Written by Matt Ruddick An awesome upgrade to an industry standard Product review As seen in the Fall 2018 issue of Park Pilot.
Specifications:
Power: 20,000 Kv Awesome Sauce motors Connector: JST 2.0 battery connector Camera: FX900TW camera/VTx combo Camera mount: 10° camera mount Flight controller: Stock Inductrix FPV flight controller Price: $139.71-$154.85 Info: tinywhoop.comFeatures:
>> Two flight modes: stability and agility >> Upgraded motors designed for high-end speed >> DSMX-compatible receiver >> Super-durable Cockroach frame >> Available in various colors >> A short time after the original Blade Inductrix hit the market, a few drone racers from Colorado came up with the idea to add a tiny camera to the top of their new tiny drones, add faster motors, and race them around the house with FPV goggles. This team of pilots called themselves Team Big Whoop, and thus, they dubbed their new creation the Tiny Whoop. Although there are many combinations of motors, propellers, and flight controllers, to be considered an official TWR (Tiny Whoop Racer), your aircraft will need to have a specific set of components. First, the flight controller needs to be a stock Inductrix FPV board. Second, the motors need to be upgraded to 17,300 Kv or “Special Sauce” motors. Finally, you need to have one of the now-iconic canopies that have become synonymous with the Tiny Whoop brand. If you’re unsure about which components are right for your TWR, you can choose to purchase a prebuilt Tiny Whoop Racer BNF (Bind-N-Fly). In this review, I’m going to take a look at a more recent version of the TWR BNF, the Awesome Sauce edition. What makes the Awesome Sauce edition different from the standard TWR has everything to do with the preinstalled motors. The 6 x 17 mm, 20,000 Kv motors are called Awesome Sauce motors by the team at Tiny Whoop, and lend their name to this version of the TWR. These motors offer an intense amount of power that is perfect for tracks that have long straights requiring great top speed.
The TWR features two flight modes: stability mode and agility mode.
The original Tiny Whoop utilized the stock Inductrix frame, which was lightweight and durable enough for the early days of Tiny Whoop racing. However, as speeds increased, so did the crashing—and breaking. The current Cockroach frame was developed to accommodate those more aggressive pilots by being far more durable than its predecessor. The camera that the TWR BNF comes with is an FX900TW that was designed specifically for Tiny Whoop by camera manufacturer FXT and Jesse Perkins, the owner of Tiny Whoop. It offers 37 channels including raceband that can be set using the button underneath the canopy. The lightweight camera/video transmitter combination weighs a mere 3.4 grams. The image quality is quite clear and it handles exposure changes incredibly well, giving you plenty of confidence while traversing whatever environment in which you choose to fly. The binding process was quite simple. The receiver, a stock Inductrix FPV board from Horizon Hobby (horizonhobby.com), is built into the flight controller. You’ll also need a DSMX-compatible transmitter, such as a DX6e. Simply plug in the one-cell battery with your transmitter off and it will automatically enter binding mode. You can then turn your radio on, complete the binding process, and you’re ready to go. No bind plugs needed. At first you might expect that the TWR handles much like the Inductrix from which it was born. After all, the extra weight is offset by the faster motors, so there shouldn’t be a big difference.
The Awesome Sauce edition of the TWR features 20,000 Kv motors for extra power and speed.
Well, in practice, the TWR actually has much more pep in its step than you’d expect. Those motors give you the power to make abrupt changes in direction as quickly as possible, and the high-end speed you get will be more than enough for any situation you find yourself in. The TWR BNF has two available flight modes: stability mode and agility mode. In stability mode, the bank angle is limited. When the sticks are released, the quadcopter will return to level flight. In agility mode, the quadcopter has no bank angle limits and will not return to level flight if the sticks are released. Although the TWR is flyable in agility mode, the Tiny Whoop really shines in stability mode. The controls feel much more locked in and proximity flying is much easier. I recommend that pilots stick with stability mode for most situations. If you’ve ever seen videos from Mr. Tiny Whoop himself, Jesse Perkins, you’ll know that proximity flying is the name of the game with the TWR. Whether it’s cruising under and around the dining room table, firing through a racetrack, or easing through the foliage of a giant redwood tree, the TWR can handle it all with ease. The Tiny Whoop Racer BNF Awesome Sauce Edition retails for $139.71-$154.85 and can be found at tinywhoop.com. -Matt Ruddick [email protected]
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