LA MAMBA FRAME KITS ARE AVAILABLE AT CINELIFTERS.COM TO PURCHASE
Be sure to purchase extra battery plates, camera plates, 20cm antennas, and strapping tape if needed!
Please visit La Mamba Rotorbuilds page for build instructions and recommended components.
Check out my GrabCAD page to print your own spares/replacement 3D printed parts.
After designing the "Banshee" frames and being on set for a few drone shoots, I was able to absorb that experience and knowledge and distill it into my official cinelifter frame, "La Mamba".
Compromises must be made with any frame design and with the Banshee, performance was valued the highest. This came at the cost having other issues like only working with cameras similar to the RED Komodo form factor and at higher camera tilts only. La Mamba on the other hand sacrifices a tiny bit of performance (acrobatic ability) in order to obtain a much wider range of camera compatibility and workflow convenience. Professional features like the quick release camera mount and battery swap system don't affect the overall weight and flight feel too much because they are integrated into the frame, made with carbon fiber, and the front-to-back C.O.G. adjustment ensures equal loading on all 8 motors.
La Mamba is lightweight for a 9" X8 cinelifter. This affords the use of convenient 6S 4500-6200mah single 6S Lipos and it will have more punch and agility than any other drone in its class. The smaller motors (2812 900kV recommended) can be used due to the compact staggered frame which allows further weight reduction.
The staggered layout of the arms is required to get the "best of both worlds" when it comes to camera placement. The issue with a centered camera like on the Banshee or Honey Badger, is that props can easily come into view depending on camera tilt angle and lens focal length. On the other hand, if the camera is positioned in the front of the frame like the Siccario or Moneyshot Mini, with the battery behind, the props have to be super wide to accommodate wide camera bodies like the BMPCC4K or the Freefly Wave. The solution is to have the camera sit above the propellers and forward in order to achieve unobstructed FOV yet maintain a tight propeller spacing that is crucial for flight agility and hitting gaps.
The camera quick release mechanism is what La Mamba was designed around. This camera mount is special because it is lighter weight than other solutions out there because it is made from carbon fiber and TPU instead of machined aluminum. In addition, there is no "clean plate", but rather the damping bushings double as both vibration isolators and hinge points for changing the camera angle. If that's not enough innovation for you, then on top of that, the quick release mechanism has adjustable front-to-back locking positions to change how far forward the camera sits on the frame in order to balance the center of gravity with a wide variety of lens choices. All this accomplished with a tool less design!
Thought it ended there? No! The same carbon fiber mechanism is used for the battery quick swap system which not only saves a ton of time changing out flight packs while on set, but also allows further adjustment of C.O.G. to ensure best flight performance. And and while I'm at it, I threw in some foldable landing legs for convenient storage too ;)
With so many features and such a light weight frame, it must have some issues with tuning or durability right? Nope! These arms are 10mm thick and use the same technology as Le Pigeon and Le Puffin by pairing each set of arms together with an intermediate silicone layer to attenuate vibrations. This increases the chance that your tuning experience with La Mamba will be free of headaches.
La Mamba has the professional touches of some more expensive BNF drones out there, but is made accessible to you as a builder with this frame kit! Features like the mountable XT-60 and AS150 plugs ensures there is no fussing around with wires on set when every second counts.
Summary of Features
- Staggered arms allow improved FOV and compact form factor
- Universal camera quick release mount
- Battery quick swap system
- Fully adjustable center of gravity
- Folding landing legs
- Lightweight design
- Rugged thick carbon fiber body
- Dual sacrificial motor plates
- Tool less mounting and adjustment
- Easy layout of components and servicing
Specifications
- Prop size: 9 inch
- Recommended battery: 6S 4500-6200mah
- Recommended motor: 2812 900kV
- Frame weight: 720g (including camera and battery mounts)
- Dimensions (L x W x H) 314 x 337 x 156mm (when legs folded and no props)
- Arm thickness: 10mm
- Body plate thickness: 4.0mm
Kit Includes
- Frame and camera mount carbon fiber
- Stainless steel and aluminum hardware
- 3X battery plates (please purchase additional if required)
- 1X camera plate
- TPU 3D prints
- Rigid 3D prints
- 4X Betagel cinelifter gummies (buy more as spares separately)
- XT60-M plug
- 50cm 1/8" x 1/2" neoprene rubber strip
- 1/32" thick silicone arm pad
- 2X spare motor mounts
- Spare hardware
- Diamond grit file tool