Build — the arsenal
Each version. What it gains, what it loses.
BUILD SHEET
MaxFly V0
Source One 7" → Mark 4 V2 8"·Pixhawk 6C Mini·ArduCopter 4.6.3·flight #86 · ~31 logged
The versionswhat changed, build after build
- the founding loadout: 4× F90 1300KV · Mamba F65A · Pixhawk 6C Mini · Foxeer M10Q · 6S2P 10 Ah · dual RC + telemetry · HQProp 7.5"
- 3D-printed static hook
- no companion on board: the Pi 5 stays on the ground
crash: a motor comes off in flight (screws without threadlocker) · autopsy published
- nylon standoffs → metal, reinforced bolts, blue threadlocker everywhere
- battery mount stiffened: the mode moves from 15-19 Hz to ~21 Hz at rest
- same electronics, same propulsion: the platform does not change
a 4 m fall (piloting, throttle cut) · the battery resonance is identified: ~15.8 Hz in flight
- new off-the-shelf 8" frame (Mark 4 V2): a stiffer, cleaner build
- dedicated printed mounts (GPS, capacitors, BEC) · rewired from scratch
- props still 7.5" · same electronics stack · still no Pi in flight
recent crash: autopsy in progress (flight log pending)
- printed PETG covers: a build where the wiring disappears
- Raspberry Pi 5 companion on board: the MaxFly software takes off
- delivery winch (also a noise lever)
nothing here is promised — each one becomes a version the day it flies
The componentscurrent build · Mark 4 V2 8"
Propulsion
- Mark 4 V2 · 8" off-the-shelf 8" frame; our CAD does the integration: CG work and dedicated printed mounts flying
- 4× T-Motor F90 2806.5 1300KV the four motors, sized for cargo on 6S flying
- Diatone Mamba F65A 128K 4-in-1 ESC, 65 A: drives the motors flying
- HQProp 7.5×3.7×3 tri-blade props (7×3.7 as fallback) flying
Autopilot & nav
- Pixhawk 6C Mini + PM02 V3 flight controller, ArduCopter 4.6.3, dual IMU flying
- Foxeer M10Q-250 GPS u-blox M10 + compass, 25 mm patch antenna flying
- Raspberry Pi 5 · 4 GB companion computer, runs the MaxFly software in stock, not flown yet
Energy
- iFlight Fullsend 6S2P 10 000 mAh Li-Ion 21700 pack, 840 g flying
- Double UBEC 8 A steps 25.2 V down to 5 V for the Pi flying
Links
- Radiomaster Nomad Gemini + DBR4 dual-band RC link, 2.4 GHz + 900 MHz, on the Taranis QX7 flying
- SiK V5 · 433 MHz telemetry to the ground station (100 mW EU) flying
- Pi 5 Wi-Fi (AP) short-range drone↔app link comes with the Pi
Payload
- 3D-printed static hook carries the package; servo release comes in V1+ printed in-house
Deferred on purpose: 4G link (V1.5+), servo release (V1+), eyes, speaker and ducting (V1).
What it gains
- the first MaxFly that flies: bench Gates A→E validated, ~31 logged flights
- the full flight chain: Pixhawk 6C Mini · ArduCopter 4.6.3 · dual radio links
- the software platform wired up in simulation (supervisor, telemetry, black box)
What it loses
- 3 crashes — each one documented in public, the 3rd still under analysis
- mechanical resonance: 840 g battery around ~15.8 Hz in flight, fight in progress
- no hardware eyes, speaker or ducting yet — that comes next
IN DESIGN
MaxFly V1
The product target plays out here: ~55 cm, 1 kg payload, a low voice (80–160 Hz), a body you look at. Goal #1 above all: kill the battery resonance. The rest is decided in the open, autopsy after autopsy — this sheet fills in as the journal goes.
