DIY F550 Hexacopter Frame Kit with Pixhawk Fight Controller+7M +Simonk 30A ESC + 2212 920KV Motor

I was able to build this successfully with minimal effort after getting a few replacement parts from the seller. Overall its very durable and a great beginner drone build project. Requires some soldering and computer skill.

*Update below as of 5/26/18*Build is complete, but not without some issues. Added on the 'missing' i2s expansion board. Unless I'm hooking it up wrong, the add-on LED does not work. In addition, the external USB port integrated into the LED module causes errors with communication between both a wired connection to Mission Planner, and a USB wireless telemetry connection (not included in the kit). Simply having the external USB module plugged in prevents the computer from recognizing the USB device even when plugged directly into the pixhawk flight controller and prevents a heartbeat sync with the telemetry module. As soon as I disconnected the external USB port, everything was back to normal. One of the mounting holes in one of the motors was stripped. Should not cause an issue, but annoying. As for flight, this is a big bird and takes some getting used to but is amazingly agile for it's large size. If you are a bit heavy with the controls, dial back the sensitivity of the sticks until you get used to its responsiveness.*Original Review*This is my first full DIY kit after playing with a Sigma x8c and then upgrading it to brushless motors. A few things to note:1) the colors of my frame do not match the pictures or the DJI it is modled after. The white is more cream and the red is more brick. Not a terrible issue, but if you are fixed on the colors, don't be.2) the arms have some give to them. Probably a fiber reinforced nylon. This is not a bad thing in that they should handle a rough landing better than other glass composites. I may add some carbon fiber rods to stiffen the arms a bit if needed.3) there are no real instructions with this kit. As long as you understand the pieces, you should be able to get the basics put together. YouTube will be your friend for programming the pixhawk and basic configuration.4) The GPS module has an integral compass as a redundancy for positioning. It uses the i2s port. There is also a combination USB and status LED board. The USB has its own connection but the status LED connects to the i2s port. There are expansion modules for the i2s port so that both could be used, but one is not provided. Simple thing, so this is the reason for the lost star. I consider it an incomplete kit due to this.5) the GPS mount is collapsible even though it is not mentioned. You will need an addition washer to secure the mount in the provided slots. I had to cut off about 1cm of the fiberglass rod to give enough wire to reach the pixhawk. You will also need some super glue to keep everything together.All-in-all this seems like a good kit and a good proce for what is provided. I'm about 90% through assembly and will follow up once complete. I'm looking to use this as a camera rig for both aerial photography and just for fun stuff with the various teams my kids are a part of.

The build is not very difficult but novices should first watch a few YouTube videos. My biggest problem was that the feet sent with this kit were meant for another hexacopter. The description in the one sheet of paper included with the feet show a different set and the ones included do not even have holes that coincide with the suggested mounting options. I ordered a different set. The esc wires also are a tad short for this size of hexacopter, with the front two barely reaching the Pixhawk.

I built this as my first drone, it was a great first build and let me have plenty of flexibility to work things out. I made it to the point of starting to add cameras and better landing gear, etc, when I flew it into a tree. Enough of the components survived that I rebuilt it as a 450 size quad. The hex version is so much stabler and smoother. I have gone on to build several other drones, and my best advise would be to immediately order different landing gear with skids rather than the individual legs. The legs are kind of catchy when landing, and a gust can make a leg catch and make the copter do unexpected (bad) things. Also, immediately buy spare props, the ones included do the job but are very brittle and should be considered disposable to the pilot.

Much easier to assemble than I expected. Not a backyard kind of copter but very nice.

I was able to put this together and get it flying in a couple of days. Great fun.However, one thing lets it down: the poor quality flight controller and GPS.This particular Pixhawk is made very cheaply. The compass wouldn't keep its heading, and the accelerometers and gyros were poor. It flies, but not that well.My advice is to get a good quality Pixhawk 2.4.8 and GPS. It flies much better. Position hold is solid. Even if you spend 150 on upgrading those, the overall cost is still a bargain for a large hexacopter.