FPV Easy Star

FPV Easy Star Projects

The Easy Star from Multiplex is one of the most popular FPV planes and a great begginer/trainer. The canopy area is ideal for adding cameras and/or a custom canopy. The trainer like handling allows even a first time FPV pilot to be successful at flying.

The Easy Star is made from EPP foam so it won't explode into thousands of pieces like regular foam planes when encountering a hard landing or crash. Hot glue or Medium CA can easily be used for repairs of damaged areas. The Easy Star is a Pusher Prop design so it's safer plus this also makes it ideal for FPV as there is no blurring in the forward view from the propeller allowing for a better video picture. The pusher prop design also saves on props and motors where as with normal front prop driven plane that may strike the ground on less then perfect landings causing a prop and/or motor to be broken off. I have 2 Easy Stars and purchased them in back in Feb. 2007 and they are both still flying today (Jan. 2011) with over a hundred flights and many crashes. There not as pretty as they where in 2007 but still fly great...even with the extra added glue from fixes (Crash9). Resently I put together 2 more Easy stars and retired the older blue ones. Even after testing and owning numerous FPV planes the Easy Star is still hands down one of the best all-around FPV planes. Light like a Glider or weighted down with a heavy payload they fly great and easy to mod them.

Easy Star with longer Easy Glider wings for better payload lifting.

Crash9's 2 Easy Stars for dog fights. One is 900mhz and the other 1.3ghz.

Easy Star with GoPro Hero HD camera, AVM-100GPS with tilt and HS-85MG modded 180 degree servo for panning.

6061 T6 Aluminum Canopy for Easy Star.
After having a small crash with my Easy Star where I saw the camera and panning servo fly off and smack the ground as the balsa ply canopy broke from the impact I decided that I needed a stronger mount for my expensive FPV gear. Not only is aluminum strong and light weight at only 10 grams more but the camera/servo won't break away in a crash sending the gear flying off causing even greater damage/expense...this way it will stay intact and protected. Also the Aluminum canopy works as a Heatsink for the wireless video transmitter as long as it is directly contacted to both surfaces without any isolation like Velcro or double sided tape. This is ideal for higher powered transmitters that have issues with getting hot (500mw or more). The picture above is with the HobbyKing.com 900mhz 800mw TX uncased from it's heavy/bulky heat sink enclosure which has been replaced with the "heatsink/canopy".

Building an Easy Star

When building an Easy Star for FPV it's a good idea to remove the inner 2 walls inside the fuselage before gluing the 2 halves together giving more space for gear to go inside along with access . I also mount the servos further back just below the motor for better CG which is nice when you'll be adding more front nose weight like FPV camera, Etc..this will help counter balance.

The Easy Star wings are ok but I like to add another 1-3/4" to each wing section using a spare set of wings I cut out a section to be used for the add-on. I no longer use the bigger Easy Glider wings as this is better and much cheaper to do.
In the picture Below you can see the added wing sections that are painted Black. This will help with heavier payloads. I also have a set of stock wings with ailerons for sportier flights that don't require heavy payloads.

To help with the stock and modded Easy Star wings I add a flat CF rod to help remove any wing flap that exist when you load them up with FPV gear. Wing flapping will cause a bumpy flight and poor performance. To do this I don't just make a slice in the foam with a sharp knife but I cut a channel the size of the CF flat stock. This will allow the wing to keep it's airfoil shape. If you just slice it and stuff the CF in the wing without curving a channel the top of the wing shape will be deformed slightly so I recommend channeling.
I also do this same sort of mod to the tail but with a smaller CF flat stock. It gives a stiffer stronger tail that isn't going to easily break or flutter when flying fast.

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