Quick Deploy Case

Rig · Jan 20, 2015

I'm looking to acquire a new case that will allow me to keep the props and gimbal on while in gear-down mode. I'm estimating this will save quite a bit of time, not to mention avoiding the setup dance to get the camera on correctly (exit travel mode, no power), as well as not having to precariously enter travel mode on the OEM case after a flight.

I'm looking at buying a Pelican 1730 and 'plucking' the foam to custom fit the Inspire 1 in this configuration. I'm not concerned with being able to transport it as a carry-on. Is there any reason the props and gimbal should not be attached during transport? Is there any reason not to transport in gear-down mode?

I've given it some thought and can't think of any, nor does the manual mention anything about this, so I thought I would bounce the idea off you guys to make sure I'm not missing something.

Granger · Jan 20, 2015

I wanna do the same, I wanna keep everything attached. Will it fit into a 1730 pelican? controllers, batteries and all?

Rig · Jan 20, 2015

I measured a rough 30" (w) x 18" (d) x 12" (h) with the props on, oriented perpendicular to the ends of the arms like a "T." The 1730 interior is 34x24x12.5. The height would be the only tight dimension. Even so, you could still custom fit it for Travel Mode if that's the case. The 1730 has a much larger lid, making it much easier to transform. Before I created a vector map of where everything could fit and how many accessories I could put in with it, I wanted to confirm that it's considered OK to travel in this configuration. Looking at the OEM case, and how much bigger the 1730 is, I'm anticipating that there will be no problems bringing accessories along.

Granger · Jan 20, 2015

nice, i just double checked, you're right. it'll work. i think quite well. im gonna do it

Rig · Jan 20, 2015

Granger said:
nice, i just double checked, you're right. it'll work. i think quite well. im gonna do it

If you're planning on fitting the Inspire 1 in Travel Mode, you may want to re-measure. The measurements I posted were rough estimates in gear-down mode, so travel mode would be a bit wider and shorter.

Wiski23 · Jan 20, 2015

I hear ya. Phantom 2 was great for ease of setup. Out of case and go!
Having to do a setup everytime with the i1 is a bit of a pain.

Tahoe Ed · Jan 20, 2015

Wiski23 said:
I hear ya. Phantom 2 was great for ease of setup. Out of case and go!
Having to do a setup everytime with the i1 is a bit of a pain.

But it does so much more. I have not flown a Phantom or my S900 since I got the Inspire. I fly on airlines all the time with it. Perfect traveling companion. No backpack for hiking yet. I may figure that out later.

Rig · Jan 20, 2015

Tahoe Ed said:
But it does so much more. I have not flown a Phantom or my S900 since I got the Inspire. I fly on airlines all the time with it. Perfect traveling companion. No backpack for hiking yet. I may figure that out later.

Agreed, it's a much more capable bird, but that doesn't mean the setup/breakdown can't be improved. In the case of flying with the airlines, I would probably just use the OEM case as you do. For day-to-day flying in my local area (I flew in 3 different locations yesterday alone; 3x setup/breakdown takes a bit of time), I think the ability to be flight-ready out of the case (with a compass calibration, of course) would save a lot of hassle. An unnecessary luxury, absolutely, but it sounds so tempting to just land, turn off, and put it directly in the case as-is.

Rig · Jan 20, 2015

For anyone interested in doing this, here are some rough dimensions in various configurations for you to compare to cases:

Measured with bird looking at you, props on: Width (left to right) x Depth (front to back) x Height (feet to scalp)

Travel Mode, no camera (props perpendicular): 32 x 17.5 x 8
Travel Mode, no camera (props parallel to arms): 20 x 29 x 8
Gear Down, camera on (props perpendicular): 29.75 x 17.5 x 12
Gear Down, camera on (props parallel to arms): 17.75 x 29 x 12

Rig · Jan 20, 2015

Granger said:
nice, i just double checked, you're right. it'll work. i think quite well. im gonna do it

Granger, the more I think about it, the Inspire 1 won't work well in the Pelican 1730 vertically. The 12.5" interior height is just too short for the 12" tall Inspire 1. I think it should have at least an inch of foam on top and bottom. Now, the 1730 would work in Travel Mode nicely, but that defeats the purpose of a "quick deploy" case since you have to remove the camera to go into Travel Mode. I'll keep looking.

Rig · Jan 20, 2015

I'm shooting for 32 x 20 x 14.

Pelican 1690 is 30.13 x 25.13 x 15.36. The small dimension on this one would be the width, giving a half inch between the props tip and the hard shell. Better than too short on height, IMO. It will work best for accessories if the props are parallel to the bars, and put in with the nose pointing to the left or right side of the case. Alternatively, the props could be angled in slightly to provide more prop protection while sacrificing accessory space, similar to the Go Professional P2 cases. I might make a vector map of this.

Granger · Jan 20, 2015

Tahoe Ed said:
But it does so much more. I have not flown a Phantom or my S900 since I got the Inspire. I fly on airlines all the time with it. Perfect traveling companion. No backpack for hiking yet. I may figure that out later.

Hey. So can u confirm that you can take the inspire as carry on luggage? I don't wanna risk checking it in? I'm flying tmrw. What to do?

kilowonghk · Jan 20, 2015

pls show photos if someone got a good config.

diverreb · Jan 20, 2015

Just note that the foam that usually comes with the Pelican Cases (Pluck to fit the load) doesn't hold up real well. It's why most of the better cases use a harder molded material. I've carried lots of photo/video gear in Pelicans over the years and had to continually replace the foam.

Richie

Rig · Jan 21, 2015

diverreb said:
Just note that the foam that usually comes with the Pelican Cases (Pluck to fit the load) doesn't hold up real well. It's why most of the better cases use a harder molded material. I've carried lots of photo/video gear in Pelicans over the years and had to continually replace the foam.

Richie

Thanks for the tip. I was going to mention to any who consider going with pick/pluck foam, to try applying Plasti-Dip to it after your cuts are finalized. It soaks in and hardens to a soft flexible plastic, making it more durable while also providing adhesion to the pre-cut scores. Do you have any experience with this Richie?

diverreb · Jan 21, 2015

Never tried it... Also heard of people gluing the layers together to give it some strength....

Richie

Rig · Jan 21, 2015

Just ordered a Pelican 1690 from Amazon. I ended up with a used one for $290, which is $37 under the new price. It should have enough room for gear down, props on, camera on + accessories. I plan on cutting out the foam and then giving several coats of Plasti-Dip for durability. Alternatively, I also found the SKB 3026-15 would work well, with slightly larger dimensions than the Pelican. I went with the Pelican because it was going to be significantly cheaper.

I'll post results as soon as I have some.

Rig · Jan 23, 2015

Case arrived. The thing is a tank.

Rig · Jan 23, 2015

It is absolutely huge-normous. Props-on/gear-down storage takes up a lot of space. It's definitely not for everyone, I'll give you that. For my needs it's gonna be perfect. Now for the fun part...

acoll123 · Jan 23, 2015

Prop locks will add one more thing to do when packing and unpacking the I1 into the case that came with it. One more reason to get a larger case to allow props and camera to stay on.
Can anyone confirm that the I1 won't go into travel mode with the camera mounted?