ZOHD Drift - Assembly and FPV flight

[@will3377]

Hi Andrew. Just received the Drift this week and ordered the Kopilot and ZOHD FPV kit. Appreciate your videos helping a newbie like me.

[@AndrewNewton]

Excellent. Great setup

[@The_Pub_]

Andrew I would have to agree that it is a great designed plane for sub 250g flying. Now that we have more of these to choose from they will change the rule to sub 200g! It does need some colour though as it is very hard to see all white. I would need to wear my magnified glasses to fly it without FPV. My wife said to me that I have too many planes, I told her she has too many shoes!!! Cheers mate

[@rctips1763]

Thank you for the review Andrew. I liked your previous video way more and recommended the Drift based on that already!

[@uavpilot6715]

This kind of plane design is great for mapping missions, easy to assemble and transport. Of course, the size is too small to fit a camera, but if ZOHD made a bigger version of it.. I will be keeping a close eye on ZOHD and see what else they will be launching in the future.

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes a well designed larger version would be exciting

[@MatthewHeiskell]

I love it! Thanks for all of your experienced opinions! You should see how long it can fly with two 18650 batteries! Just leave it in RTH mode and keep an eye on the voltage.

[@AndrewNewton]

To be investigated

[@flyingark173]

Awesome! Great video Andrew, thank you. Mine is on its way as well.

[@bokusimondesu]

In no way did you embarras yourself! You were happy flying it and it was contagious! :-) I was overjoyed watching it!

[@AndrewNewton]

Ha, couldn't help myself.

[@adrianryan1975]

This looks like a great plane in your hands🙌

[@KetilDuna]

Thanks for all the info, Andrew. Just got mine in the mail.. going to solder another power connector now, then I guess it's soon time to fly!

[@AndrewNewton]

Good luck!

[@chrisgate200]

Mine arrived this morning..... looking forward to getting back into flying and getting this plane in the air

[@AndrewNewton]

Excellent, it can be fast and agile, or slow and floaty depending on your setup.

[@charlesmccullough7149]

Mine flies great as long as it's in stabilized mode. When you switch to manual, it immediately noses straight down and heads to the ground. You can switch it back to stabilized and it recovers, the auto launch and return to home work great. I've checked the CG and all seems well. I don't want to fly FPV until I get this worked out.

[@AndrewNewton]

Always always get planes flying in correctly manual mode first, then everything else follows

[@jared7211]

Great video and review. Thank you. My Zohd Drift is on order.

[@tcz7742]

Thanks - Mine is in the mail. You need to convert to xt30 on your small stuff they are great

[@AndrewNewton]

You are right. Would save space and weight

[@isaacrigby]

Hey, what reciever did you use in the vid? I'm knew to rc planes and want to know what a great reciever is!

[@AndrewNewton]

Might have been FrSKY RX6R. What radio do you have?

[@isaacrigby]

@@AndrewNewton Ha, don't have one yet, but I'm thinking of getting the jumper t lite v2

[@laneboysrc]

Looking at the shape of the plane, the question is not "can it slope" but: "can it DLG"? (I guess not with those fragile wing tips). Awesome review as always!

[@AndrewNewton]

Wing tips are too thin for DLG launch forces

[@peterross9541]

Wonderfull thing ! Interest for PNP version. Some questions : Do you think there is enough place for Matek F411 ? And would a 3S 1500mAh battery (135g) already be too heavy for the plane ? I would like to fly with INAV and Caddx Turtle V2 in the front ! Is it already too heavy for the modell, what do you think ?

[@AndrewNewton]

F411-wse would be good. That battery might be too big to fit and too heavy for balance.

[@RGCbaseace]

You'll have to do some surgery to shoehorn it in their i put one in the dart but theirs barely room for a single board fc in the drift

[@wackyack3165]

Andrew, sorry - just seen your Build Drift video which does show the receiver/s you used.

[@MrZeek101]

Great Review Sir Andrew its so nice Take Care

[@AndrewNewton]

Thank you kindly

[@wtfmimshag]

Looks like a great FPV park flyer. My Talon GT is (ahem, theoretially) good for 20km+ range but it's pretty bland in close quarters. ZOHD's stuff is really well thought out.

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes, lots of good design thought

[@jeffhampton8781]

Now if ZOHD only would have used that wing design on the Nano Talon.

[@thusted82]

Just maidened my Drift with KoPilot - flew great in stabilized mode - great return to home behavior - used autolaunch RTL to launch twice - both went off without a hitch -3s 850 balanced 10mm in front of the nubs - but it flies poorly or not-at-all on manual mode - just rolled over and dove to the ground. My buddy did this and his crashed, so I did very little manual testing - but i will normally fly fpv in stabilized mode - best out of the box experience for FPV for those who do not want to tinker with electronics and ZOHD always impresses with design.....I am also sold on the Kopilot - easiest and cheapest way to add Return to home to any model. Andrew - have you had any experience with this manual mode behavior? Great channel Andrew!

[@AndrewNewton]

Full throws are probably too much for manual mode. I used 50% weight just for manual.

[@MrE.]

Was your original flight footage on the slope raw without the Kopilot etc? Cant wait for mine to arrive! Your emotion and enjoyment spoke volumes about how good the Drift is. Thanks again, Andrew!

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes it was!

[@dayat_fpv]

Nice video

[@wackyack3165]

Andrew, could you please tell me what receiver you used in the Drift - to suit your Taranis transmitter.

[@AndrewNewton]

I use an RX6R for most planes these days

[@wackyack3165]

@@AndrewNewton Thanks Andrew.

[@chiewy778]

HI Andrew, great video. Definitely interested in ordering this. What receiver do you recommend for the drift? I'm planning to get the Radiomaster TX16S controller. Thanks!

[@AndrewNewton]

Any small receiver, I'm using the FrSKY XM+. If you're going for an FrSKY Rx make sure you avoid ACCESS versions if you're using the TX16S

[@chiewy778]

Hi Andrew, thanks for getting back to me. I wasn't too sure if some receivers are better for certain craft. I enjoy the videos and the blog you write - excellent work. Thank you.

[@hanger9uk665]

Hi Andrew, thanks for the review, I see the esc has a jst connector and xt30, can it be powered from either?

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes, XT30 and JST are connected so either will do

[@hanger9uk665]

Thanks Andrew. Happy Christmas, thanks for your informative content, always come here for information I feel I can trust.

[@Bellairvideo]

Beautiful plane & so well presented with each segment #1. Does the FPV version require a receiver? Thanks mate.

[@SimonBrisbane]

Yes it will. They would mention it if it was included so a potential buyer would know if their radio was compatible. Andrew indicated he is using an FRSKY X4R receiver which unfortunately you can no longer buy.

[@Bellairvideo]

Many thanks Simon

[@AndrewNewton]

No receiver included, you could use a Spektrum receiver

[@Bellairvideo]

I thought so. Looks a nice little travel model... when we can travel, of course! Thanks mate

[@timwsac]

Hi Andrew dose the 400 fpv camera plug in to the aux on the kopilot or do you power it from another source

[@AndrewNewton]

JST plug from the ESC (battery side) so it runs on full Lipo voltage

[@ashb1433]

hi andrew with kopilot setup do u set it as t-tail .just got drift see drift has ycable and 1 cable for ele. do i put ycable to ail .ailcable to ail.as in guide in kopilot in t-tail setup.

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes T-tail for the drift and yes Ailerons y-lead into Ail and single Ele lead into Ele

[@johnnytech0309]

With the liion, how far down can you safely push it? I keep reading its 3.5v per cell and others say 2.7v per cell. What do you think?

[@AndrewNewton]

Safe minimum (at rest) I use Lipos 3.5V and Lions 3.0V

[@PrinceVaskur]

Mine is on it's way too....how is the motor mounted? Is it a pod like construction or tiny motormount?

[@AndrewNewton]

Showed the motor mount in next video, thanks for the prompt

[@PrinceVaskur]

Found it, thanks! ✌

[@SimonBrisbane]

Hi Andrew, what RX did you use when you flew before installing the Kopilot?

[@AndrewNewton]

X4R receiver

[@mikegriffiths7487]

Hi Andrew, I’ve just received my Drift an unboxed it right away. As everyone has been saying it’s a beautifully made little thing but something puzzles me right away. The left wing has the tip turned up and the right wing tip is turned down! In all the videos I’ve seen nobody seems to mention that - is it correct? Looking again at some of the shots in your video I can almost persuade myself yours is the same.

[@AndrewNewton]

Hi Mike. Mine had one down and the other up by a few mm. Not a design feature just distortion from the way it was packed. It evens out eventually or you can run hot water over the foam to restore the intended shape.

[@mikegriffiths7487]

Thanks for the info Andrew, good to know it’s not a fault with the kit. It’s certainly a little gem the way it’s put together, I don’t think it will stand a lot of bashing though.

[@gflorey1975]

Hey Andrew, just ordered mine. What is the Max size battery it will take. Physical size. Thanks

[@AndrewNewton]

About an 1800 2s Lipo

[@jamesharrington5974]

Andrew which do you prefer between this and the eachine razor or are they just different animals?

[@AndrewNewton]

I'm flying the Razor more as a sloper and handles wind a bit better.

[@jamesharrington5974]

@@AndrewNewton not so many slopes where I am and not by the coast so more flying in the countryside. Just looking for a good upgrade from the F959 and already have an i6 controller

[@verve78arief]

Hi nice flight.. btw why in my cam so dark.. thanks

[@AndrewNewton]

Which camera

[@verve78arief]

@@AndrewNewton Vtx cam VC400..

[@goosekarting9441]

I want to get into FPV and I’m not sure what to get to get started do you have any suggestions.

[@AndrewNewton]

newtonairlines.blogspot.com/2019/09/best-cheap-fpv-gear.html

[@EnglishTurbines]

I'm guessing you like this little plane Andrew...lol..

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes, love it. Specially after today's aerobatic slope session, just made for it.

[@ThanhLongVlog8899]

Ok numbe1.

[@Phoebegumnut30]

If I purchased the FVP version of this plane could I record the video of the flight without actually flying it using the FVP googles

[@PrinceVaskur]

Instead, use an HD camera like Mobius or Runcam 2

[@AndrewNewton]

You would also need a video receiver and DVR to record, or as PrinceVaskur said put a Runcam 2 or Mobius onboard

[@RGCbaseace]

Does it use a y harness on the ailerons?

[@AndrewNewton]

Comes with a Y harness but you dont have to use it.

[@RGCbaseace]

Thank you andrew i have the zohd dart and the drift and kopilot on its way most videos dont really show that close up the drift like the dart has two aileron servos my dart dosent have the kopilot it has the maytek wse i plan on trying my extra r-xsr on the drift with s bus

[@RGCbaseace]

Nice so the drift has a servo in each wing and you didnt use the y harness then where does the second servo plug into ? Aux or rudder im Still waiting on my drift and kopilot

[@AndrewNewton]

@@RGCbaseace For the Kopilot you do need to use the Y lead.

[@RGCbaseace]

@@AndrewNewton i got it figured out thanks what a lil gem 💎 to fly wish it wasnt raining here id be flying

[@jcfpv3454]

Not sure why mine came with the tail wings and main wings were way out of alignment

[@AndrewNewton]

I just gave mine a twist and it lined up OK

[@oded_10]

Where can I buy more batteries for him?

[@AndrewNewton]

Hobbyking or same place you bought the Drift

[@ror-ys3qp]

i heard that the wings destroy themselves if you go faster than 50mph.

[@KetilDuna]

Yes, it is specifically sold as a model for gentle turns and soaring - it is not a hotliner, and not for tearing up the sky. Manual says "ZOHD Drift is mean(!) to be a slow cruiser. IT'S NOT a RACING/AEROBATIC plane". There are four more sentences to more or less the same effect... see fa00daf4-2348-470a-96d7-418afee9141d.filesusr.com/ugd/9960f7_7f9255c5fcc24aa1a556ffa8f40b79fd.pdf

[@ror-ys3qp]

@@KetilDuna diving to lose altitude is not a racer. It should be air worthy and it is not. Glad I did not buy it.

[@KetilDuna]

@@ror-ys3qp I'm happy for you, making your decision. Your initial 50mph ~ 80km/h has little to do with "a slow cruiser" as far as I'm concerned. If you change your mind, be sure to cut off the engine before diving. There are also two aileron servos .. i retired the Y-cable and implemented combined aileron/flaps on mine. The flaps slow things down really well, and can be combined with quite steep descents. Also, use a small battery to keep it light and avoid speed buildup, especially if you carry the camera/tx appliance. I'm glad there are choices and a market for small, light and relatively slow flyers. Powered gliders are so nice for casual flying. Happy flying!

[@eliada8680]

Is the model easy to take off ?

[@AndrewNewton]

Very easy, small and lightweight

[@The_Pub_]

You came back and fixed your 1800 to 1100 battery size..?? I would not have bothered for that one mate.. I'm struggling getting CG with 2 x Lithium Ion 4000mAh Batts, Any hints?? More nose weight?? Try flying as good as You?? No Nav gear installed..

[@AndrewNewton]

Huh? You've lost me there. On the Acrobatic sloper video I used 950 2s right forward then 3000 2s Li Ion pushed right back under the front of the wing.

[@The_Pub_]

@@AndrewNewton:: May have found an answer!! ""Throttle Elevator mix - Taranis Q X7""

[@uday9412]

Can this have a APM on it ?

[@AndrewNewton]

Not on the Kopilot board

[@jared7211]

What flight times are you getting with what battery? I have a few 3s 850mah which I think would be great and I am hoping for around 5 minutes power on.

[@AndrewNewton]

Continuous full power (not recommended) would give you about 6min

[@Anton-Pravilny.]

Hello! Sorry for the immodest question, how old are you?

[@AndrewNewton]

Ha, not a problem. Born in October 1958

[@Johan-ex5yj]

@@AndrewNewton Wow that's amazing, I'm also born in October 1958! 😮

[@AndrewNewton]

Fine vintage

[@Johan-ex5yj]

@@AndrewNewton Sure is! 😀 You, my friend, are a fine gentleman. You always say the right thing. 👍

[@dayat_fpv]

Love id

[@HugeVictor]

Never could understand these models that leave one of the control surfaces out (no rudder or no aileron), it's a big deal breaker for me...

[@AndrewNewton]

Radian is a classic with no ailerons. Any flying wing no rudders.

[@HugeVictor]

@@AndrewNewton Flying wings i can accept as that is the design. A plane that should have ailerons/rudder but doesn't is like headphones on which only one side works: it gets the job done but it's a terrible experience. I recently got a used hobbyzone super cub (a classic as well) and it's a terrible plane as it has no ailerons. Sorry, don't mean to be negative, good video though!

[@AndrewNewton]

No need to apologise when chatting about the hobby. Thanks

[@daviddavids2884]

victor some info. sounds like you lack some data. a model that has a main wing with little/no dihedral must have ailerons; and turns will be aileron-initiated. on such a model, rudder will not be very effective; and not having rudder control is not an issue. (for other than 3-d flying) with sufficient dihedral in the main wing, a model will turn via rudder-elevator inputs. and, in the context of having adequate roll-axis control, ailerons are overkill. occasionally, the amount of dihedral in the main wing will allow the use of either control scheme; via three or four channels . googletranslate

[@rohankatreddy3260]

wow its very easily breakable. Make sure not to break it:) !

[@lordservant1]

lame that the Kopilot fc has no altitude reading.. what a waste

[@sptrader6316]

Put a flight controller in it. You'll get tons of OSD info. The Matek F405wmn just fits. That's what I did. (and INAV).

[@bobfin4291]

Take My Money that bad right hand did it again pushed that button, that hand likes paypal

[@AndrewNewton]

Your right hand is working for good, not evil, in this case

[@OzFPVflyer]

I too have the same issue, after watching this video my right hand started aching, next thing I know I see a paypal receipt and a Drift is in the post. My doctor says its quite normal and its just a mild case of Andrew Newton disease which only requires a big bank balance as medication.

[@OKOK-hm2is]

No assembly in video, just useless diassembly

[@AndrewNewton]

Useless?

[@thilde007]

@@AndrewNewton I think he meant useful

[@grahamrdyer6322]

Dont get it from Banggood using the above link it is twice the price, get it from Banggood but using your own way in.

[@namespolicy7747]

What are you talking about? You do realize there is a kit, pnp, and fpv version all at different prices right?

[@MrZeek101]

And why dont you make sure to ask before post this its an Affiliate link for Andrew and through him or through personal is the same price he gets a bit of $ if you get it through him do your HOMEWORK lol

[@AndrewNewton]

Surely not. When I click on the link it's FPV 139.99, PNP 89.99, Kit 59.99. If you can find it cheap then go for it.

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

@@AndrewNewtonThose are US$ prices. I presume The Dude has been smokin' too much Oregano and didn't notice that what came up on his screen was Oz Bananas! ;-)

[@AndrewNewton]

Ha, could be on to something there