Raging Rotors: Whirlwind, or How the ImmersionRC Vortex (Might) Become Racing King…

I’M BAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCKKKK! Sorry for falling off the planet RC, but I needed to go into hiding until I could remake my tinfoil hat 😉

This is an exciting time for FPV Racing: ImmersionRC has released the details about its new racer, the Vortex recently. This is a game changer, and there are a lot of nitty-gritty details about this quad that can be missed but are equally important in the grand scheme of customizable racing multirotor aircraft.

• ARMed to the teeth! There are a total of SEVEN ARM processors in the Vortex: One for each ESC, one for the OSD (On-Screen Display), one for the Flight Controller, and one for the tail LED set (I’ll get into that momentarily). That’s pretty much the equivalent of multiple Raspberry Pi computers running this quadcopter. Data transmission and ESC responsivness will be at their peak providing the best controlled quadcopter on the market (ideally, depending on pilot :P).
• Computer Controlled Lights?? The ARM controlled LEDs add a little nerdy fun on the Vortex. Not only can you change colors, but also make the lights react to control input like having turn signals, color change based off throttle input, and more!
• Brains to go with that Brawn! Inside the OSD is the capability to self program the Vortex, from the ground up. You can add F-18 style displays complete with horizon line for orientation control, set your gains however you want, or load the settings of Racing Pilots and cut out all the guesswork!

Now, I am usually really excited, except my heart sank at the release of the Quick Start guide for the Vortex. As of current, the Vortex is just starting to ship, but with what I consider a major flaw: No support for Futaba SBus (one cable data transfer) or Spektrum DSMX. For lack of better explanation, this quad supports the less expensive OrangeRX, LemonRX, and other Chinese technology not easily available in the USA. There are cables in production to support the more mainstream US radio systems, but I fear flying season will be over before it happens. I have already requested a LemonRX so I can move forward with setting up a FPV Racer Shootout this summer!

As always, feel free to send messages to kevin (at) bigsquidrc.com. Until next time, Stay Shiny and Keep Flyin’!