HGLRC Arrow 3 Mini Quadcopter Build
Mini racing drones can be a lot of fun for the large majority of people, regardless if they are adults, beginners or kids. Such compact toys can provide an entertaining piloting experience without the risks of using a professional drone. These gadgets can be easily bought from anywhere on the internet. However, that doesn’t offer such an entertaining experience as building a DIY quadcopter like the HGLRC Arrow 3 Mini Build that we’ll talk about in this article.
Building your own drone might seem like a useless hassle in an age where drones are available in every store. However, putting together a drone yourself will give you a better understanding of how such a vehicle works, and it will also allow you to appreciate it more. Such a building experience can also represent a lot of fun for kids, giving them a sense of accomplishment and a useful engineering lesson. Without any further ado, let’s see how we can build the HGLRC Arrow 3 Mini Quadcopter.
The Parts
The Arrow3 mini drone is offered in two FPV variants, giving users more options to choose from. You can pick the 4S model that features 3600KV motors or the 6S variant with 2400KV motors. Each of them comes with a radio receiver in the package.
This mini racing drone has FPV capabilities that will allow you to follow its movements in real-time and watch the live footage. This will benefit you both when racing but also when creating content. All of this is possible thanks to the Caddx Ratel camera and the mini transmitter GLRC XJB TX20 that comes with 5.8G/48CH technologies.
- These are all of the necessary parts that are included in the package:
- Forward F4 Mini Flight Control
- Forward 45A 4in1 Mini ESC
- HGLRC XJB TX20.V2 Mini FPV Transmitter
- Caddx Ratel Camera
- HGLRC Arrow3 Hybrid Frame Kit
- HGLRC Forward 1408 3600KV 3-4S Brushless Motors
- Gemfan 3052 3 Inch 3-Blade Propeller
HGLRC FD445 Stack
The Forward F4 Mini Flight Control stack from HGLRC is only 20x20mm in size, making it quite practical. The 4in1 ESC is a bit bulkier due to its MOSFET. The two parts are made to work together, the users only having to interconnect their cables.
Here are the specs of these essential parts:
Forward F4 MINI FC
- CPU: STM32F405R6T6
- MPU: MPU6000-SPI
- Input Voltage: 2-6S
- Firmware: Betaflight OMNIBUSF4V6
- BEC Output: 5V@3A
- Size: 25.0×25.0mm
- Weight:4.7g
Forward 45A 4in1 MINI ESC
- Firmware: BLHELI_32
- Input Voltage: 2-6S
- Constant Current: 45A(4S) or 35A (6S)
- Peak Current: 55A (5s)
- No BEC Output
- Size: 31.7×36.5mm
- Weight: 10.8g
The stack is a great choice because of its lightweight design, making it ideal for 3-inch builds. As it is rated for 45A you can also easily use it in 5-inch drones. The specs have great versatility, enabling you to use the same stack for the 4S and maybe even the 6S model from HGLRC.
The stack comes with a large number of o-rings that might be a bit confusing at first sight. However, they are meant for soft mounting the Flight Control. It’s best to use three o-rings between the FC and the ESC.
Motors and Frame
Depending on the 4S or 6S version you’re choosing, the motors prove to be a bit different. The 4S 3-inch version 3600KV motors from HGLRC. Although the screws are a bit tiny, the magnets featured on these motors seem to be sturdy enough with a nice design.
The 3-inch frame coming in the package with this build has quite an eye-catching and stylish design. At an overall weight of 41g, it might not be the lightest for a 3-inch build like the HGLRC Arrow 3 Mini Quadcopter but, it gets the job done. The increased weight is due to the carbon fiber coating meant to increase the longevity of this drone.
The arms of this build are replaceable and united together by a 2mm sheet of carbon fiber. They are 4mm thick whilst the plate is 2mm. The kit of the frame features M2 steel bolts meant to fixate your FC stack. They are long and strong enough to hold the FC and the ESC together. The overall height of the stack can be as much as 25mm.
Building the Drone
Initially, you have to mount the receiver on top of the FC. You’ll have to attach an RX at the bottom of the F4, under the ESC, to accomplish this. Using nylon standoffs under the ESC is recommended.
The VTX has to be mounted on top of the FC with foam tape and the antenna has to go on top of the VTX. You can even strap it to the standoffs to increase the durability. Once you completed the build, the drone is ready to fly and even run 3.5-inch propellers.
Here are the final specs of this drone:
- 152mm sized carbon fiber frame;
- 4s and 6s versions available;
- Forward F4 Mini flight controller w/ built-in BetaFlight OSD;
- 1408 3600KV (4s) or 2400KV (6s) brushless motors;
- Gemfan 3052 3 inch 3-blade propellers;
- Forward 45A 4in1 Mini ESC;
- Caddx Ratel 1200TVL FPV Camera;
- HGLRC XJB TX20.V2 5.8G/48CH Mini FPV Transmitter (25/100/200/350mW power);
- Optional Frsky XM+ Receiver or FlySky FS-ABS V2 radio receiver.
Conclusion
This HGLRC Arrow 3 Mini Build represents a great opportunity for any quadcopter enthusiast to experience with building their vehicles. It can be quite a fun activity both for experienced and beginner users. If built correctly, the drone will turn out to be quite fast, delivering good-enough results.
