come to that ! So they need to be miniaturised to the size of a hornet.
You are right on Bruce If we make them lighter they will eventually change the regs to less weight Whenever govt gets involved in anything, it ruins it God forbid we fly for fun with our kids But its ok to smoke pot and walk around high all day in front of our children...i dont get it
Sub 250 builds is nothing new. I would like to see multirotors for long range stuff at this weight, that will be the most challenging. On fixed wing there's no problem, check the nano goblin running 2S li ion with flight times over 1 hour. In Germany there are another stupid restriction for sub 250g: max height 30m. We are also limited in 5.8g vtx power output to 25mw. The future here is 2.4g for vtx, 1.2 and 1.3ghz is illegal. :( Long range here is only possible with 250g, otherwise you are only allowed to fly LOS or with a second person FPV but also only in LOS distance.
Please explain to me, how you can enforce any registration, when you can literally make an aircraft of almost any weight from scratch with common materials and equipment available at relatively low cost, either locally or by mail/internet order. You can't. Also, if you want to do damage with an rc vehicle why would you be so stupid as to give the government information that would lead them to your door step? In my opinion, the biggest deterrent to someone intentionally using rc craft in an illegal/unsafe manner is a prolific amount of hobby minded people that routinely keep an eye out for environmental factors including modelers flying in places that they shouldn't.
Just a thought..., could you use the help of a helium balloon coupled with a drone of some sort to keep under the weight ... is the weight calculated on takeoff weight or actual weight ???
Wtf? There are many types of weight? Do you calculate your weight in car and at home and in plane LOL? It is 250 gramms limit. Which part of it you dont understand?
For the record bud it’s Canada not Canadia . Those of us that live here are Canadians Hahahaha. The $5 fee only funds about 35% of the cost of administration of the plan and honestly it’s not a lot to ask. The advanced ticket is $10 and that allows you to operate commercially. Cheers bud nice video thank you From Canadia.
Most of my models have more than 250g of fuel in the tank, and the batteries on my quads are heavier than that. The little stuff works ok in some circumstances, but it is less "universal' than your basic 5-6" (love my 6"ers) quad, and I came from giant scale planes - have a 2 cyl petrol Beaver I hope to finally maiden this spring - (made from dead trees no less, and powered by dead dinos - what can be more enviro-friendly than that?) I'm (not sure about this) fortunate to live in the US where we only pay once (for now, I'm sure the other boot will drop on us soon). I'm a good subject and put my tax stamp on all my tea....er planes, that is... (Didn't we do something about that representation thing a couple hundred years back??) Keep the word going - in both channels. Let the casual viewer know that those who fly are in a fight for that right and you stand with them. You're a good man Bruce, and are an asset to the worldwide modeling community!
Im a Canadian and the $5.00 model charge, is a money grab to finance the making and enforcing of these over the top laws. The idea is to make us (the rc user) pay for any and all issues related to quads / rc pilots and the drafting of these laws. So lets dig deep folks cause we are designated suckers. Myself I will registar 1 quad and use that number for all my quads and fixed wings if possible.
A Bonsai micro, about the size of an a4 piece of paper? Nice that things got smaller so we can obey the laws lol. RC hobby has existed since 1935 maybe even before, I don't understand why the have to regulate now, since they have had plenty of time to do it, and those people flying in places they should'nt are obviouslu not part of the community or hobby, but just some asshats who bought a drone. I think bigger drones than a whoop, should all be regulated so they come as diy kits, even DJIs, that way idiots can't just pick one up and do nonsence with one, wich results in mass regulation for us all. If all drones were a kit, you have to build yourself, this problem with illegal flights wouldnt happen.
Ya every single instance of an RC making news headlines it's always a phantom. When any idiot can go to their local wal-mart and buy a 2 pound device with spinning blades that's advertised as flying itself no experience required and no desire from the manufacture to educate their consumer it's not going to end well for anyone especially those that have been in this hobby for years and are respectful of people and property while flying. I knew regulations were coming sooner or later though you can't bring a technology to people who know nothing about it and don't care to learn with out having incidents of ignorance.
hi sir bruce ! i `ve been advise last week that rules have change here in canada and i will have to register my drone and planes this year , my drone wheights about 15 kgs and my planes weights around 3.5 and 5.0 kgs , so canada will make a bit of money with me lol
I really wish there was some common sense involved in these rules. Foam planes should have either a much higher weight allowance or no restrictions at all. They really just need to get out of our hobby and let us be.
For the first time I am glad I am not citizen of those countries with restrictions. Still, the restrictions will affect the hobby in general and that is bad. It amazes me how ignorant people are empowered to make laws that are totally flawed in terms of common sense.
Too heavy. Rssi plus current monitoring overloads the wireless waves going back to the aeronautical conveyance driver, so the beam sags down, catches in the grass and the ensuing earth-sky interface event thwarts further aerial endeavours, ie the contrivance is grounded. ;-)
We just had a issue with a guy buzzing a international airport.. i believe theygot him... i think they delayed several flightsand possibly shut down the runway for a bit.. people weill ruin it
So dumb that I can build 252 pound quadcopter as long as I sit in it and fly it. But if I fly a 252 gram quadcopter with out registration I am breaking the law.
Oh, I can guarantee you'd have to register a 252 pound quadcopter capable of carrying a human in the U.S.
Prior to the new FFA rules, anything over 55 pounds needed to be registered as an aircraft.
@@wayneblack990 ultralight ?
Yes, what part of aircraft 55 pounds and over are you having trouble with?
FAA regulations aren't all that difficult to understand.
@@wayneblack990 was part 103 abolished?
@@wayneblack990 103.7 clearly states that ultralight aircraft do not need to be registered in the US
Just a thought, I wonder if Heathrow was caused by a black helium balloon with some small leds attached?
In theory once inflated it weighs in negative grams so perfectly legal......🤪𗀏𗀝𗀅😳
balloons and kites are specifically excluded from counting as small unmanned aircraft in the UK so very possibly...
When they first claims of a drone over Gatwick I joked "Yes, and the first pictures will be of a circular object with "10 TODAY!" written on it".
But there are some restrictions on kites and indeed tethered balloons.
I think, from memory, untethered ballonos are only restricted by size, and the number released at once. _all of which I discovered thanks to Bruce and his LTA experiments_ My kites have been flown illegally many times and some of the charity balloon releases I've attended have been a bit dubious too ;)
The 250 gram limit is there for items that weigh 250 and up, requiring your registration number to be displayed on the frame. Insurance is also recommended as well.
Bruce - This is really exciting and something I've been dreaming about for a long time. If 250g is the 'safe limit', then anything less than that should be considered 'toy grade' or 'hobby grade' and should be unregulated. But I'm betting with a clever flying wing design that was maximized for efficiency and some careful choice components, one could make a quite long range set up. I think this would be a fantastic challenge to see how many miles one could go on a nice, light setup.
I also suspect you are correct, once the regulators realize what the tech can do, they'll have to 'play catch-up' again and they'll lower the 'safe limit' to something unattainable in long range FPV.
my fave build video on RUclips is still your 3 part AXN build, looking forward to more build videos from you :)
I agree with you to,thats what i will always want,the larger fixed wing builds,250 grms what a joke.
Sadly it's already down to a 100 gram exemption here in Australia...Although I now have many sub 250g models that I'll continue to fly with impunity, knowing that the authorities (term used loosely here) don't like to be told that lesser legislation endorses this 250g threshold, and that they're being a little harsh for not allowing me to fly (well away from sheeple and property in the middle of a park mind you) regardless of registration/licensing requirements, and that I'll continue to fly even when this madness creeps further in here.
Sub 100g with GPS you say ruclips.net/video/xnf1QtANJis/видео.html
@Drone & Sundry "Noice"🤣👍🛩👌✌
Same here James,im in the same country and will never stop LR Fpv.
Does the under 100 grams exempt the pilot from all regulations, or only the restrictions near airports?
@Koala Tails my interpretation of it is, that under 100g is toy grade and if achievable get as much as you can out of it, because it's likely to cause no harm to puppies, kittens, small children, etc.
I personally believe that 100g - 250g should be exempt also, but governed like all other UAS here (without required special permissions being sought) and comply with the 122m ceiling, 30m restriction on non participants/property and no fly or low fly areas near controlled airspace being enforced is acceptable so I can just fly with no extra cost or BS.
I add lead weights to everything to show the "regulators" how much I care about their opinions on my hobby.
I'd really like to see your sub 250g HD camera drone project with low frequency control/video for forest penetration, a camera mount that can tilt straight up and down for flying in and out of the forest canopy and water proofing for flying above water falls, rivers and in the fog. I'd also like to know how to make a relay quaopter to relay radio signals from a quaopter flying above the forest canopy down to a quaopter flying along a creek. Thanks so much from the wet coast of Canada. Your work is amazing Bruce!
You get a thumbs up just for the music selection at the end. I'm totally nicking that for my next FPV video.
I couldn't agree more. This is the new SWEET spot for consumer drones.
Shopping and building is going to get increasingly frustrating as suppliers recognise that they need to claim lighter weights for parts just to compete. Is there a true database of quad part weights suitable for a sub 250 build - not the AliBangGear fictitious claimed weight?
EngineerX will need to make a separate channel where he weighs everything, lol.
The biggest problems with the whole 250g mess is that bigger planes tend to fly better and will be a lot easier for people to learn on without quite so many crashes, repairs, and frustration. Which is easier for a beginner? Tek Sumo or Bonzai? I'm still pretty new to fixed wing, so to keep it legal I'm going to have to learn on stuff that's way smaller and faster than I'd really like. This easystar sitting on my shelf is 680g. What a dangerous machine.
Regardless if under 250g or above 250g, you are required to fly in only authorized airspace, use a app called Airmmap and use flight plan when flying it's signed off by FAA and will tell you if the airspace you are in you can fly in or not
Matt Tripp good advice, our app in Australia is called "Drone complier."
There's such an app in Poland, too. The weight limit for flying in controlled airspace (built-up areas, etc.) is 600g, but outside that it's pretty wide open (25 kg). Distance to airport limit for 600g is 1 km, for 25kg it's 6 km. Also strict ban in city centre, and the usual security exclusions.
Very much looking forwards to the builds of the below 2 sticks of butter class! About time people with small houses get some awesome small builds done by the king of builds :-). Lol
I'd love for you to do a bonsai style build on the style of the ANN builds of old. very much step by step and beginner friendly.
I like your message but xclass size quads are just coming on to the scene and with things getting cheaper thing are getting bigger!!!!! At least in America. from what I can tell a great majority of people in the states or at least the hobbyist that I have talked to, don't care about the new regulations coming out because, they are going to fly and do whatever they want to , no registration or regulations are going to effect us! Much love for yous down under!
You rebel.
That was a nice little tour of the neighborhood.
For flying wings why not use Li-ion cells to reduce the weight even more, for a single motor 2s li-ion 18650 is awesome, take for example the Nano Goblin model with it's 90-ish min. flight time :):):) I will build something similar to it. Also thank you for the video, Thumbs Up.
Interesting. I'd like to see something like that. 90 mins? Wow!
2s from 18650 (2600mah) are less than 100g. Also Lipos are baned from my country :-D I have no other choice
Republic of Moldova, High Amp discharge battery's cannot be ordered or imported without high taxes as in 150$ for package. So we use li-ions from vape devices :):) sorry for bad english
But the funniest thing is that our country doesn't care for model aircraft :-D you can fly what ever you want :-D
@James Smith Cheers :):)
Thank you for the video. I am in Canada and just astounded at the licensing process and the knowledge test and am thinking of just sticking with the sub 250g.
Bruce! As a hobbyist and one who will be bound by these regs in the near future I couldn’t be more excited for this upcoming content. You’ve peaked my interest:) Cheers!
I am afraid a weight limit may come to the USA. I hate that a few idiot's can mess it up. Keep the videos coming Bruce! I love most of the topics you cover.
Bruce I love your sub-250g projects, keep ‘em coming !!!
Cheers from Eastern Canada 🇨🇦
Nice flight. Thanks for showing the way
Bruce, what will we doing? Well, we do what we did already since 30 years. We build these free flying indoor flying models with 1 m wingspang and a weight of 3g. And each of them will be a piece of art.
What are you talking about?
@@Maxpakts I am talking about these models...: ruclips.net/video/0y22mV2smkA/видео.html
Thank You for the video. I have seen "ads" in my browser for these types of models, but I have never seen an actual one first hand. I look forward to watching the video later. :) John
Update: Under Transport Canada regulations, drone operators are required to have at least a Basic certificate to operate any RPAS, (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System), that weighs 250 grams, (0.55 lbs), or more. The Advanced certificate allows RPAS operations closer to people and outdoor events among other privileges. Training for Advanced certificate holders to become RPAS Designated Flight Reviewers is also being offered free of charge.
Typically, course fees for the Basic certificate is $250 and around $1,200 for the Advanced certificate.
I'm in Canada, and I am starting my search for sub 250g quads with flight performance comparable to my 5" for when summer comes. I would love to see more sub 250g videos out there.
@joel ruclips.net/video/Nmv4AC2KB2c/видео.html ~200g with 650mAh lipo
you are far away from the Danube. .. but the music is perfectly fitting to the flight 😆
I traced the around the Bonsai onto foamboard , and made it with a Kfm4 airfoil. Even foamboard motor mount, flew brilliant!
I would love to see you design and build something out of the FliteTest foamboard. I am waiting for years now for some kind of colab between the two channels that got me into the hobby and are responsible for the abundance of winged or propped clutter all over my living space.
Yes, I suspect when they see what can be done with a 250g quad they will lower the limit. Remember: the rule of hysteria is that it's *never* about material concerns, only public *perception* .
Now when my man with the red flag finally turns up I can go for a nice 5Mph drive...
Any news on your sub-250g camera platform video from a while back?
Looking at what's out there I'd say that a sub-250g fixed-wing with camera gimbal sounds perfectly feasible, not so sure how possible a multirotor would be.
I wouldn't be surprised if before long we start to see all-in-one micro flight controllers with built-in ESC, OSD, VTX, etc.
Having everything share a single board would great for weight/space saving projects like these.
Looking forward for your future builds :) I keep saying, I love you sense of humor :D Any tips for a hotwire cutter(1m bow)? Greetings from Portugal.
I love flying FPV wings, and i know that with a small wing it is possible to do things that would be impossible with a big wing, and I think a new FPV modality could arise, with wings of approximately 60cm and around 250g.
If you are interested take a look at the videos I record with a little wing that i made with scrap bumper foam.
I have a thread on the flite test forums and will be releasing foam board plans for an FPV wing. Should end up about 180 grams with a 4S 550 mah. Runs a DYS F4 flight controller and a 20 amp armattan esc with a 1407 and a 4 inch prop :) less than half a sheet of foam
Love the idea of a sub 250g series, I'm seriously considering not registering and building to just below the limit, I'm planning on doing a test build prior to the regs being implemented in the UK so I can do some comparison so any ideas will be gladly welcomed.
Sub 250g definitely the way to go here in the UK , recently bought a 5 inch diatone gt515 , with. 650 4s comes in less than 250g , and it rips 👍 #send it
The problem with smaller quads is that they just don't fly the same as a 700-800 gram 5 in they don't carry themselves through all the same maneuvers. I personally find these restrictions annoying as all hell and it makes me hate DJI and the likes that gave flying camera's to people who have no interest in flight. We had people flying nitro powered 3D heli's doing tic-tocs and flying inverted doing crazy shit I can barely comprehend for years with no need for regulations and those things can and have killed people yet now when every idiot and their kid gets a "drone" it's all over for those who fly responsibly, personally though they can kiss my ass I'm gonna keep doing what I've been doing for years and if they want to fine me then so be it, I'll tell them exactly where they can stick it.
From Canada, looking forward to the sub 250g builds!
Not being Canadian, I'll continue to fly both sub-250g and bigger stuff too. I'll comply with the rules and see what happens next. But, as always, the experiments by Bruce are bound to be interesting
Have you considered using that flight controller to take out some of that twitchiness, that a flying wing brings to video. I'm sure the roll component would be easy, but damping the yaw would require a rudder (or rudderlets). I've got a Bonsai that I use for FPV, but the constant swinging back and forth drives me nuts! I think I'll try single rudder on the center-line first.
Love the sub-250g revolution. Looking forward to seeing what you’ve got coming on that side of the scales.
You’re wrong about regulators dropping the limit down to 100g though. We all know the 250g line wasn’t created based on any actual logic, either physics or performance-wise, as anyone who understands the difference between a ton of lead and a ton of feathers can easily grasp. Even from the performance side, the quads believed to be causing all the problems (Phantoms) are well over 1kg, racing/freestyle quads are about 500g, and toy-grade interior quads are well-under 100g. If performance were the issue, the line would’ve either been either 1kg or 100g, depending on whether or not the regulators acknowledged the existence of racing/freestyle quads, which is debatable).
If that wasn’t proof enough, look at all the laws proposed or passed since then. How many of them address either the actual performance or danger presented by UAVs? No, the regulators quite clearly have no interest whatsoever in what our aircraft are capable of. They’re being advised by manned aviation experts and commercial drone industry lobbyists who know nothing about model aircraft, so it’s the blind leading the blind.
So, while it would’ve made far more sense to put the limit at 1kg, or come up with different weights for fixed-wing and rotorcraft, the ongoing miniaturization combined with the work of innovators like yourself mean we’ll soon be able to do whatever we like, just as long as we’re under 250g. And nobody will ever bother us about it, because they don’t know or care enough to bother to examine the reality of the situation.
Could be good for the market in the long run. There will be more money for anything under 250 grams that meets the demands for pilots who were pushed out of their niche, like racing or freestyle. I've always mostly just flown micro, so Im looking at an upside despite the nanny govts trying to prevent fun.
Creating ridiculous regulations that don’t address real issues is never a good thing, no matter what happens in the market. They destroy the integrity of the legal system and do nothing to increase safety.
I fly micros too, so it doesn’t affect me that much either. And while looking for the silver lining is admirable, in this case, unfortunately it’s apparently zero visibility all the way down to the deck. We’ll muddle through, but the idiocy at the regulator levels bodes very poorly for the world in general.
Bruce, your DVR is so crisp en clear, is that Foxeer Predator you are using on the fixed wing?
looks like a predator micro v3 i have one and its bomb
Yeah! Techs and specs. I can almost smell the whiteboard!
I just wanted to add, that I remembered the "incident" that happened to you, based on some "calls" from folks in your community, in which you made a video about, quite a while back. Due to some similar events and ongoing "special attention to me", by "my community" here in MA, USA, I decided not to fly models outside at all. It is quite a shame, since I really used to like that hobby much more before some "trouble" was sent my way. Although I am a former AMA member, and never caused any problems, it seems that some folks have labeled *me* as being dangerous, and I will not disclose the comments that I may have heard a while back, when flying both indoor quads, and a small indoor helicopter, inside my home. It is too bad that some folks have "ruined" the hobby for some of us, and sine the "heat is possibly on me", I have refrained from flying outside, for now. I am not sure how it is in other parts of the world these days, but it is really a shame that some "bad apples" have such a negative impact on great, inspiring hobbies, and also on good people, just because they wish to partake in (safe) activities, that are not "in line" with the interests of others. At some point in the future, I may relocate outside of the USA, and Canada seems like a viable option. Note that I am not guilty of any wrong doing, nor have I ever been arrested, it is a different matter altogether. I would very much appreciate some contacts from anyone in Canada, who may know of some locations that are "RC model friendly", and it is not too expensive to live. I am retired, and would be most comfortable in very modest living conditions, even something like an old RV or trailer, and a very small piece of land, close to a suitable flying area. Please feel free to contact me, here on youtube, if anyone wishes to chat, discuss models, etc.. Many Thanks in advance, John Miskinis
Hi Bruce, I hate to mention it... but... what happened to your sub 250g 2 axis gimbal quad? That was quite a promising idea for a follow along DIY version. It’s clearly possible as China are churning out various sub 250g quads with similar functionality to the DJI Spark.
Under 100 grams haha, my current plank build has inav with gps 777mm wingspan and depending if I'm using a 1s or 2s and the mah of battery should weigh in any where from 70-90 grams with a 20-30 minute flight with no thermals or sloping. I love micro's if somebody would have told me 5 years ago I could be building something like this that i could fly 5 miles away I'd have been the happiest person on the planet. My next step is to find someone to cut up some solar panels and go for over an hour which should be easily achievable that one might break the 100 gram mark should be able to keep it around 150 though.
Sounds like you could do better. My 400mm quad has a 25 minute flight time with a 2400mAh. 350g without battery.
@@_droid Video?
@@_droid Micro's especially 1s are not really what I would be considered efficient most the pre builts your lucky to get a 10 minute flight 5-7 minutes is about average more than likely I could probably push it to say a 40-45 minute flight if I wanted to rewind another motor or run a bigger battery but, flying something barely staying in the air solely for the purpose of endurance isn't my idea of fun, where as a 20 minute flight with enough power to go vertical is far more exciting and with the price of micro batteries I can have 10 with me to fly for hours or even charge in the field off a 5000 mah 3 cell and fly all day.
25 minutes for a 2400 is pretty good, how many cells is the pack you're running? Getting a micro quad to fly for upwards of a half hour would be more impressive though Haha not impossible though some people have flown a single li-ion cell and got upwards of that. I'm more into planes though I have some quads and heli's but, there's just more challenge and fun to me in keeping air flowing over a wing and fighting the wind. It makes me laugh when quad pilots complain about wind if you can't keep a quad on course in the wind there must be a hurricane coming haha.
Please if your in the USA please educate yourself on the rules and regulations for flying a quadcopter and or drone( any rc flying machine)
Bruce witch fpv camera and osd are you using on that wing?
The down link picture is brilliant!!!!
I think it's going to have to be micro's to fly nearly anywhere soon. Especially the park near where I live that will be covered by the UK's new airport nfz.
I saw an ad for a new micro camera drone the other day so I imagine it wont be long before we have sub 250g 4k cameras with 3 axis gimble etc soon.
Like you said Once these are popular the weight limit will change and we will be back to square 1.
What about sub 250g dji like GPS drone with dji osmo camera ?
In Canada you can save weight by removing all the FPV parts. FPV is not allowed.
Inspirational stuff with the new restrictions which we're all likely to cone up against at some point. What about a light weight, long range tricopter?
Bravo bon continuation..... I have been covering light-weight "depron " foamies for years with tissue paper ( the best is the fine SAA mulberry bark paper from Thailand), using white wood glue , 3mm or 6mm depron..MUCH increased rigidity and very light for 1m plus spans.
I've been flying my sub 250g strix Nano Goblin up to 8k and 1+ hour of flight time on a LG 18650 2s1p. Maytek f411 mini FC 1806 3400kv, foxeer mix fpv HD camera TBS unify v3 5v and 10a ESC with a decased foxeer lollipop 2 5.8ghz antenna mmcx, You should check out that little plank Bruce from RMRC it will give you some good ideas. For your build.
kebabFPV has an awesome 50g AUW quad that's worth keeping an eye on.
The Toothpick! Yes, I cannot wait until he comes out with the final design.
Sub 250g builds? Go for it Bruce.
For the US, the FAA requires that the
It's not hard to build a Mini Parkjet that runs on a 3S LIPO with a Micro FPV Camera and have the AUW under 250 grams. I do it all the time ;-) They're a blast to fly as well. See you in the Air!
Yeah, the great thing is that in many countries, sub 250 gram machines are classified as "toys", which means they don't fall under the authority of the aviation governing bodies. I've got a few quads in this category, because the rules and regulations are especially stringent in Austria... And looking at the typical performance of recent 3" quads, I don't see a need to go bigger anyway.
There is no 250g limitation in Austria. You can act against the regulations in Austria with a 3" quad too if you go fast. It is all about the kinetic energy.
I have that wing, would love to see a build video
need to explore using LI ion battery packs, higher energy density, a couple of 18650 or better yet 21700 cells in series will yield 3000-4000 mah, 10-15 amp draw. problem is building the packs, need to spot weld tabs to batteries, just a thought
I think that in the near future, as the sub 250 gram models will become more powerfull and versatile, the 250 gram weight limit will go down as these models arent considered as toys anymore....
Hi Bruce. Do you have a build video of that wing? I want build my 1st gps airplane. Could you help? Thank you for ALL you work. I had learn a lot with you. :-)
Best regards from Portugal
Small quads have a very limited BVLOS capability - they don't have enough duration to go very far and get back again! But wings are certainly interesting ... I have a Mini Swift that only weighs 118g ready to fly and would easily take the weight of a VTx and camera.
Enjoyed the flight!
I seriously doubt these rules will be enforced so strictly, the 250g limit seems to really target DJI type drones. Us hobbyists aren't really who they're trying to control.
Maybe It's Just Abouts Time That Some Of These Morons Need To Go On Vacations To Pet The Sharks & Don't Come Back...
I fully anticipate that the legislators will ratchet their laws over the passage of time. We can pretty much thank the "I'll do as I like, you can't tell me what to do" crowd for putting the skids under the hobby. I don't think it'll die but the laws will make it increasingly difficult to actually comply.
The trouble with accepting all these "walk a red flag in front of the vehicle" type knee jerk restrictions (what idiots they are :) is that; it ignores the fact that UNMANNED aircraft IS the future. That's where we'll end up, and it's crazy to ignore it by not preparing and supporting development and interest. China for instance IS heavily sponsoring and supporting the fpv racing arena with money for events and national televised coverage. So they'll soon have about 50 million trained uav pilots. Talk about military drone swarms!. I still maintain idiotic legislation should be ignored by way of peaceful demonstration - continue to just fly safely. Happy flying! :)
Now the challenge becomes to build a 5in quad with 250gr AUW, lol. Possible?
It's called crowd-sourcing the RnD for creating drone swarm armies that are cheap and terrifyingly effective.
Lets be honest here give it half a year and we have 6s 3inch quads under 250gramm .
We just need lighter Motors those are the biggest downpoint atm.
Manufactors need to realise we need high voltage gear so we can use less amps and therefore smaller cells.
why not run 10s? Efficency would go up like hell and we would only need 10-15 AMP
I'm confused did he just vertical take off with the wing ? Did he use the drone to do it ..... Or is the drone attached to the wing
So a full size (any size) rc blimp is perfectly legal...interesting...did they stipulate weight or mass?
I just can't recall the name of the music in the FPV segment. What's the song called?
I thought about this, but ... a bullet weighs a few grams, and with enough speed... The powers that be may come to that ! So they need to be miniaturised to the size of a hornet.
Is it possible to loose 51. Grams from the spark to bring it under 250. Just a thought All the best, keep well
You are right on Bruce If we make them lighter they will eventually change the regs to less weight Whenever govt gets involved in anything, it ruins it God forbid we fly for fun with our kids But its ok to smoke pot and walk around high all day in front of our children...i dont get it
Sub 250 builds is nothing new. I would like to see multirotors for long range stuff at this weight, that will be the most challenging. On fixed wing there's no problem, check the nano goblin running 2S li ion with flight times over 1 hour. In Germany there are another stupid restriction for sub 250g: max height 30m. We are also limited in 5.8g vtx power output to 25mw. The future here is 2.4g for vtx, 1.2 and 1.3ghz is illegal. :(
Long range here is only possible with 250g, otherwise you are only allowed to fly LOS or with a second person FPV but also only in LOS distance.
How about converting a small DLG to a powered FPV machine?
I'm finding more and more 100 and 130 quads being flown
Esp the brushless setups.
Please explain to me, how you can enforce any registration, when you can literally make an aircraft of almost any weight from scratch with common materials and equipment available at relatively low cost, either locally or by mail/internet order. You can't. Also, if you want to do damage with an rc vehicle why would you be so stupid as to give the government information that would lead them to your door step? In my opinion, the biggest deterrent to someone intentionally using rc craft in an illegal/unsafe manner is a prolific amount of hobby minded people that routinely keep an eye out for environmental factors including modelers flying in places that they shouldn't.
which cam do you use?
Nice image :)
My suggestion... everything you mention in the video!
Just a thought..., could you use the help of a helium balloon coupled with a drone of some sort to keep under the weight ... is the weight calculated on takeoff weight or actual weight ???
Wtf? There are many types of weight? Do you calculate your weight in car and at home and in plane LOL? It is 250 gramms limit. Which part of it you dont understand?
@@emotionalbeats7178 Stress Less n take a Chill Pill dude, who F`n cares anyways
Now dock the wing in a giant rotating space staton ;)
For the record bud it’s Canada not Canadia . Those of us that live here are Canadians Hahahaha. The $5 fee only funds about 35% of the cost of administration of the plan and honestly it’s not a lot to ask. The advanced ticket is $10 and that allows you to operate commercially. Cheers bud nice video thank you From Canadia.
Most of my models have more than 250g of fuel in the tank, and the batteries on my quads are heavier than that. The little stuff works ok in some circumstances, but it is less "universal' than your basic 5-6" (love my 6"ers) quad, and I came from giant scale planes - have a 2 cyl petrol Beaver I hope to finally maiden this spring - (made from dead trees no less, and powered by dead dinos - what can be more enviro-friendly than that?)
I'm (not sure about this) fortunate to live in the US where we only pay once (for now, I'm sure the other boot will drop on us soon). I'm a good subject and put my tax stamp on all my tea....er planes, that is...
(Didn't we do something about that representation thing a couple hundred years back??)
Keep the word going - in both channels. Let the casual viewer know that those who fly are in a fight for that right and you stand with them.
You're a good man Bruce, and are an asset to the worldwide modeling community!
Im a Canadian and the $5.00 model charge, is a money grab to finance the making and enforcing of these over the top laws. The idea is to make us (the rc user) pay for any and all issues related to quads / rc pilots and the drafting of these laws. So lets dig deep folks cause we are designated suckers. Myself I will registar 1 quad and use that number for all my quads and fixed wings if possible.
A Bonsai micro, about the size of an a4 piece of paper? Nice that things got smaller so we can obey the laws lol. RC hobby has existed since 1935 maybe even before, I don't understand why the have to regulate now, since they have had plenty of time to do it, and those people flying in places they should'nt are obviouslu not part of the community or hobby, but just some asshats who bought a drone. I think bigger drones than a whoop, should all be regulated so they come as diy kits, even DJIs, that way idiots can't just pick one up and do nonsence with one, wich results in mass regulation for us all. If all drones were a kit, you have to build yourself, this problem with illegal flights wouldnt happen.
Ya every single instance of an RC making news headlines it's always a phantom. When any idiot can go to their local wal-mart and buy a 2 pound device with spinning blades that's advertised as flying itself no experience required and no desire from the manufacture to educate their consumer it's not going to end well for anyone especially those that have been in this hobby for years and are respectful of people and property while flying. I knew regulations were coming sooner or later though you can't bring a technology to people who know nothing about it and don't care to learn with out having incidents of ignorance.
hi sir bruce ! i `ve been advise last week that rules have change here in canada and i will have to register my drone and planes this year , my drone wheights about 15 kgs and my planes weights around 3.5 and 5.0 kgs , so canada will make a bit of money with me lol
The firefly nano hd cam is decent for under 30 grams.
I really wish there was some common sense involved in these rules. Foam planes should have either a much higher weight allowance or no restrictions at all. They really just need to get out of our hobby and let us be.
Here comes the 10g 2k FPV machine...
For the first time I am glad I am not citizen of those countries with restrictions. Still, the restrictions will affect the hobby in general and that is bad. It amazes me how ignorant people are empowered to make laws that are totally flawed in terms of common sense.
Why is the DVR stuck on the menu page?
How come you don't use rssi or mAh in your osd?
Too heavy. Rssi plus current monitoring overloads the wireless waves going back to the aeronautical conveyance driver, so the beam sags down, catches in the grass and the ensuing earth-sky interface event thwarts further aerial endeavours, ie the contrivance is grounded. ;-)
We just had a issue with a guy buzzing a international airport.. i believe theygot him... i think they delayed several flightsand possibly shut down the runway for a bit.. people weill ruin it
Hi Bruce I’ve just moved from a uk to Ireland and I don’t have a clue what the laws are here how can I find out ? Thanks
Chris Shepherd www.iaa.ie
Thanks great
buen vuelo, saludos
There is hope :)