Choosing a quadcopter?

Question

Arduino

After numerous articles on Habré, I really wanted to make a quadrocopter. It was useful to read on RC forums and it turned out that there are just a crazy amount of platforms (various boards and firmware) for quadcopters. If with engines, frame, propellers everything is more or less clear, because. everyone uses the same ones, then with brains I really can’t figure out what to choose:
1) Ready-made AR.Drone and all sorts of perversions over them. Very interesting, but control over wifi, so you won’t fly far + you need an apple gadget or an android that isn’t there. They also say it has a very short flight time.
2) Microcopter. Everyone says it's the best platform for a quadcopter, everything can be assembled out of the box, a lot of functions including fpv, follow-me and GPS auto return. I would take it without talking, but the price ... starting from 350 euros for the basic fee and off we go, in short, a thousand 2 euros climbs out at least!
Then they go on the basis of Arduino
1) AeroQuad. There was a review on Habré, like nothing, in the sense that the usual Arduino + Shield is used.
2) Flyduino. Based on arduino, but the board is separate
3) Arducopter. There seems to be a lot of possibilities too.
I would like to: keep balance, the equipment of kilometer 2 accurately punched, fpv.

Answer 1

There were also thoughts of making a quadcopter, but the price of about $500-600 scared away (according to the first estimates). Therefore, I decided to try to make a robot for now (everything is simpler with it).
If I'm going to make a quadrocopter, then it will be arducopter ( http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/ ). The project is impressive.

Answer 2

Given that the quadrocopter has a power reserve of about 10 minutes, 2 km is a lot, IMHO.
During this time, he must fly away and return, i.e. even taking into account the direct flight, turn and return - the speed should be about 25 km per hour. Ar.Dron has a speed of about 18 km/h.
So what's the point in such equipment?

Answer 3

So for reflection , a link is a 95-minute flight and this is not the limit, I’m collecting it myself right now, but it’s expensive, so I’m saving money for an app. Motors, controller, esc, propellers and half of the battery are already there. I tried to control it from a computer using a bluetooth joystick, it's cool, but it's not safe in the apartment :)))) A 30 cm diameter carbon propeller at such speeds can chop off fingers at once.