Hi Jason,
When You have time could You tell us little more about the battery tray solution You made. The thinking behind the design, weight, function etc.
/Bo
Hi Bo,
The thinking behind the battery tray was to provide a larger range of adjustment for different weight packs and eliminate Velcro straps. It also incorporates the ESC mount under the front which makes the whole assembly modular and easily removable from the model. This tray design is an evolution of previous designs which were all cut by hand. The CNC machine opens up new possibilities in this respect.
The main plate is secure to the fuse with six 100mm cable ties and two slots at the front. The battery plates can move up and down the main plate which provides quite a big range of adjustment. I have found that moving between a 485 gram pack to 600 gram pack results in a mounting difference of about 1 1/4" to maintain the same CG.
The weight is somewhat more than expected at 117 grams complete. The weight estimates in Fusion 360 must be slightly out... The main plate and ESC plate weigh about 36 grams which is reasonable. Anyway, this is a prototype so weight savings are definitely possible. For starters, the battery plates and clamp could be made out of 1mm Carbon instead of 2 and 1.5mm respectively. The structure as it stands is very rigid. Thinner material and more lightening holes will reduce the weight to good levels.
Cheers,
Jason.