I've been looking long and hard for a carry case solution for my Phantom. I love the Tradecraft case, but I have to admit, I don't think I need a Pelican type case for carrying my Phantom to and from the local field in the trunk of my Outback. $129 is a good chunk of change (worth it if you're traveling...) to spend to carry my Phantom in the trunk.
So I've been looking all over and finally found some great waterproof totes at The Container Store. (Disclaimer, I don't work there, I don't have any interest in them...) They have two sizes that will work.
The first is a 30.6qt case. (19 3/4" x 15 3/4" x 8") It fits the Phantom perfectly, but leaves no room for expansion, and I feared, no room to go up in prop size. You can grab one for $14.99.
As you can see, if fits the Phantom exactly:
I decided on the 41.2qt case instead, (23 1/2" x 17 3/4" x 8") to give me some breathing room to put other things in the case and accomodate larger props safely. You can grab one for $18.99.
In this picture, no part of the Phantom is touching the lid. If I picked up the box exactly as you see here, the Phantom slides around.
Next, a quick trip to the local JoAnn Fabric to buy some high density foam. I picked up a 1/2" think piece for the bottom, a 5" thick piece for the main cavity, and a 1" thick piece to run a strip along the middle of the lid (like the Tradecraft case).
All told, I was out of JoAnn for less than $45.
Next, I came home, measured and cut the foam with a serrated cake knife. It's easy to do, just take your time and measure twice, cut once. The 5" piece is a little tricky in that the box tapers, so you need to shave an angle off the side next to the bottom so it all fits snug.
Lastly, I found that the Phantom landing gear are exactly the size of a standard paper napkin. Boom, instant template.
I cut a hole in the 5" foam and here are the results.
All buttoned up with the lid:
Taper marks from my knife...
Now that the Phantom is sitting on the 1/2" piece of HD foam, the Bullet Nuts on holding the props on touch the lid, but not the props themselves. No other part of the copter touches the lid at this point other than the 4 prop nuts. I had the 1" strip running down the center, but I think it might be just a tad to thick and is putting pressure on the lid. I'll keep working with that and post a follow set of pics.
I also need to cut out a spot for the controller as well. I'm thinking about a small tacklebox like tool kit that I can have a prop wrench, extra props, etc for quick field work. Also batteries as well. I'm not sure if I'm going to cut individual holes like the Tradecraft case, or something else.
So out the door, I'm less than $65 out of pocket. Very, very pleased with the results so far.
So I've been looking all over and finally found some great waterproof totes at The Container Store. (Disclaimer, I don't work there, I don't have any interest in them...) They have two sizes that will work.
The first is a 30.6qt case. (19 3/4" x 15 3/4" x 8") It fits the Phantom perfectly, but leaves no room for expansion, and I feared, no room to go up in prop size. You can grab one for $14.99.
As you can see, if fits the Phantom exactly:
I decided on the 41.2qt case instead, (23 1/2" x 17 3/4" x 8") to give me some breathing room to put other things in the case and accomodate larger props safely. You can grab one for $18.99.
In this picture, no part of the Phantom is touching the lid. If I picked up the box exactly as you see here, the Phantom slides around.
Next, a quick trip to the local JoAnn Fabric to buy some high density foam. I picked up a 1/2" think piece for the bottom, a 5" thick piece for the main cavity, and a 1" thick piece to run a strip along the middle of the lid (like the Tradecraft case).
All told, I was out of JoAnn for less than $45.
Next, I came home, measured and cut the foam with a serrated cake knife. It's easy to do, just take your time and measure twice, cut once. The 5" piece is a little tricky in that the box tapers, so you need to shave an angle off the side next to the bottom so it all fits snug.
Lastly, I found that the Phantom landing gear are exactly the size of a standard paper napkin. Boom, instant template.
I cut a hole in the 5" foam and here are the results.
All buttoned up with the lid:
Taper marks from my knife...
Now that the Phantom is sitting on the 1/2" piece of HD foam, the Bullet Nuts on holding the props on touch the lid, but not the props themselves. No other part of the copter touches the lid at this point other than the 4 prop nuts. I had the 1" strip running down the center, but I think it might be just a tad to thick and is putting pressure on the lid. I'll keep working with that and post a follow set of pics.
I also need to cut out a spot for the controller as well. I'm thinking about a small tacklebox like tool kit that I can have a prop wrench, extra props, etc for quick field work. Also batteries as well. I'm not sure if I'm going to cut individual holes like the Tradecraft case, or something else.
So out the door, I'm less than $65 out of pocket. Very, very pleased with the results so far.
