So I just wanted to put this video up to help people visualise how the Talon V2 interacts with viscous fluids as it moves through the air.

Conventional frame design has always been in 2 dimensions; flat planes of carbon sheeting cut and tiered with stand offs, but the cross section of the frame itself is still 2 dimensional when viewed from above. 

There have been a few exceptions but Karearea has always utilised vertical arms to try and limit the surface area that passes through the air and lets the props move as much clean air from the propeller to maximise motor efficiency.

The Talon V2 was designed from the ground up to exist in a 3D space with consideration given to how to streamline the design as much as possible. Moulded carbon was considered but it is very expensive to manufacture and that would be reflected in the cost. More over it is very hard to work with on smaller details.

​

Plastic injection was chosen because it's easier to manufacture and lets you do more intricate designs. The downside; it's very expensive up front and getting the plastic mix correct so that the frame doesn't have too much flex, but at the same time isn't so stiff it becomes brittle is a very trial and error process. Basically, you can't just knock up a design and throw plastic at it and get it all right in the one go; but when you consider the benefits of being able to design in that 3 dimensional space you can start to do things that aren't possible by cutting up carbon sheeting and you can begin to more finely craft a streamlined body.

I posted earlier that I understand one of the first questions many ask is 'but what does it weigh?' as that has become a de-facto concern for many FPV racers and the Talon V2 is not an ultralight. It's not heavy and it's especially not heavy when you start to consider many 'lightweight' quads inevitably end up with a number of 3D printed components added but no the Talon V2 isn't going to be the lightest build you can make (we're still only talking 10-20g with equivalent electronics); however, weight is only 1 factor in flight characteristics in the same way the cross section of a surface is only one of the characteristics that influence drag. Having vertical arms is a good means of negating a lot of that drag but it still does not address the fact that many vertical armed frames also still utilise a sizeable piece of flat carbon as a top plate inducing drag and where you have drag you have forces offsetting the benefits of weight. Ideally you would be both, light and slippery through the air but then you must compromise elsewhere on things like durability.