AtomRC Dolphin : I just received a new version (and I'm not sure I should be sharing it yet!)

atomrc.com/
Some of my original videos on the Dolphin: • WOW!! AtomRC Dolphin M... • AtomRC Dolphin: Update...
My INAV for Beginners 2022 series: • INAV for Beginners 202...
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[@MCsCreations]

Really interesting changes indeed, Lee! 😃 The only thing I didn't like was the position of the GPS antenna... But that's easily fixable! Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@alberto2974]

Thank you for your work in FPV. Your favourite plane is renovated! So i expect to buy this new version and finally get my dolphin with less wiring and soldering

[@ChrisBalmforth]

This is really interesting! AtomRC just need to commission an experienced iNav pilot to perfect the setup then flash it into every unit they sell.

[@frankyflowers]

thats why they sent this to him. its cheaper

[@Painless360]

Not really. I've offered to help with the setup and write the manual but they declined. Happy flying

[@frankyflowers]

@@Painless360 when you get it dialed in then we all will know what settings to use. they might watch your videos and do it before shipping.

[@Painless360]

That won't write a decent manual though, will it ;)

[@AerialWaviator]

Chris, AtomRC has sent both the Dolphin and the Swordfish models to at least one of the INAV developers for review purposes. So AtomRC has direct contacts to INAV developer, should they want to pursue. Generally a good configuration is not something done at the desk in an hour; it would involve a number of tuning and testing flights. A significant investment of time by a pilot(s) preforming such a setup.

[@Rcschim]

Great news! (well kinda new one month later watching it ;) Wasnt so keen about planes in the winter - but we had a nice FPV meet last friday and 2 buddies had their Dolphins with them. Great looking planes! I got some experience now with setting up INAV but still love the idea of having the wiring job done already. Saves time that I can spend in the air! greets, Mario

[@Walt1119]

Great video, that plane would be one of my top pics! Still no clear on FC’s , will watch your beginner series on them and see if it helps. Thanks for all ur work sharing these with us!

[@8poundquark]

Cool for FPV. I really enjoy my original LOS version. Crazy fast and easy to fly. My favorite pusher 😊

[@Dr.Gunsmith]

RTF out of the box is the way they should go, I would buy one absolutely.

[@dallasb7117]

If they Do, we Will Buy it ! If I knew a place that would set up/tune/trim an INAV system on one of my Wings...I would certainly send it to them. At 70 yrs young I Love FPV but the tech intensive set ups are more than I want to do !

[@typxxilps]

I love this introduction - happy new chinese year Luckily I got all my stuff shipped out or is already on the plane out of China. This year I had been prepared but at the end it was close again.

[@punkrawk89]

I painted my canopy covers black just like that. I'm glad they took my idea LOL. I'm hoping to Maiden mine this weekend.

[@Painless360]

Best of luck!!

[@punkrawk89]

@@Painless360 Thank you!

[@punkrawk89]

Ps, You were with me throughout the whole build process. Thanks for your videos on INAV.

[@punkrawk89]

@@Painless360 the maiden was a great success! I see why you like this plane so much. A new favorite of mine as well.

[@Painless360]

I do like getting messages like this, may have got the model after seeing mine (and other) reviews so it is great to hear that others are fans of it now too!

[@johhny303]

Cool no real changes to the actual model then, my Dolphin came with the larger prop you have there. It's my first fixed wing and I've yet to maiden it, waiting for a calm day.

[@ab7rs]

That's funny, I always Maiden on a windy day for hand launch planes

[@upperechelon3456]

This is a great [new product] video, as usual, Lee. I've had my Dolphin about 3 months now and she a great flying plane. I'm really impressed with the flight times; I use an SN Lefieirc flight controller which does the basics very well. It would be nice if Atom RC sold their pre-loaded flight controllers as stand a lone. Say about 50 USD. I would snap them up like hot cakes. Again outstanding video.

[@ADKDronesRC]

I’ve had one for a few weeks lol it the rth version! The servos are not metal unfortunately! Great video as always! When I got out of Los flying into fpv your videos really paved the way for what I do now ! It is pre production but they are for sale and the not have changed from yours !

[@fpvwing]

Ah the 'RTH Dolphin'.. was hoping there were some extended wings or something. Still a great plane.

[@rolliseventeen]

cool design. i need one, but with 2m, or a bit more. my old motors on the shelf are too heavy for this little one.

[@Painless360]

The supplied motor and prop is actually a very nice fit for the model... Happy flying

[@artifixprime]

Kinda looking to get into wings coming from quads - would you recommend this for a beginner? Also - it looks like you are using the standard Walksnail antennas on your current Dolphin, how do you find them for range etc...?

[@dronepilot260rc]

I would suggest a glider first to get your feet wet

[@Painless360]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnqtZKSQabCChbM is worth a watch. Depends on what you want to do but some models are more beginner friendly than others... This would be OK but not my first pick.. Best of luck

[@TheRoadtoGonzo]

Going to want a 2023 INAV build series pls :D

[@Painless360]

One is planned with INAV 6! Stay tuned!

[@miguelbaldi]

Wainting on this video too! I really like Lee's videos, and I'm looking forward to start flying wings too. A build/setup video with this new AtomRC Dolphin v1.1, with Walksnail Avatar HD, would be great! Thanks

[@ADKDronesRC]

Also one of the best planes I’ve ever flown and I’ve had 500+ planes dating back to 1989 !

[@Painless360]

I love to hear this from other pilots, thanks for posting. It is always nice to hear those who enjoy these things as much as I do! Happy flying!

[@ADKDronesRC]

@@Painless360 it’s a addiction but we can spend money in worse ways ! Also if you think about it we are from all over the world and never have any issues with anyone so IT’s public relations to ! If only our governments could see it like we all do !

[@giovannibnazareth]

Great news, Lee @painless360: my V1.1 arrived (a bit smashed, tbh) and surprise surprise: servos not only are digital, they also are metal geared!

[@larrys8645]

With an aftermarket motor I have had my existing Dolphin hit some high speeds which it seems to handle just fine. Auto take offs with INAV or Arduplane can be quite entertaining,

[@Painless360]

Higher speeds mean that you sacrifice static thrust for launches so it isn't uncommon for fast birds to need more work for launches. See my Motor and Prop series for how that works.. Happy flying!

[@SteffenRC]

Hmm.. You sold me on the ARWP a while back (own 2 of them) and now you're selling me on this plane.. Hmmmm. I might need another FPV platform in my hanger... Thanks Lee, appreciate your videos.. - Will

[@alantoseland6629]

Just out of interest, did you manage to make a finished diff file available. As I would be very interested

[@Painless360]

I'm waiting until it is released... Happy flying

[@alantoseland6629]

@@Painless360 OK, thanks for the reply 👍

[@johhny303]

it's over-propped, 2nd flight my motor came down a bit warmer than i'd like, 3rd flight and it's burnt out. after a bit of research, seems the new version comes with a slightly lower Kv motor, mine came with the 2000Kv and 7" prop.

[@Painless360]

I fly miy original on a 5x5 and it works great... Happy flying

[@julianhumphrey4843]

interesting model, nice development

[@horsship]

Great! Don’t have to solder all the little pins to the board.

[@frankyflowers]

that's a nice bit of kit. did i use that phrase correctly?

[@defendermods9420]

I would buy one ready to go, as the setting up is the bit I hate.

[@sr-prod]

Looks really cool, I might actually get one soon 😊 Would be interested to hear your feedback on the new motor and propeller, will it be even quieter?

[@Painless360]

When I fly it, I'll let you know!

[@darrylfrey6711]

Oh oh can’t wait

[@fanatic_joka]

how does it work, if you have "Permanently enable launch mode" activated and you would have to rearm mid air? or if the FC reboots for some odd reason. Can you rearm in any way?

[@fanatic_joka]

sorry, found it myself in the docs: If you inadvertently disarm mid-air before raising the throttle again (you should lower the throttle to arm again) move pitch/roll stick and you will have throttle control back.

[@JohnDoe-tm1rv]

Motor went out on 4th flight during climb altitude. What replacement would you suggest?

[@Painless360]

I think that the motor that it comes with is a good 'all round' motor for most pilots so I'd replace it with the same spec myself..

[@DucksauceFPV]

I got 20 min of flight with 21700 4s 4000mah on stock rth edition, id like more flight time and a little more power. My Dolphin came with 2306 1700kv. I have a bunch of new tmotor f80 2200kv. Do you think im going to lose flight time with it? Or what would be your recommendation. Thanks in advance

[@Painless360]

I'd plus the numbers into eCalc and see what difference it makes using the same prop. You should get some more speed with the extra KV.. Best of luck

[@JekleFPV]

FWIW, the website doesn’t provide a version that includes a FC or GPS at the moment. I kinda want it as my first wing, but I’m just gonna hold out till this versions becomes available

[@Painless360]

It's still not out, they are working to perfect the INAV and Ardupilot setup... Happy flying

[@johhny303]

Don't hold off, it's my first wing and i was a little apprehensive. Buy the PnP version along with a Matek F411 WTE and GPS module. Setup is pretty straight forward using some of the information available on this channel. My maiden flight went as well as it could, no idea what i was worried about lol

[@JekleFPV]

@@johhny303 why not? I want it with an FC in it, and I’m in no rush. I’ve got a bunch on quads to fly in the mean time

[@mysticguido1]

Which one do You like better the Atomrc Dolphin or the Atomrc Swordfish?

[@Painless360]

I love them both. The Dolphin is better for speed and acro, Swordfish is better for endurance and floating..

[@Painless360]

This preview may be of interest - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5u9l36kZ9Z7eMk Happy flying!

[@jamesemery1]

very nice and tempting. hope you are not in bother. stay safe lee

[@rogergravel6638]

Thank you so much Lee i started to build my dolphin that model doesn't have sufficient cooling , I have to redesign the structure to installed the camera dig cooling holes ect there is only one model on the market design for fpv is the AR wing pro configure by your standard i did not have to dig a single hole to place my fpv equipment in the AR atom rc should contact you to build the perfect dolphin thanks

[@Painless360]

I'd be up for a Dolphin PRO design! :)

[@AerialWaviator]

Nice overview and 'sneak peak' Lee. Almost seems like this might be an RTH, or RTH+FPV edition along the lines of what AtomRC did for the Swordfish. (checked web, but see not changes, so a mystery for now)

[@Painless360]

I'd expect so. I'm really interested to see what they do... Stay tuned

[@AerialWaviator]

♥😎👍

[@pilotmiami1]

Bravo.Thenks

[@opposedforces]

Hi Lee, great video as usual sir. Any chance you can share with us what the iNav target is for this FC? Does it use a Matek target for future firmware upgrade to iNav 6.0 when it drops?

[@Painless360]

AtomRC F405 NAVI added to INAV from V5.1 , details here atomrc.com/products/atomrc-fixed-wing-flight-controller-f405-navi

[@jamesshields5958]

Hi Lee! What battery do you recommend for max long range flight with the Dolphin? Would you use a Li-ion pack?

[@Painless360]

Yes, a 21700 4s pack is a nice choice... Happy flying

[@bentravis99]

Great vid, thanks! I was wondering, is there any of these foam "pusher" type FPV planes that are noticeably quieter than the others? Pushers are usually loud and I couldn't fly a pusher where I usually fly due to the noise they make. Thanks!!

[@Painless360]

I have lots of pushers that are very quiet. It is a common misconception that pushers need to 'scream'. A lot of the sound that they make comes from the prop being too close to the back of the model and sitting in the 'dirty' turbulent air that comes off the back of the model. Pushing the prop back even an inch can dramatically reduce the noise and increase efficiency. For a dramatic example compare the noise from something like a RtieWing DRAK and a SonicModell AR Wing PRO. One can be heard the best part of a mile away, the other is only as loud as a regular tractor setup.. I hope that helps.

[@bentravis99]

@@Painless360 thank you!

[@ADF_Cable]

Is the black version better than the white version?

[@Painless360]

No need to post twice. I replied on the duplicate comment... Happy flying

[@rwdturbo]

Have you tried fitting the prop? I got the same prop and seems to not fit. Disappointed as I just finished the build and hoped to fly it tomorrow weather permitting.

[@Painless360]

Not yet, best of luck

[@blackbirdboy1]

Personally, I think they have hit the nail on the head. If a new flyer can't connect a Rx to the FC & set up the switches they want, then should they really be taking to the sky? It could maybe come with a VTX & Cam, but these days that's too big a list for a manufacturer to stock. Analogue, DJI, Walksnail etc so I think it's fair for them NOT to offer FPV gear as that's a large, subjective list. I am looking forward to you flying it and letting us all know what you think of the new power system. 2306 2000kv I think you said? On a 4S 4200 Litium 21700 1P pack with the 7" prop should be even more efficient. Which seems like AtomRc have been listening and watching what there customer base are doing with there models as quite a few people are flying with 1750-2000kv motors on 7" props with 4000+ Lithium packs and getting long flight times.

[@Painless360]

I know lots of pilots who fly things designed like DJI so that the pilot doesn't need to know a lot to fly. I have other friends who love the modern hobby but have no interest (or aptitude) for the computer, crimping and soldering part of the hobby. Having an open source powered option for those pilots would be a nice thing to have... Happy flying!

[@dronepilot260rc]

I have 2 black EPP dolphins and that looks like the same material 🎉

[@Painless360]

I've seen the all black and all white ones but not one with this combo.. I like it!

[@hamshackleton]

Gung Hai Fat Choi (I think that's the correct spelling!)

[@gregdavidd]

Thanks for the video. I have read that Ardupilot is superior to iNav but so many people use iNav. I wonder why not just use Ardupilot?

[@Painless360]

Different interface, unfamiliar setup process, lots of reasons. Ardupilot is superior in many ways but INAV provides what a large number of hobby pilots need.

[@gregdavidd]

@@Painless360 thanks so much for the reply. I figured complexity must be part of it

[@Painless360]

Check out some of my Ardupilot and Pixhawk builds to see some of the amazing stuff it'll do....

[@SonAndDadFPV]

I like the red FC... 👌Is it capabel to run Ardupilot?

[@Painless360]

AtomRC released details for Ardupilot for it in the Swordfish... So should here too...

[@kennyriverrat220]

Any thought's about Caddx fitting in it?

[@Painless360]

Lots of options for analogue FPV. I also added Walksnail to my original Dolphin... Happy flying

[@kjkareemslim]

Is this the RTH version

[@Painless360]

This is the one with a flight controller with INAV installed. It can be setup easily for reliable RTH.... Happy flying!

[@kjkareemslim]

@@Painless360 THANK YOU

[@northernfpv9562]

Scoop!

[@badmofo350]

Hi there, I hope someone can help me with a question. I dusted off my talon which I haven't flown in a couple years. It's equipped with a Matek F411 with iNav 2.5.2. The plane flew fine and I had everything configured nicely. I suppose I should update to the latest FW. Can I copy and paste the diff and expect it to work? I saw where it was suggested to use default pids since the autotune wasn't great on older versions. Obviously I'll go through the config and look at new features and such but will my receiver tab, v tail mix, etc all be good to go? Sorry for the off topic question and thanks in advance if anyone can help. I'll need to join a forum if I'm going to start flying again. I still have any old version of open tx as well and I hear this new edge tx is good but I don't want to go through all the trouble to set up my models, scripts etc

[@Painless360]

Upgrade instructions are in the release notes for INAV. That is such an old version I'd be tempted to start from scratch with it. See my INAV for beginners 2022 series for a modern, reliable setup process... Best of luck

[@badmofo350]

@@Painless360 thanks so much for the reply. Your videos have helped me a ton. I did see the notes for going from 5 to 6, 4 to 5, ect but wasn't sure if 2 to 6 would be so simple. I had a decent understanding of inav and open TX but its been so long I'm afraid I've forgotten a lot. Also CSRF complicates the setup a bit. I don't get much time to fly so I guess I just want it to work when I get to the field. I'll take your advice and start over though. That will probably help me relearn everything.

[@AndrzejRoszkowski]

smells like ZOHD ;)

[@Painless360]

I wish they still innovated, AtomRC is the replacement for what ZOHD was doing 3 years ago... Happy flying