Protection

Table of Contents Hardening the EPP Challenges Instructions Popular material Camera Waterproof electronics Retrieving a crashed and lost drone

Hardening the EPP

Using polyester covering film to laminate the drone.

Challenges

• weight (/thickness)
• stiffness
• keeping barometer, sensors, ailerons clear

Instructions

• flitetest: quick tip laminating a foam core wing/flitetest: how to apply laminate film

Popular material

• Top Flite MonoKote Flexible High-Gloss Polyester Covering Film (Clear) Aliexpress
• 'new stuff' 5
• Hobbyking's covering film

Camera

The lens on the nose is difficult to replace and easy to scratch or dislodge (leading to out of focus).

Many use a CPL filter (polarisation) or ND2/ND4 filter (grey filter, helping against over-exposure). a 37mm filter can be fitted with a GoPro Hero 3 adapter.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=39457952&postcount=2159 https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=39460928&postcount=2174 https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=39442083&postcount=2089 ===3d printed lenses https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2907463 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3037963

Waterproof electronics

CorrosionX can be used to protect electronics (servos, C.H.U.C.K. except the barometer) from water/corrosion^[1][2]

Retrieving a crashed and lost drone

disco4g can track your drone with 4g and built-in gps, even when you're flying over wifi. Downside: if the drone crashes so hard the system shuts down, the locationing will also shut down.

Stand-alone trackers can be the solution: https://uavcoach.com/find-lost-drone-3-awesome-gps-drone-trackers/

another route is having an RF or beeping locator beacon in the drone