Atomic Mercury Frame Kit Assembly Manual

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Brook Jones
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1 Atomic Mercury Frame Kit Assembly Manual Thank you for purchasing the Atomic Aviation Mercury RACEframe! Please read through the entire manual first before beginning assembly of your kit. The order of assembly steps has been carefully considered - we recommend following the instructions in the order they are presented. The stressed skin design of this aircraft requires tight tolerances at each tab and slot fitting. The stiffness of your aircraft frame will depend on achieving a snug fit of these tabs into their slots. It is worth taking time to test fit the parts before removing material. In most cases, mating parts can be worked into place without having to resort to a file or hobby knife, and this will ultimately result in a stiffer airframe. Note that in some cases your kit might ship with updated components that are slightly different from those used to produce the photographs used in this manual. This is normal as we will only update the assembly manual for major product revisions requiring a new build order. Before beginning construction, please make sure your kit includes the following components: FRAME PARTS base plate 1 side plate 2 top plate 1 front LED mounting plate 1 rear LED mounting plate 1 motor mount plates 4 tabbed motor mount attachment 4 non-tabbed motor mount attachment 4 boom arm 2 FRAME HARDWARE aluminum boom clamp (2 halves) 4 XT60 connector 1 XT60 clamp 1 M3 x 30 cap screw 4 QTY M3 x 4 button head screw 16 M3 x 16 nylon screw 4 M2.5 x 14 button head screw 8 M2.5 x 6 cap screw 8 M2.5 x 6 button head screw 2 M3 x 3 nylon spacer 4 M3 x 5 nylon spacer 4 M3 hex nut 4 M3 nylon nut 4 M2.5 anodized aluminum washers 8 o-ring 4 1

1. Use a small file or hobby knife to trim sprue flashing from the frame plates and booms.

that are required for assembly of the frame. 2.

This plate is not symmetrical - take careful note of the hole pattern at the rear which

2 1. Use a small file or hobby knife to trim sprue flashing from the frame plates and booms. NOTE: Be careful to distinguish between flashing, which must be removed, and functional tabs that are required for assembly of the frame. 2. Position the base plate as shown on your work surface. This plate is not symmetrical - take careful note of the hole pattern at the rear which indicates correct orientation. The front of the frame is at the top of the picture. If building with the optional carbon fiber base plate, the top has a matte finish and the bottom has a semi-gloss finish. 2

3 3. Insert a M2.5 x 14 button head screw from the bottom of the hole shown below. 4. Mount the XT60 battery connector to the underside of the frame using the aluminum mounting bracket and 2 M2 x 6 button head screws as shown. You ll notice that the bracket has a small raised section on one side of it. It corresponds to an indentation on the connector (where it says XT60). Make sure these line up as you install the bracket. 3

5. Remove the aluminum boom clamps from the bag of hardware and separate them into two piles according to whether they have threaded holes or through holes. 6.

4 5. Remove the aluminum boom clamps from the bag of hardware and separate them into two piles according to whether they have threaded holes or through holes. 6. Mount the boom clamps to the base plate using the remaining M2.5 x 14 screws. The screws insert through the base plate from underneath, pass through the lower clamp half (with through holes), and finally thread into the upper clamp half (with threaded holes). Tighten the screws just enough to keep the clamp halves in place; it is not necessary to fully tighten the screws at this time. 7. Mount the side plates on the base plate. Note that the side plates have a top and a bottom and a front and rear. Review the photo below to ensure they are oriented correctly. The hook is at the top, and points forward, away from the battery hookup. Start at the middle tab/slot and carefully bend a side plate into position to fit the next tab 4

into a slot, working first toward the rear, then the front. Repeat until the entire side plate is formed into position. 8. Install the booms by sliding them through the side plates and boom clamps.

NOTE: The LEDs, camera, and other electronics are not included with this kit. Installation of these components is easiest if done at this time, before completing final assembly of the frame.

5 into a slot, working first toward the rear, then the front. Repeat until the entire side plate is formed into position. 8. Install the booms by sliding them through the side plates and boom clamps. The holes in the booms should be located between the boom clamps and should point inward, towards the center of the frame as shown. NOTE: The LEDs, camera, and other electronics are not included with this kit. Installation of these components is easiest if done at this time, before completing final assembly of the frame. Some helpful hints for installing your electronics are provided below. If you are just assembling the frame by itself to test fit the parts, skip to step 17 and disregard any wiring suggestions. 9. Glue the LEDs into the front and back mounting bars using silicone or other flexible adhesive. The front LEDs should be installed in the configuration shown - with the camera orientation notch pointing to the right. Let the silicone adhesive dry with the mounting bars under the weight of a large book or other heavy object. When the silicone is dry, clean any expunged silicone from the LED mounting bars with a hobby knife. 5

NOTE: Thinking ahead now about routing the LED wiring will make this much easier when we get to it in a future step.

routing the wiring. 10. Test fit the camera into the front LED mounting bar and temporarily install it onto the frame.

Be gentle while working with the camera wires as they are thin and will break if over-flexed. 11.

6 NOTE: Thinking ahead now about routing the LED wiring will make this much easier when we get to it in a future step. Whether you are installing fixed color LEDs or addressable LEDs, read ahead to the relevant steps to understand how we recommend routing the wiring. 10. Test fit the camera into the front LED mounting bar and temporarily install it onto the frame. Observe the angle at which the lead wires must leave the camera in order for them to run properly under the front boom. Be gentle while working with the camera wires as they are thin and will break if over-flexed. 11. Carefully remove the camera and manipulate the lead wires into the required exit angles. Apply 5 minute epoxy or hot glue to the back of the camera board to provide protection as well as strain relief to the wires. 6

12. The 4 nylon M3 x 16 screws and assorted nylon spacers

stack. The screws should be inserted from underneath.

7 12. The 4 nylon M3 x 16 screws and assorted nylon spacers are included for mounting your PDB and flight controller stack. The screws should be inserted from underneath. With the PDB installed, complete wiring for your battery connector, ESCs, and accessories. With all electronics are wired, install your flight controller and complete the required connections. 7

13. LED installation is slightly different depending on whether fixed color LEDs or addressable LEDs are being

dressable LEDs. a. Fixed color LEDs are powered directly from the 12V regulator on your PDB.

Note that only the inner solder points on the front bar and center solder points on the rear bar must be

Solder small lengths of 24/26AWG wire to connect the positive and negative terminals of the two LED strips on

Carefully trim a small section of insulation from the middle of each wire and solder a 100mm power line

8 13. LED installation is slightly different depending on whether fixed color LEDs or addressable LEDs are being used. See 13a for tips on installing fixed color LEDs, or 13b for addressable LEDs. a. Fixed color LEDs are powered directly from the 12V regulator on your PDB. Remove the adhesive backing from the LED strips and scrape away the glue from the solder points. Note that only the inner solder points on the front bar and center solder points on the rear bar must be cleaned. Solder small lengths of 24/26AWG wire to connect the positive and negative terminals of the two LED strips on the front LED mounting bar. Carefully trim a small section of insulation from the middle of each wire and solder a 100mm power line (24/26AWG) to each lead. Use the camera as a guide to make sure that these power leads will not interfere with the camera when installed. Solder a 24/26AWG power lead to the central power leads of the rear LED strip. Remove the front and rear LED mounting bars and spray the backs with black spray Plasti-Dip (preferred) or black spray paint. Set the LED mounting bars aside to dry. 8

9 b. Addressable LEDs (WS2812) are installed differently, requiring 5V power from your PDB and a signal wire from your flight controller. They have a directionality with an input side and an output side indicated by printed arrows on the strip, and they must be daisy-chained together to work properly. We recommend wiring them as shown with the right/rear corner as the beginning of the chain, and the left/front corner the end. Installation of a connector at the left/front corner as shown will simplify future removal of the front LED bar in the event the camera requires service. 9

Solder the LED power leads to the appropriate terminals on your PDB. 15. Route the motor leads through the booms.

10 14. Install the camera into the front LED mounting bar. Install both front and back LED mounting bars onto the frame, routing the camera and LED wiring underneath the booms. Solder the LED power leads to the appropriate terminals on your PDB. 15. Route the motor leads through the booms. This process is made easier by crossing the wires left-to-right and right-to-left as they enter the boom. In this way, the ESCs on the left of the aircraft will drive the motors on the right and vice versa. 10

16. Fix the motors to the motor mount plates using 4 M3 x 4mm screws for each motor.

Note that the motor mount plates each have a large and small bump on opposite sides of one another.

rear motors. 17. Each motor mount sub-assembly is built by attaching one tabbed plate and one non-tabbed plate to each motor mount.

11 16. Fix the motors to the motor mount plates using 4 M3 x 4mm screws for each motor. The lead wires should point toward the side with the two longer, rounded tabs as shown. Note that the motor mount plates each have a large and small bump on opposite sides of one another. The large bump is intended to protect the motor in the event of a collision and so must face forward on the front motors and backwards on the rear motors. 17. Each motor mount sub-assembly is built by attaching one tabbed plate and one non-tabbed plate to each motor mount. The tabbed plate mounts to the side with the motor wire leads as shown. A small file can be used to open the slots in these plates if they are difficult to slide on. NOTE: These plates should fit snugly, and opening the slots to the point of being loose will adversely affect the performance of the aircraft. 11

As mentioned earlier, the bumpers on the motor mount plates face outward, to protect the motors in a

12 18. Slide an o-ring onto each motor arm. Build the motor mounts onto the booms. Secure each assembly with an M3 x 30 screw and M3 nut. As mentioned earlier, the bumpers on the motor mount plates face outward, to protect the motors in a collision. 19. Mount the coax extension for your video transmitter into the hole at the back of the top plate as shown. 20. Before installing the top plate, finish installing and test all electronics. 12

13 21. Mount the aircraft top plate to the frame. The front of the top plate has the Atomic Aviation logo laser etched into it. (An optional colored top plate is shown to make the position of the logo more clear.) Begin at the hooked tabs near the middle. Hook the top plate then move toward the front aligning the tabs as you go. Use 4 M2.5 x 6 cap screws and aluminum screw skirts to secure the front section. Do the same with the rear of the top plate and secure with the remaining cap screws and skirts. Finally, use the o-rings to secure the ends of the front and rear LED bars. 22. There are many flight controllers and flight control software options in the world of FPV racing today. Tuning your flight controller depends heavily on motor and prop size, battery voltage, not to mention personal preference. The following screenshot shows a sample tune for Mercury with a Naze32 flight controller running Cleanflight with kV motors, 6x4.5 props, and a 4S battery. 13

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