Description
- Have you ever wished you had an extra sidekick quad to help you recover your main machine from a tree?
- Or perhaps one you could quickly deploy to recon a new spot without the hassle of walking around the place?
- Or maybe just an ultra-compact video rig to give your loved one an excuse to rip a few packs under the pretense of documenting your vacation?
Well, the Wingman is all of that, and much more!
The idea for this frame stemmed from Dave C’s nano long-range, concept
I was immediately hooked on the idea of being able to pop a single, general-purpose 18650 li-ion cell on a quad and cruise around longer than with any of my freestyle rigs
Back then the only frame option was the original 3D printed one
I knew I could greatly improve upon the concept by utilizing carbon fiber, but I also knew that by the time I would be ready to release, I wouldn’t be the only one with a CF arms nano LR
So I decided to up it a notch; I’ve had this idea of folding arms in my head for a while, and the lightweight, light load use case of that format would be the best proving ground for it
Block II – 3.5″ Upgrade note:
Initially launched in April 2022 for 3″ prop size, the Wingman platform has gone through many small revisions to follow along the hardware evolution in the hobby.
For 2025 however it is receiving a major upgrade, with the expansion to 3.5″ propellers thanks to extended arms.
I’ve found this small change to help improve general performance by lighten up the prop load, especially with increasingly heavy builds, when running HD digital VTX, GPS or action cams.
This update also comes with a few quality of life changes, such as the pressed pins now replaced by stronger screws in the arm locks, slightly extended cam plates to fit larger cameras, all of it within the same weight as before, and even a tighter folding package!
In addition to this, I’ve made the 3.5″ arms entirely compatible with the OG 3″ wingman, which you can get alone as a drop-in replacement 🙂
Lastly, I’m replacing the included TPU peanut cam mount by a nano GPS mount, much more useful with its new capabilities.
Going along with the many custom pieces of gear specifically developed, at least in part for this platform (the Fractal Scout motors, Boostybaby voltage booster and TBS Lucid AIO), I would safely say the Wingman platform has now reached peak potential and now is the best moment to get onboard!
So what is the result of these 4+ years of development, and countless hours of testing?
The first-ever foldable and soft mounted arms in FPV
The major unique feature of this frame kit is undoubtedly the folding arms
And the way it manages to achieve this feature in such an integrated manner is where the whole secret sauce resides
This 3.5″ 1S format offers the possibility to push incredibly intricate ideas down to an incredibly simple execution thanks to the low prop load
In this case, I’ve chosen to make the top and bottom plates clamped to the standoffs,
While using the same standoffs as pivots for the arms, themselves sandwiched between 2 TPU shims and a nylon spacer to press them down in position
Those TPU shims also serve 2 purposes at the same time; they primarily provide friction for the quick deployment of the arms, while also dampening the whole arms
This helps reduce the amount of vibrations transmitted to the FPV and HD camera (more on that in a bit) and the FC gyro, enabling smooth footage and easy tuning
Ultra-lightweight, durable and compact design
The spaceframe carbon fiber body was meticulously designed to only keep material where absolutely necessary
This includes protecting all the electronics and maintaining a rigid platform,
While pocketing everything else for lightweight and airflow
Making it only 22g frame only, or as little as 60g ready to fly excl. battery
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Quick-release arm mechanism
For being designed around ease of use and quick deployment, I went for a friction fit with a light detent to hold the arms open
Simply pull the arms out until the detent clicks, and fold them back in when you’re done
That means no manual latch, no thumbscrew, no positive lock
This also means that in the event of a crash the arms might fold and you would need to go get it…
…But you’re also more likely to be able to take off again without any damage, as I’ve found during testing that the folding appears to absorb a lot of energy that might have snapped something otherwise
In any event, let that be clear that this remains a stable and soft cruiser above all; you won’t have much fun going bando bashing with it I can almost guarantee it 😄
Extremely efficient and long flight time – Over 20mins – 13km total distance
Plenty of time to push the boundaries of what you thought was even possible with a single cell and do a little mischief 😈
Works best with high performance 18650 such as Molicel P28A or P30B
Now comes with a 12mm GPS mount standard to encourage taking more risks 😎
HD Cam capable
The optional (and self printable) camera mount isn’t just for shows, it can definitely carry it 😄
Well maybe not your full-size gopro, but if you have a caddx peanut, insta360 go, or a thumb you’ll get a lot of fun from it
I bring mine on short trips, takes no space in the bag, is quickly deployed, just a great little compact video rig
HDZero, Walksnail and DJI O4 Capable!
The first batch of ~100 Wingmans was designed before lightweight HD FPV options became available
With the later batches I’ve implemented many small revisions, from cooling improvement to weight savings passing by M1.4 cam mounts for the Nano Lite camera and improved general tolerances
This makes it a fantastic frame for HD FPV cruising, exploring and rediscovering the world with this new improved resolution
As such I’ve also created a 12mm stack height option giving more room to comfortably build a double stacked boards build
— not mandatory however for advanced builders Â
To sum it up
just a great tool to always have with you, just so many uses for it
- Toss it in your bag when you’re going on vacation for drone videos (also a great excuse for your wife to bring a quad)
- Use it to recon new spots to rip without going out of the car (walking? like with your legs?)
- Search and rescue! Take advantage of the long flight time to look for a lost quad (I hope you find it brother/sister)
- Attach a string to the back, fly around that branch you got your main quad stuck on, bring it back and give it a good tug (watch your head)
- Or even get that whoop you got stuck on that roof (I know you could just climb up the gutter but come on it’s 2022)
- Guerilla dive! pull it out of pocket, deploy it in a second, rip that huge building tower (you know which one), fold it back in your pocket and bail
- Or simply just cruise around for a relaxing chill flight, perhaps to wind down after a hard charger sesh (if you got the patience for it)
- … or whatever else you want it to be!
I’ve built this frame not to be an alarmingly fast zippy freestyle rocket, or a purpose-built cinema rig to carry your gopro
I’ve built it to be always there when all your other quads are down,
Always there to have your back when you need it
Hence why I’ve named it so.
I’ve built it to be your Wingman.
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I hope I got you as excited as I am about this new creation and I hope you get all the fun and use from it as I’ve been having!
Get yours today, tell me about it!
About the BNF – What do you get?
As a BNF, I will assemble a fully flight-ready craft that you can take out and fly right out the box
Comes with the AIO/VTX/Camera option of your choice;
For AIO Flight controller, the TBS Lucid 1-2S, the best FC currently available for that platform with incredible range and penetration thanks to the onboard 900MHz Crossfire link and the highly efficient 32bits ESCs, or equivalent
As FPV System you have 2 options:
- Analog:Â TBS Unify Pro32 Nano, the most powerful VTX for that size (build weight around ~56g AUW excl. battery)
- HDZero: HDZero Whoop Lite Bundle for the best latency with great resolution (~62g AUW excl. battery)
IMPORTANT: With either option it is highly recommended to add a Boostybaby to guarantee video transmitter operation all the way through the battery discharge curve.
The motors are the custom-made FE x TW 1202.5 11500KV
It will come tested and tuned to the latest, bleeding-edge firmware, including a Quicksilver tune, as well as BlueJay ESC firmware
I strongly recommend using high discharge 18650, such as Molicel P30B, P28A, Sony VTC5D, VTC5A or VTC6 – or equivalent
This should easily get you to around 20mins flight time, whether analog or HD Zero
Please note that each build is custom-built to order and goes through extensive tuning, testing and preparation before leaving the shop to make sure you get the best possible experience unboxing, plugging in and simply go fly.
And while I try my best to keep the batch sizes manageable on both my end and yours, it can get pretty busy on the bench at times.
I try to process every build within the week, but please allow for up to 2 weeks to account for occasional high demand
Content
- 1 x Wingman BNF
- 1 x Set of spare hardware
- 1 x Custom printed transport/storage box
Note:
1-Pictures are for illustration only; your actual build will depend on options selected
2-Due to continually ongoing development, the actual product you receive may differ from the pictures/description.
Tony (verified owner) –
A wingman isn’t just backup, they’re your lifeline. You get in a tight spot, the Wingman punches you a way out. It’s not about glory—it’s about surviving, and you know this little guy will last because Fractal Engineering built quality is the reason you fly home. Every. Single. Time.
If I could scale myself down, I’d be onboard in a heartbeat. Precision, power, and reliability—you couldn’t ask for a better partner in the skies.
Owen M. (verified owner) –
I received my wingman this weekend and after a few flights let me tell you I’m thoroughly impressed with craftsmanship and handling of the quad! I originally bought it for the novelty of the folding design and utilization of 18650 batteries, but am now convinced that my wingman will be the drone I grab when I’m going on a day trip with the potential to have a stop to fly a quick pack, relatively speaking because the flight time is amazing 🙂 Yves puts out amazing quality products, and his customer service is second to none!!! I would highly recommend this quad to any looking for a build with its features!
Slicedbread (verified owner) –
It does everything that it says on the tin, and it does so superbly. If you like the what you’re seeing in the product description you’ll be happy with your purchase.
few random comment’s I’ll make:
** As you might expect, a ripper this is not. This probably isn’t the drone for your next freestyle vid, its a lil sluggish compared to smaller lipo powered drones.
** I had some very old miscellaneous 18650s that I’d been using in those cheapo flashlights and other stuff. I was hoping to get like a cool 5min off of them but they mostly didnt work at all. However my known-good 18650s have all flown great.
**My first flight was 16 minutes on a pretty new –Molicel P28A 18650 2800mAh– I got a 16 minute flight doing slightly aggressive laps around a football field with the HDZero version.
All in all I’m very happy with this drone and I’m exited to find more places and reasons to use it.
Damien kinchen (verified owner) –
I love this little drone. By far my favorite one yet. I haven’t had much luck with 18650 drones, BUT this one changed that. Was pleasantly suprised at it’s power, compared to others in its class. The tune is perfect, plenty of power for its weight. I got the analog, will definitely be buying the digital, when I make the switch. Can’t say enough good things abt this wingman/Yves. Buy with confidence, you won’t be disappointed.
T.B. (verified owner) –
A lovely handcrafted little machine. Design is smart an service is perfect. Yves got us some really good optimisations here and this thing is really nice to fly: easy, robust and permissive. Long flight time and handy form factor allows for extensive learning sessions. Great to hone your skills efficiently.
Collin W. –
After having nothing but a blast with the Fractal75 I jumped at the opportunity to fly the Wingman BNF.
The drone got here fast, 2 weeks to SoCal and it came in it’s own quality little case.
The drone is very, very quiet. Once it’s 6 feet away or so I can hardly hear it. I’ve gotten upwards of 15 minutes off an Sony 18650 3000mah battery. I have to take a break, my eyes can’t stay behind the goggles that long. It’s impressive.
The Wingman can do some freestyle but it’s definitely more comfortable just cruising and getting real low. It flies precisely. I can maneuver around inside my shop at work and it doesn’t feel sketchy.
I’m very happy as usual with my Fractal drone. I have nothing but good things to say about Fractal Engineering. They are the best!