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Gep RC Smart 35
Dual Stack Build
The Gep RC Smart 35 airframe has both single and dual 20 x 20 mount stack holes. Typically, the single central 20 x 20 mount would be used for an AIO (All In One) flight controller, with the option of an analog VTX or even a naked Vista mounted above in the stack. This is actually the poreferred option for this frame.
However, for stacks which have a separate 4 in one ESC and flight controller, the space is too limited to have a single stack. This is where the dual stack option comes into play. Typically, in a dual stack, the ESC / FC are mounted in one stack with the VTX and other components mounted in the other stack. In this build, we utilise the dual stack mount and actually have room to also mount the Fettek spike absorber / capacitor and receiver in the stacks.
Stack Design Considerations
STANDOFF CLEARANCE
Because of the proximity of the stand-offs behind the side plates to the 20 x 20 mount at the front, you will need to ensure that your flight controller and ESC are both smaller than 29 mm front to back. In this build, the ESC from the Diatone Mamba Stack Basic F405 Mini FC stack combo fits okay. However, the FC board at 29 mm touches the standoff. To fix this problem the FC was swapped out for a Foxeer Mini F722 V2 with a size of 26 mm giving adequate clearance.Â
BATTERY LEAD PATH
With the Caddx Vista unit mounted in the rear stack, extra spacing was included in the front stack to allow the MIPPI cable to run through the middle of the front stack and attach to the camera. Similarly, the Caddx Vista unit in the rear mount was mounted high enough for the battery wires from the flight controller to run under the Vista Unit and out the rear.Â
The images below show the layup of the stacks in a step-by-step guide. Of importance to note is the spacing of the boards and lengths of the M2 mounting bolts used. For both stacks, 22 mm mounting bolts are used. Spacing below the stacks is important to clear electrical components from the frame, as well as to run wiring and allow cooling of the Vista unit.
Video review on YouTube – Looking at the build process and explaining some of the thoughts behind the build layout
Parts List
- GepRC Smart 35 Airframe
- Diatone Mamba Stack Basic F405 Mini MK3.5 30A (ESC Board Only)
- Foxeer Mini F722 V2 FPV Flight Controller
- Fettec Spike Absorber
- Caddx Vista Unit
- Caddx Nebula Mini 19mm camera
- 8cm MIPI Connector
- Motors - 1504 3100kv Optimal
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