Proud of this one as it's made of used material throughout, including the three-way tube connectors retrieved from the wheelie-bin and set upon with an angle-grinder. Had angle-grinders been available in Arthurian times, would he still have been king?
It's looking like a credible flyer already, and Monty can't contain his excitement at the WDA (World Drone Association) weigh-in. He's looking like a mini Tyson Fury, another machine made here in Lancashire.
Without the benefit of the speed controllers and wiring loom, we're checking in at 19.8 kilos or 44 pounds. It includes batteries, motors and Monty himself (who accounts for around 20% of the all-up weight).
Initial reactions? Well I've given it the sprung dance-floor treatment and whilst it can support my own weight in 18-gauge tubing (except the skids, which are 1/16th inch) I would prefer it to be a little stiffer. That would be addressed by the anticipated gauge of alloy section, along with the steel-cored tube connectors. These would add weight, but likely mean that the four external steel braces could have been omitted.
The blade-clearance is a little tight, but that will be addressed by my secret-squirrel technique for mounting the motors. Meanwhile there may be an argument for lowering the mannekin's centre of gravity further.
This could be achieved either by providing for a foot-well in the centre-section at the cost of integrity or by tilting him backwards deck-chair-style at the cost of complexity.
FAQ Terence tweets from Tiverton to say, "Fucking rivets? You're a loser who wouldn't know one end of a welding-torch from another!"
ANS Terence mate, if it was good enough for the Titanic then it's good enough for me.
