LATEST MODS

The following is a paper canopy I just folded, based on CyLLiKA’s work.

Paper is a blue cardstock with a nice sheen/texture. Got it on sale from Michael’s craft store for $0.12. Each 12×12 can make at least two canopy.

The core of the paper is the same as the surface. So your cut lines are hidden and looks very finished.

Here are some photos:

Eyes are cut out of vinyl and I tried place over the seam to further strengthen it.

You can see the sheen the paper has. Looks nice and gives enough texture and pop that makes the canopy appear like it’s, well…not made out of paper. :) I shot the flash directly on it to try and get the sheen to show through on the photo.

A close up for the panel lines. The core of the paper being the same color as the surface helps to hide the paper edge. Plus, I modified CyLLiKA’s template so the gluing tabs all comes from the lower panel. This allow the edge of the top panel to always be facing down. Makes for a more clean look on the finish canopy.

A slightly different angle.

Thought up a hidden mount system to allow for no canopy mount holes and also to ensure the canopy clears the servo and servo rods.

A peek at the component of the hidden canopy mount system. Weight penalty of 0.08g per mount piece. Still need field test and crash/durabilities testing done.

And a bonus…

Carbon Fiber pattern printed on semi-gloss photo paper and then cut out, used chisel tip black sharpie to quickly go over the white edge. Then folded and eyes and side decals to finish. Looks pretty nice despite some bad gluing at a couple of spots.

Do you need a new canopy for your new Nano CP X without having to pay the $12.49 Horizon Hobby charges for a replacement? Well, you’re in luck because the Solo Pro and V911 canopies fit perfectly on the Blade nCPX. You can find these replacement canopies for as low $0.99 at oversea retailer. Or check eBay for dealers in the states.

The top mounting position fits perfectly. Then you can leave at is and punch a new hole for the lower mount, or trim the lines for a custom look.

This mods pros and cons list:

Pros:

• The v911’s canopy is much, much, much more durable over the stock nCPX. Weighs ~2.25g. The Solo Pro canopy weighs ~1.85g. (Depending on how you trim.)
• very affordable. MyRCMart carries them from $0.99. Or order from Banggood.com
• alternate look, lines to your nCPX.
• Easy, simple mod!
• No leftover holes that says, look…I re-purposed a canopy from another model.
• Paint scheme and words removable with nail polish remover so you can repaint as you like.
• Bonus: A good way to hide your new purchase from the significant other. Disguised as a cheap $20 chinese FP heli.

Cons:

• Heavier than stock (1.58g)
• No Blade/nano CPX branding on the heli.

Here’s a red v911 canopy as it is.

Very easy, moderate trimming and you can reshape the canopy to your liking. Here’s one variation. I didn’t punch the hole yet. You can angle the canopy up or down before you punch that second hole. It fits over the battery tray perfectly, and you can still insert the battery all the way forward.

An alternate view.

Here’s what it looks like with yellow Nine Eagles Solo Pro styling. It’s very vibrant and actually matches the nCPX yellow tail better than the nCPX’ own canopy does.

The Solo Pro’s canopy material is similar to the nCPX’ stock canopy. The v911 canopy however, is a very durable plastic. That’s the one to get for durability. Or get them all. It’s cheap!!!

Here’s the Solo Pro in blue. Also known as the Soars in some parts of the world.

The blue v911 canopy looks like this:

The v911 also comes in it’s default Black and Orange pattern that reminds me of Trex RC helicopters.

There’s also the yellow and white version of the clone v911 heli, which doesn’t have the intake scoop at the top.

Anyways, hope those are good leads to finding cheap canopies that fits your new Blade Nano CP X. They take a much better beating than the stock nCPX canopy. Important if you’re going to be doing 3D. :)

Additional Resources:
Link to discussion thread on HeliFreak.

Some people are still waiting on their package to arrive. What better way to past the time than to look at some heli porn? Uploading some clean shots of the new Blade Nano CP X for your viewing pleasure.

Here’s a peek at what I’ve been working on. A v929 canopy made from clear PETG. That way, I can paint from underneath like one commonly does to lexan bodies for R/C cars. This prevents the paint from getting scuffed up during crashes. I tried my best to balance weight and durability with this canopy. Too thick the material and you add unnecessary weight. Too thin and the canopy loses durability. This custom canopy fits the Blade mQX too.

I also made some decals for the motor mount and motor cover. It took a lot of trial and errors but the completed decal fits perfectly! Look how complex the motor cover decal is.

I found that painting took too much work because you gotta sand, prime and then paint multiple layers. Otherwise, the paint chips off very easily. The decals gives a perfect glossy finish, but doesn’t chip off like paint does. Another negative about paint is that the multiple primer and paint layer builds up, adding weight and making it very difficult and tight fitting for the bearings.

One of the challenge was to make it so I can repeatedly and accurately put on the decals. The solution I found made it possible to get these decals lined up properly. Luckily these decals can be peeled off, returning the item back to it’s original form. Or simply to fix any mistake in putting it on. ;)

Here is a front view of the motor mount with the decal on. Decals allow you to paint motor mount any color you want, and then contrast it with a decal. Here, I painted the motor mount white and put on red decals to match the canopy.

And here is a decal applied to a motor cover.

Let me know what you think.