3D printed shell/housing for solo mobo & components??

TheRedEyeBandit · Aug 22, 2017

Hi there! I'm kind of a newer 3dr pilot still working on earning my wings.... I recently wrecked on of my solos (hit tree tops at about 150'' up) where it fell onto pavement.

Anyway my question is this - Is there a 3d printed frame or shell that I could use to mount the MOBO, GPS and other components from my wrecked Solo?

I would appear that the mombo/FC/GPS are all functional.

1 motor pod appears to be fine/perfect condition
2 of the other motor pods.. won't spin w/o applying significant pressure. The circuit boards (ESC's?) seem fine
1 Motor pods circut board is cracked in half..

As I have a 3d printer, I thought maybe I could still turn the left over parts into something that flies!

Are there downloadable plans for shell/frame that would fit solo mobo and parts?

I don't care if it looks different then the original solo shell... infact I'm hoping there might be a minimalist frame/housing that could work.

Thoughts, Am I wasting my time??

Is there something else I can use these parts for?

just_bruce · Aug 22, 2017

I have a spare shell you could have for a reasonable price if you wanted. Like 20 bucks plus USPS Priority Mail shipping.

I, uh, may have overindulged when buying parts back when it looked like SOLO was DOA....

andrew.baker.142 · Aug 22, 2017

I know I've seen the STL files for the Solo body somewhere on the internet. Even so, it would not be something I'd try to print and fly.

Maxheadspace · Aug 23, 2017

TheRedEyeBandit said:
Hi there! I'm kind of a newer 3dr pilot still working on earning my wings.... I recently wrecked on of my solos (hit tree tops at about 150'' up) where it fell onto pavement.

Anyway my question is this - Is there a 3d printed frame or shell that I could use to mount the MOBO, GPS and other components from my wrecked Solo?

Is there something else I can use these parts for?

Having printed many DIY drones with a 3D printer, I would advise against it. You won't have the same structural integrity for a drone the size of the Solo. I recommend buying one of the Solo bodies on eBay. The prices vary wildly, so just wait for a good deal to pop up.

TheRedEyeBandit · Aug 23, 2017

Thanks for the advice everyone.. I'll see about getting a solo body vs. finding STL files for a solo body (I looked pretty hard, but couldn't find any . Bummer)

I do see on a number of sites plans for 3d printed drones... is the strength and integrity of 3d printed plastic really that big of a concern?

KaudiTT · Aug 23, 2017

I have a small (230 size) fully printed quad and have printed arms and other parts before on larger (650 size) drones before using PLA. Never had any issues but I think the key is going to be in your quality of plastic and printer settings.

Maddog · Aug 23, 2017

You might try www.thingiverse.com. There are several files for Solo stuff.

jerryn · Aug 23, 2017

Maxheadspace said:
Having printed many DIY drones with a 3D printer, I would advise against it. You won't have the same structural integrity for a drone the size of the Solo. I recommend buying one of the Solo bodies on eBay. The prices vary wildly, so just wait for a good deal to pop up.

I tried this as well using a Sparky flight controller. It flew ok for 10 flights. After that a motor mount went gimp. Started to fall apart from stress.

XevetS · Aug 25, 2017

You really don't need a 3d printed shell to mount the mainbaord and gps components?? Just mount to any frame kit thats large enough..... I did this >>

Mounted the mainboard and battery to a Tarot 650 Kit....also running aurducopter master...no 3d printed shell needed....

Maxheadspace · Aug 26, 2017

XevetS said:
You really don't need a 3d printed shell to mount the mainbaord and gps components?? Just mount to any fame kit thats large enough..... I did this >>View attachment 6865

Mounted the mainboard and battery to a Tarot 650 Kit....also running aurducopter master...no 3d printed shell needed....

Hehe... Love it!

jerryn · Aug 26, 2017

What is the flight time you are getting ? How did you tune the PIDS ? Nice setup.. I like it. Carbon fiber.. the bird must weigh just a little more than the battery LOL.. wow.

XevetS · Aug 26, 2017

jerryn said:
What is the flight time you are getting ? How did you tune the PIDS ? Nice setup.. I like it. Carbon fiber.. the bird must weigh just a little more than the battery LOL.. wow.

It was mostly in testing phase before I crashed it in a tree, I just rebuilt it today not too much damage, I was having problems with the motor mounts twisting in flight, resulting in an uncontrollable yaw situation, thus the crash it was scary lol.
Here's a vid of the second flight
but It flew great today the newest version of green cube arducopter works great I had to really tweak the PIDS though, I'll post a pic of the new setup. As of now the mainboard sits on top and the battery on the bottom, seems much more stable that way.

KaudiTT · Aug 27, 2017

I love that bird! Seeing what you did with the Solo's guts actually was the deciding factor for me getting my Solo.

Maxheadspace · Aug 27, 2017

XevetS said:
It was mostly in testing phase before I crashed it in a tree, I just rebuilt it today not too much damage, I was having problems with the motor mounts twisting in flight, resulting in an uncontrollable yaw situation, thus the crash it was scary lol.

Great adaptation! If you added a green cube, changed all the motors (and esc's?), eliminated the gimbal, added Here, why didn't you just go with a new Pixhawk 2.1 build? To me, the main draw of the Solo is its Smart Shots and smooth gimbal control. But then, of course, the challenge of creating something new is always fun!

XevetS · Aug 27, 2017

@Maxheadspace Why because I bought the solo Mainboard for 30 bucks! This is the stock solo pixhawk running the Arducopter 3.5.0+ firmware. "Its not a Greencube"

I had all the other components such as batteries and a controller So I added the larger motors Emax MT3510 600KV, Emax simonK 40 amp esc's and 13 inch Emax carbon props. And a TAROT 650 sport frame kit. ( the motor mounts really suck other than that its pretty solid, I mildly crashed it at least 10 times and one time it got into a vortex ring state and crashed hard components scattering all over the place! I also got it stuck in a tree 35 feet up and it survived the recovery effort uh boy that was fun).

All in all it was cheaper than installing the 2.1 Pixhawk I can easily add a solo gimbal and GOpro and still have smart shots?
But I have 2 other solo's for filming this was just for the heck of it...and cool factor..
This is how it looks now, no more landing gear to snap off in trees "teehee" the battery is now the landing skid, it's also using the stock revision A GPS, works perfect as is. So I installed the HERE GPS on my other bird....