SonicModell Baby AR Wing Pro Build, Maiden, and Review

[@DugDiamond1]

Brilliant video. This will, no doubt, help potential future (and current) FPV users. 👏

[@MrD]

Thanks Dug 👍🏻

[@cobra4829]

great video should I understand that it's time to replace my Dart 250G with Baby AR moving all the electronics to it

[@MrD]

TBH, if you’re enjoying the Dart 250G, stick with it. It’s a capable plane. But, if you wanted something else to go with it, or the Dart has been crashed a lot. Why not. Personally, if I had the choice, I’d run both. I did enjoy my Dart 250G.

[@MarekSzulen]

Hi Darren! I've had similar issue with my stock esc+motor. I just did not make it to the flying field and just replaced them "just in case". I've got the same motor (flying with 3s18650 Molicels). Have you changed anything in the PIDs or flying with default ones? I''ve noticed the ailerons are very, very flimsy and wondering how much impact it has on the PIDs. Or, perhaps, they could be made stiffer?

[@kevalinopicks5555]

Great video, thanks Darren. Been putting mine together today. Need another Vista but can't afford one at the moment!

[@MrD]

I’m sure you’ll enjoy it when you get it in the air. It’s a great little plane.

[@bozkurt11452]

Merhaba hangi karti tavsiye edersiniz Mateksys kontrol kartımı yoksa Speedybe mi hangisi

[@irom77]

Can I use 1507 3800 with original ESC ? I smoked original motor ..

[@MrD]

It should be fine. Mine doesn’t exceed the Amp rating of the original ESC.

[@RobertoD91]

Any suggestion for the lipo? Great video!

[@MrD]

I’m using LiIon in mine. I currently have a 3S1P 18650 3000mAh pack. But am thinking of moving to a 3S1P 21700 5000mAh pack.

[@WinstonSmith1984]

It does bob a lot. I know there was wind, but I haven't seen a single video of it flying nearly as smooth as something like a T1 Ranger. It's similar to the original old Bonsai. But after I modified the old Bonsai by adding an FPV pod between the wing halves, plastic wingtips, and increased the weight + power, the thing flies much smoother (and faster of course). Perhaps more weight + power, and thin straight wing tips that extend further back may reduce the bobbing of the Baby AR Wing Pro. That'd be the first thing I'd do.

[@MrD]

I can’t really comment on the T1 Ranger, as I’ve not had the opportunity to fly one. That, of course, has the advantage of a tail; which will help a lot with smoothness. The weather was windy, very gusty and turbulent. Far from ideal for a maiden flight. It was smoother when in some clean air. I didn’t particularly find it worse than other wings of this size. Weight could help with stability, but could also take away from other aspects. But worth a try, I guess. I’ll see if I can get some footage in better weather.

[@M-H433]

How can you compare a small wing to a T1 which has a tail,plunker.

[@big-smoke-rc]

Wicked video

[@MrD]

Thank you 👍

[@tubermick]

I've got one of those techo 32 ESC's , and can't get it to connect, INAV only goes to 600 Dshot, does this matter? .. the ESC only beeps twice and the LED's go out.

[@MrD]

With fixed wing, you only need to use DSHOT150. Anything higher could get a degraded signal due to interference. No, that shouldn’t matter for using BLHeli_32 suite. Make sure configurator is closed. Also you will need a battery connected.

[@tubermick]

thanks mate i'll keep trying .@@MrD

[@BrainDeadEngineering]

Hi . do you set your tx fail safe to hold or no pulse sir .

[@MrD]

Neither. I’m using ELRS on this plane. So failsafe is purely through the protocol.

[@BrainDeadEngineering]

@@MrD if I knew 10% of what you know ! ) 4 years in this deep and never imagined its complexity ! No way out now lol

[@MarioArnaldosSánchez]

Hi, do you think it would work well if I put a 2203.5 mamba toka 3300kv? Or it will be too much

[@MrD]

I don't think it would be great. It has a smaller stator area than the 1507. And 3300KV seems a little high. I have a tool on my website for comparing motor stators. The 1507 with an area of about 330 mm2 is about right. www.mrd-rc.com/tutorials-tools-and-testing/useful-tools/brushless-motor-size-comparions-chart/

[@MarioArnaldosSánchez]

@@MrD Oh ok, thank you so much

[@testpilotian3188]

Very nice, I have a question though, am on latest version of iNav have auto level on and continuous auto trim on, in angle and horizon it flies beautifully, but as soon as I switch to manual or acro mode it doves for the ground…. I though having the continuous option enabled was supposed to stop that, I don’t seem to be able to find the old style auto trim where you fly level, land and through stick command it saves those settings, has that been removed? The plane is generally a cruiser so it’s not a big issue, but I just wondered what happened to the original auto trim option? That worked much better for me.

[@MrD]

Auto level is only meant to be used as a tuning mode, not to be kept on permanently with Angle or Horizon. You should just enable it when you need to re-adjust the level. Then disable it when it is correct. If continuous servo trim is enabled, you won't see the old auto trim tuning mode. They both do the same thing, so only one needs to be used. In all honesty, I'd just use continuous servo trim, as you don't need to do anything. Other than fly hands off in a stabilised mode for a bit. If it is going down in acro or manual. The first thing I would check is to see if you have any pitch trim on your transmitter. That would certainly cause that. You shouldn't have any trim on the transmitter. It should also affect angle/horizon. But, I'd still check. IT would also stop continuous servo trim from working, as it would detect an input. Angle and Horizon are self levelling, so they are fighting whatever is forcing your aircraft down. If there's no trim on the radio. Check the midpoints on the outputs page. If the midpoints are greater than 1550 or less than 1450. You should pin the control surfaces, remove the control rods, set the midpoints to 1500, and adjust the control rods to length. Maybe the trim has adjusted as far as it can go, as it is limited so that you still have control.

[@testpilotian3188]

@@MrD thanks for the reply. I’ll get onto that. Pretty sure there’s no trim inputs. But knowing me I wouldn’t be surprised if there was too lol

[@irom77]

Will it be still fine for beginner without FC too ?

[@MrD]

To be honest, most of that flight I was in manual. So, as if the flight controller wasn’t there. It behaved very well. The launch would be trickier without assistance, and this can trip up beginners. But the same can be said for any airplane.

[@tubamanandy2]

Taped Elevons standard ?

[@MrD]

No, I added the hinge gap tape myself. It’s DIY hinge gap tape using Kapton tape and Blenderm tape.

[@lu4414]

Can it run a 2s (108g pack), 5x5, 1406 2600kv motor? Have this power pack laying around from a dead dart 250g and would like to give it try

[@MrD]

No, I don’t think that will work. That KV may be ok for 3S, with the right pro. But ultimately I think that motor is a little too small. The 1507 is about right.

[@lu4414]

@@MrD tks for the reply! Suggestions for a 2s setup?

[@MrD]

Honestly, I would go 3 or 4S. You’ll need the weight up front to balance. You could potentially go 2S2P. But you’d need an appropriate prop and motor for that setup.

[@FlyByWireC]

the zohd/SonicModell's stock 14xx motors are really sucks, burned on 3s easily with 4-5inch prop. They probably should not use these small motors for fixed wings, just overload.

[@MrD]

I’m not so sure. I know plenty of folks with the Dart 250G who never had a problem. With mine on the Baby AR Pro, it was definitely the ESC that caused the issue, which smoked the motor. I agree, they would not be good for high powered applications, or heavy builds. But for launch, then cruising the rest of the flight. They will likely be fine. The replacement motor works very well. That’s only 1mm extra in stator height and width. Thats a stator area of 330 mm2 vs 264 mm2. So I guess that’s still a 25% increase.

[@FlyByWireC]

I have personally burn 3 of their original 14xx sized motors on 3S with 5inch prop🤣🤣(I probably pushed it too far ), the 1806 motor that came with the mini AR wing last for years and still flying great@@MrD

[@MrD]

Yeah, I guess they’ll burn out if you’re running that size at high throttle for extended periods. I agree that the 1806 on the Mini AR lasted pretty well. Imagine if that had been SunnySky quality instead or RacerStar quality. That’s what I’d have loved to have seen. Though I think this 1507 will do well on the Baby.

[@SJV82]

My baby ar wing factory motor only lasted one flight.... The next flight on motor spin up it literally smoked.... Seems to be a theme happening here 🤔

[@FlyByWireC]

@@SJV82Yup, if you search on internet you will find people having the same issue with ZOHD/SonicModell's stock 14xx motors. Just swap out the stock motor with something better, never risk your plane with the stock motor.

[@ctn221]

terrible footage, so shaky n bobbling like crazy. too small of a wing, wind or not, it's gonna be the same...

[@Terry_Fritz]

Until the internet furthered my education I didn't realise you had so much open space in Britain. As a baby boomer growing up in the 50s we were bombarded with propaganda that made us think the whole of Britain was just another suburb of London full of terrace houses. 🦘

[@MrD]

Thankfully not. I’m actually in a pretty built up area. There are much better scenic locations and lots of countryside.