TEST: Eachine “FatBee” FB90, the 2S Whoop

[Drone News]

INTRODUCTION

After the QX70, here is another ducted brushed racer, i.e. the Eachine FB90 “Fatbee”. The similarities between both models are important but the main difference is probably the presence of a 2S system… which should bring much more power out of the box than QX70 (was not hard since the QX70 is completly underpowered).

BOX CONTENT

+ 1 x Eachine FB90 (with a 2S 400mAh LiPo with microLOSI connector)
+ 1 x USB charging cable
+ 4 x Spare props (2 CW, 2 CCW)
+ 1 x Spare LiPo
+ 2 x Spare motors (1 CW, 1CCW)
+ 3 x Velcro bands
+ 1 x Wrench tool
+ 1 x Instruction manual (English)

OVERVIEW

As many many last QX’s and EX’s machine from Eachine, the main ingredients are the same: powerfull SPF3 board, good receivers: FrSky (D8), FlySkt (AFHDS) or DSM2, efficient AIO FPV 25mW 48CH camera. As the QX70, you have the same ducted system and the same props….. For this latter, it’s not a good choice if you already read some QX70’s reviews.

-FRONT VIEW

and with the battery strapped beneath

Two leds are installed behind eyes

They change color proportionally to the throttle input and configurable through cleanflight/betaflight.

-SIDE VIEW
No visible USB port latteraly

-REAR VIEW
Neither rear

-UPPER VIEW
With the original props, the same models as for the QX70

-BOTTOM VIEW
Real 3K carbon monobloc element with 1mm of thickness.

When Velcro bands are installed

-WEIGHT

With the battery and velcro bands. Close to 64g!!!! 10g more heavier than QX70 model, so close to 20% more

Motors

Probably one the main feature, the 2S compatible 8520 motors. A tiny 1mm connector allow an easy maintenance.
Probably with 2S power and the 63g…. they are “living” into a huge stress and it’s really a good idea to provide two spare motors

LiPo

A 2S 400mAh LiPo with microLOSI connector but no balancer plug !!!!!! It’s known that USB charger often overcharge cells … It means, with balancing, the probability to damage the FB90 batteries is non zero with the USB charger.

AIO FPV Camera module

Still a 25mW but here a “simple” 520TVL CMOS camera. Paradoxally, the camera offers super vivid colors and relatively good light handling.
“TVL size” do not matter … for camera.

The camera support fix the lens orientation to 0 degrees. Probably by inserting a piece of foam front, you can ajust a small positive angle.

The front button permits to flip the camera when pressed shortly and if pressed more than 2s, to cycle between NTSC (default) and PAL systems.
The rear button selects the Vband when pressed more than 2s (6 bands supported in total) and a short press cycles between each of 8 Vfreq inside the current band.

Disassembling

Release the four rear dark yellow clips to remove the top plastic canopy. Be gentle during the release process to not break these thin plastic tabs

The linear 5.8G antenna is parallel the board and clearly not correctly installed to favorize horizontal signal propagation….
A mod would consist to bend gently the antenna and dril a hole on the top of the canopy to install it more vertically.

We can still deeply regret the absence of a builtin Buzzer …. a must to have to play the FB90 in a more wider field (despite its yellow color)

To acess to the microUSB, you will need each time to remove the top canopy section.
A mod would consist to cut the last third of the plastic canopy to make an easy USB access

On the front right of FC, at least for the FrSky version, you have two pads to be short to enter into the binding mode. Use a tweezer or a screwdriver

Mods

As for the QX70, the hubsan’s triblad mod is working great for the FB90

http://www.banggood.com/Hubsan-Upgraded-3-Leaf-Propellers-for-H107L-H107C-H107D-p-970384.html

The antenna mod

UNBOXING, ANALYSIS, CONFIGURATION AND DEMO FLIGHTS

Out of the box with default settings, the FB90 is much much more powerfull than the QX70. It means it’s enjoyable directly. Punchout are not amazing but enough to perform acro IMHO with a minimum of altitude for flips & rolls.
The drawback is the noise emitted by the combo props-motors. Maybe it’s related to the higher RPM asssociated with the 2S motors, but it’s really much more noisy. The machine with default CF settings
is super stable in both angle and acro modes. You have in average 4min-4min30 of flight duration with the default configuration. The 64g AWG is the guilty here.

When the hubsan’s props are installed, the machine becomes more silent, with improved thrust and better flight time (> 5min) just only bonus I strongly advise this mod. As you can see, in the last part of the vdeos, the FB90 can be super fast and nimble… Acro is easy and flips & rolls not a problem. As expected without the antenna mod, despite the FPV signal is super clear and strong in proximity flight, the signal can break when the antenna’s cones are parellel the VRX antenna. Nothing catastrophic and an easy fix can improve the situation.

Other acro flight mode demo

CONCLUSIONS

The Fatbee FB90 works fine out of the box with a minimum of setting operation (binding and flight mode). The machine is clearly much more powerfull than the QX70 but much more noisy in the other hand. While the QX70 is almost a indoors only machine the FB90 is also promising for outdoors in calm wind situations. It’s fast and nimble while being stronger. I strongly recommand to install better 40mm props (such as the Hubsan’s modded model). With this 2USD mod, the FB90 performances are boosted !!!! and becomes one of my favorite brushed acro trainer. Even if 2 extra motors are given in the bundle, I am afraid the MTBF of motors is poor and statically every 20 flights, you will need some motor maintenance.

PROS

+ Much powerfull than classic 1S equivalent
+ SPF3 board (CF/BF compatible)
+ Good AIO FPV camera
+ Good radio and FPV rance (> 100m & < 150-200m in LOS conditions) + 8520 2S motors + Spare motors + Spare battery + Programmable LEDs + Superb acro flyer with the Hubsan's prop mod

CONS

– Same Heavy, not efficient and unbalanced props as for the QX70
– Noisy
– No possibility to tune the lens tilt orientation
– Bad VTX’s antenna location
– No balancer plug for the 2S LiPo
– No builtin buzzer
– Durability of 2S motors ?

This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude.
You can find it actually for 73USD at http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-Fatbee-FB90-90mm-Micro-FPV-LED-Racing-Quadcopter-BNF-Based-On-F3-Flight-Controller-p-1089814.html

Cet article TEST: Eachine “FatBee” FB90, the 2S Whoop est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!.

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