Zoe Stumbaugh flying a heavily modified version of the 290mm Blackout Spider Hexacopter design that she named “Rat” won the 1st AMA-sanctioned First-Person-View (FPV) race in May 2015.
The modifications Zoe made to the Rat were one of the main reasons she won. They included:
• Adjusting the frame and profile of the hexacopter to the point where it weighed 512 grams, giving it a better thrust-to-weight ratio.
• Adjusting the profile of the camera mounts for better viewing and support during fast flight.
• Running the electric motors over original specifications in order to get the same power as a larger motor without the additional weight.
• Tinkering with the electric speed controllers to synchronize better with the motors.
Zoe also practiced a lot. “For months I’d fly, crash, build, repeat,” she said in an email to Museum Director Michael Smith in May 2015. “It became a normal part of my life and something I went to bed thinking about and woke up looking forward to.” Later in the email she stated that while practicing her focus was on doing race line runs as well as keeping all the movements precise and accurate.
All the hard work paid off during the race.
Shortly after the race in 2015 Zoe donated the Rat, her Turnigy 9xRPro transmitter and Boscam FPV goggles to the museum with the added comment of “keep flying!”
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