A few people have asked me what my setup if for the Turnigy Tek-Sumo and Red20RC FPV Pod. So for those who asked…

Turnigy Tek-Sumo and Red20RC, a match made in heaven!

Here is my setup in detail:

• Wing (obviously): Turnigy Tek-Sumo EPP Flying Wing
• Motor: Turnigy Park 450 1200kv
• ESC: Turnigy Plush 30A
• Prop: CRP 9×4
• Battery: 2200 – 5200mah 3S LiPo
• Receiver: FrSky V8FR-II
• Servos: HKSCM9 Single-chip digital servo
• FPV Camera: Turnigy IC120SHS (PAL) mini cased CCD camera
• FPV Transmitter: ImmersionRC 600mw 5.8ghz and FatShark power filter
• Antenna: IRC Spironet RHCP

RBBE – Really Big Bunny Ears

I only fitted the new bunny ears just before this video was recorded. I had noticed the Tek-Sumo suffered quite a bit with buffeting and yaw waggle so was looking to reduce this if I could. The bunny ears had been designed for the Blunt-Nose Versa Wing project some time ago but as the Tek-Sumo is around the same size I though I would give them a go.

I wanted to make them as light and streamlined as possible so I didn’t use the normal 5mm coroplast and instead opted for 5mm foam board. Obviously this just isn’t going to last as long as the plastic sheet so I took the time to laminate the winglets in 5mil laminating pouch plastic. This worked really well and by working around the leading edge of the winglet with the iron I was also able to achieve a smooth rounded section.

Flight Performance

You really wouldn’t notice the added weight of the Red20RC FPV Pod and all that FPV gear and HD camera. In fact, moving to a larger flight pack actually gives a smoother faster flight performance as the increased wing loading reduces buffeting.

For the RBBE test flight I used an old Nanotech 2200mah 3S pack. I always set the timer for 10 minutes but these packs are good for 15-20 with this setup. Imagine what you could do then with a 5200mah pack!!!

Anyway, the bunny ears seemed to improve the waggle despite plenty of turbulent air from those little fluffy clouds.

Should you build one?

The Tek-Sumo is a fantastic flying wing although you can only push the performance of $30 worth of EPP so far. Maybe laminating the whole wing to give it more rigidity and a smoother surface might make things even better.

That said, it is a great introduction to the world of FPV wing flying. It is cheap, tough, and the Red20RC pod makes installing and protecting your FPV cameras a breeze as well as improving the fit for larger flight batteries.

If all you do is fly those little buzzy mini quads you should really expand your horizons, get out from under the trees and go exploring with a wing!