Just stumbled upon a video from Flite Test that features the Stingray 500, a full collective pitch 3D quadcopter Curtis Youngblood. The photos posted below are from the Flite Test review page on the Stingray 500.

Here’s the Flite Test Video on youtube that features an interview to Curtis Youngblood and test flight of the Stingray:

If you look closely at the propellers, you will see that these look more that helicopter blades than normal multirotor propellers.

Indeed the propellers have a variable orientation that is the secret of the 3D flight capabilities of this beautiful flying machine. If you are familiar with the way a normal quadcopter flies you will see from the videos below that the maneuvers that can be  performed with the Stingray are plain impossible with a normal multirotor.

The total freedom of movement in the 3D space make the Stingray suitable for Acrobatic flight.

The frame cover is designed to carry 2 cameras at the same time (fpr example a GoPro and a board camera), making this quad great for acrobatic FPV and for taking some very special aerial video.

In the video above Chris Youngblood displays amazing piloting skills, I wonder how easy or difficult is it to fly and perform some basic acrobatics with such a particular machine, so different from a “traditional” quad.

The quad is currently on sale on Curtis Youngblood web site for 799$.

Here’s some more Stingray flying video: