The purpose of this build was to maximize 1s performance on a micro-quad with good protection of the electronics.
Build summary:
Slim X 2mm baseplate, 1 nylon standoff with nylon screws
Fusion X3 (F3 AIO FC/ESC), nylon standoffs
Frsky xm reciever
$10 AIO camera/vtx, Flex RC printed camera mount
Eagle Power 1103 15000kv motors
Kingkong 65 mm prop (drilled out)
GNB 450mah hv 1s batteries
I get 3-4 min backyard flight depending how aggressive I’m flying. My backyard is fairly small so I end up doing a lot of half-pipe like flying with the faster quads ie a lot of punch outs, diving, and power loops. I’ve also tested this build with the Tachyon 0804 15000kv motors.
For comparison, I’ve also tested similar builds with the Fusion X3 FC with a Zappy 120 mm frame with the fpv “sleds” with betafpv 1103 11000kv motors, a Tomoquads Slingshot with Happymodel 0802 19000kv motors and Betafpv 0802 12000 kv motors with afunta 55mm props and the Tachyon 0804 with 55 mm Ladybird props. For a popular bench mark I also have a tinyhawk in the fleet.
My impressions of the Slim X is that it the 2mm base plate version is the best available option for a 1s build with a protective cage. For a dedicated 1s it could be refined to reduce weight and effective frontal profile further. The 1103 15000kv motors splin smoothly and have a muscle car feel to them. They are fun but I feel like I need to stay cautious with them to not end up on a neighbor’s roof. There is more than enough power for power loops, split S, and wall rides etc. In this configuration the quad is actually overpowered for my space and would be a better fit for flying in a park. The 0804 15000kv feel a little more controllable but unfortunately they give up almost a minute in flight time. I haven’t tried the 1103 11000kv on this frame but on the zappy they are very nice overall but lack a little snap when doing a fast roll or punching out. They do get an extra 2 minutes of flight time and are whisper quiet so there is some good upside there. I’m not sure how much of that is the motor vs overall lighter quad weight and slightly lower frontal profile.
As a benchmark that people may be familiar with the Tiny Hawk is great for what it does (it is my 6 year old son’s go to for outdoor acro). However, it is remarkable how much thrust and efficiency it gives up. The flight times are comparable between the Tiny Hawk and the Slim X with the 1103 but the performance in terms of punch out and acro ability is about double with the Slim X. Alternatively, if the goal is something with more precise control for shooting gaps then building up a Mira or X conversion frame in the 1.5 mm thickness with the 0802 12000kv motors and 55 mm afunta props would be my recommendation. On this type of build, you can expect flight that is a little less “grippy” than the Tiny Hawk but far better acro ability and about double the flight time. In the 08xx motor size the 12000kv Betafpv motors are specifically recommended because the bearings and balance are good yielding very smooth quite motors. The Happymodel 08xx start off poor and get worse as the bushings wear. The 2s whoop trend (though I haven’t flown one) seems misguided when so much performance is available with traditional props.
