VRC Drone Kit Contents
This page lists the contents of the Bell VRC drone kit necessary for the Phase 1 stabilized flight goal
Last updated
This page lists the contents of the Bell VRC drone kit necessary for the Phase 1 stabilized flight goal
Last updated
As you read through this page please be sure to refer to the glossary, which contains definitions of many of the components on this page. The Bell VRC drone kit includes all of the components required to build your own autonomous quadcopter. The kit provides a frame, motors, electronic speed controllers, flight controller, and some additional peripherals. This section will cover a majority of the components included for Phase 1 of the competition.
Each of the following sections will explain the major components of the VRC kit as well as provide photos for your reference. Be sure to lay out all of the components in your kit and verify with the photos below to make sure nothing is missing.
The VRC frame is the LJI X4 500 quadcopter frame and serves as the body of the VRC drone. It is made out of carbon fiber parts and has a vibration-damped mount for the flight controller (FC). In an upcoming section, we'll cover how to assemble the frame.
Frame size: 500 mm (diagonal), 200 mm (height)
Weight: 475 g (without electronics and motors)
The VRC Flight Controller is provided by NXP and is the brain of the VRC drone. It features NXP sensors and automotive grade components and it is fully supported by PX4 Autopilot software.
The FC comes with a 3D-printed enclosure, which can be mounted on top of the drone with double-sided tape. A microSD card is also included, to which logs will be written during flight. Make sure to insert this SD card before you fly!
The power module provides power to the FC and also includes voltage and current sensors which allow the flight controller to keep track of the battery level. The small white JST-GH connector provides power to the FC. The big black XT60 connectors go to the main battery and the power distribution board (PDB). The PDB included with the frame kit should already have an XT60 connector installed. Note that XT60 connectors are often yellow.
The PDB serves as the power hub for the VRC drone. The FC power module and electronic speed controllers (ESCs) will connect directly to the PDB. The yellow connector soldered to the PDB is known as an XT60 connector.
The kit includes four brushless motors suitable for a quadcopter the size of the VRC drone. Two motors will rotate in a clockwise (CW) direction, and two in a counter-clockwise (CCW) direction. This allows the drone to fly stable without rotating around its vertical axis. Motor rotation and propeller orientation will be covered in detail at the end of this assembly guide.
There are four ESCs or motor controllers included in the VRC kit. The ESCs control the current to the motors based on output from the FC. The motors are connected to the ESCs with three bullet connectors.
The three bullet connectors can be connected in any order. However, when a motor does not turn in the desired direction, two of the three cables should be swapped. The motor will then turn in the opposite direction. We will come back to this during the assembly instructions.
The provided ESCs are able to handle currents up to 40 A (amps) continuously, which should be more than enough when used with the included motors. They support battery configurations between 2 and 6 cells in series. The VRC kit includes a 4S battery provided by Venom Power.
Included in the kit are also two clockwise (CW) turning propellers and two counterclockwise (CCW) propellers, as well as one set of spares. The intended direction of the propeller becomes clear from the shape of the propeller. Looking at it from the side, it curves down towards the back of the propeller blade, with the front being the side which "slices through the air first".
The direction of these self-tightening propellers is also easily recognized by the color of the "integrated" nut. Propellers with a black nut are meant to go clockwise, and propellers with a silver nut go counterclockwise.
For controlling the VRC drone, a radio controller is included. This is also called a transmitter (TX). The TX has several switches to which different actions and functions can be programmed. Settings are changed with a touchscreen, which can also be set up to show telemetry data. The receiver module (RX) connects directly to the FC. An orange 3D printed component for mounting the antennas of the receiver is included in the kit.
The power system of choice for the Bell VRC drone is a 5000mAh, 4S LiPo battery and charger provided by Venom Power. Understanding how to handle, charge, and store LiPo batteries is incredibly important. In an upcoming section, just before the initial flight test, we will cover battery basics in detail.
