3D Printed drone build

[Christian_CAD]

For some time now I have wanted to 3D Print a quadcopter. So I have started and wanted to share the project with you guys. Maybe some of you are in the same situation, Maybe you don’t know anything about quads but a lot about 3d printing and want to start this fantastic hobby. Then I invite you to join this build. Or if you just have questions, think I could have done something different or made some fatal mistake that I need to know about before I crash this thing. You can also join to help me build this tutorial, let me know if you have changes or suggestions.

Preparation**:**

First off we need to chose a frame based on what you want to do. I want to build a fpv quadcopter with the possibility to add some mapping functions later on. I like the spyda frames (500) so I went with this one from Thingiverse.

I had to modify the arms to fit my motors.

And then we need chose the electronics and props.

• Flight controller: HKPilot mega micro kit with GPS, OSD and telemetry 433MHz
• ESC: Q Brain 4 x 25A Brushless Quadcopter ESC 2-4S 3A SBEC
• Motors: NTM Prop Drive 28-30S 800KV / 300W Brushless Motor (short shaft version)
• Props: 11x4.5
• Battery: Turnigy nano-tech 4500mah 4S 45~90C Lipo Pack

These parts come from a different quad build i had sitting around.

Software you will need:

• Mission planner from 3DR.com

Day one to six - printing all the parts:

The printing went as I expected. Only problem was the pcb extruder board on the Zortrax M200 broke. So took some time getting a new one.

As for print settings go, I used the Zortrax M200 with ABS so not much to tell here.

All the parts look and feel strong, so perfect, so far.

Day 7 to 8 - Putting all the electronics together and building a case for the mini apm.

So now comes the hard part.

I started off testing the apm with mission planner to set up frame type. I chose v-tail for my dead cat frame. It might change later on as I get flying.

I had to design a case for the apm, as I have experienced with a different build that light and airflow will effect the barometer on the board and loiter will be impossible. Design was made in tinkercad.

Next up was wiring up the receiver to the apm with all the small cables. It was a lot more simple than I expected. RC IN 1 is right after 5V red and GND black and then 2 3 4 5 6 7 follows. This is as far as I know different from tx/rx system to tx/rx system. And I know you can use PPM as well, maybe some one here can explain that.

Now for connecting the 4i1 esc. Same as with the receiver. Red, black and signal wires 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. And since this is a quad we will only be using the first four signal wires, the rest we can remove to loose some weight.

Now we add the telemetry, osd and gps module.

There is a y cable for the telemetry and osd modules and a normal cable for the gps. As long as you stick to the wiring diagram you cant go to wrong.

Day 9 - Mounting the motors.

I did something wrong in tinkercad when I modified the motor holes in the arms. So I will have to make a drill jig to fix that.

Update will follow. Soon.

[k5o52]

Great work! I am building multicopters for 2 years now and have been recently involved in building a FPV quadcopter. Looking at the current market I sketched and printed a quick ESC casing underneath the quadcopter such as the parts supplied by Luminier. Maybe a good way to minimalize the cables and wires between your flight controller, motor and esc’s?

See attachments. (I’ll add some photographs of the actual 3d printed ESC plate and its iterations)

[Alex3DHubs]

This is awesome! Can you go into a little bit about the Flight Controller you’re using? I’m familiar drones, but not drone kit and wouldn’t know where to get started as far as the hardware goes.

[Christian_CAD]

Hey @Alex3DHubs

Yes i can tell you a bit more. The controller im using is a micro version of the ardupilot project.

"ArduPilot project, a family of open source autopilots based on the Arduino open source computing platform, developed by 3DR and the open source community. It consists of a choice of ArduPilot Mega (APM) electronics and a range of free software versions for different vehicles and is governed by an open source creative commons license. This product is based on the open source APM Project from 3D Robotics"

Her you can find the exact one im using in this build. Radio Control Planes, Drones, Cars, FPV, Quadcopters and more - Hobbyking

I chose to use it so i could fit everything inside the quad and nothing on the outside.

Instead of me doing a poor job at informing you i will direct you to the very extensive wiki build by the 3DR team:

_________________________________________________________________________________________

APM:Copter combines personal multicopters with advanced, autopilot technology, providing an autonomous aircraft that anyone can use. APM:Copter is developed and maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers from the open source community. Follow their continuing efforts and read about new project developments atDIYDrones.com.

This manual will guide you through setup and configuration to your first flight.

1. What is a Multicopter and How Does it Work: New to multicopters? This page gives an overview of what makes a multicopter fly and provides some considerations for getting started.

2. What You Need: All the components you’ll need for an autonomous multicopter plus some recommendations for sensors and accessories.

3. Safety Information: APM:Copter is a powerful, flying robot and requires a conscious awareness for safety concerns. Don’t skip this important section!

4. Choosing a frame: There are many choices (tri, quad, Y6, X8, tradheli, RTF vs Build-your-own), spend some time thinking about what you want it for and how much time and money you want to spend.

5. Choosing a controller: how to choose between the various ArduCopter capable controllers

6. Quick Start Guide for RTFs: Purchased a Ready-to-Fly APM:Copter from 3D Robotics? This guide will get you in the air faster than you can say “unmanned aerial vehicle”.

7. First Time Setup: Complete instructions for setting up and configuring ArduCopter

APM:Copter is an easy-to-set-up and easy-to-fly platform for multirotors and helicopters. Its features go far beyond the basic manual control RC multicopters on the market today. Unlike RC-only multicopters, APM:Copter is complete UAV solution, offering both remote control and autonomous flight, including waypoints, mission planning and telemetry displayed on a powerful ground station.

APM:Copter is on the cutting edge of aerial robotics and intended for those people who want to try advanced technology, leading edge techniques and new flight styles.

Features include:

• High quality autolevel and auto altitude control – fly level and straight. Or fly the awesome “simple flight” mode, which makes APM:Copter one of the easiest multicopters to fly. Don’t worry about keeping an eye on your multicopter’s orientation–let the computer figure it out! You just push the stick the way you want to go, and the autopilot figures out what that means for whatever orientation the copter is in, using its onboard magnetometer. “Front”, “back”…who cares? Just fly!

• No programming required. Just use an easy-to-use desktop utility to load the software with one click and set up APM:Copter with quick visual displays, a point-and-click mission planner and a full ground station option (see below).

• Hundreds of GPS waypoints, free (the exact number depends on the memory of the hardware you’re using; APM support 127 waypoints, but platforms based on PX4 can accommodate many times that). Just point and click waypoints in the Mission Planner, and APM:Copter will fly itself to them. No distance limits! You can script entire missions, including camera control!

• “Loiter” anywhere. Just flip the toggle switch and your copter will hold its position using its GPS and altitude sensors.

• Return to launch. Flip a switch to have APM:Copter fly back to the launch location automatically.

• Do all mission planning via a two-way wireless connection option. Waypoints, mode changing, even changing the gains of every control parameter can be done from your laptop, even while the copter is in the air!

• Automatic takeoff and landing. Just flick a switch and watch APM:Copter execute its mission completely autonomously, returning home to land by itself in front of you when it’s done.

---

Due to the rich feature set and fully-autonomous capabilities of APM, the learning curve can appear somewhat intimidating. Fortunately, the APM suite of components has made this endeavor very straightforward and achievable.

Please do not be tempted to skip over steps and rush into flight. This is robotics and aviation combined–both of which are quite complex on their own. Follow the steps patiently, and you will have your robot safely up in the air.

Autonomous robots, flying machines, high-energy power systems, driving rotating blades — you are in charge of these potential hazards. Always follow best safety practices and pay close attention to safety warnings.

All of us involved with this project care a great deal about the privacy and safety of those whom we share this planet with. Please be a good steward of this technology. It is the product of many evenings and weekends, we make it available for benevolent use.

The APM:Copter Forum permits the developers to respond to your questions and enables you to research similar issues, Please choose the sub-forum that is most appropriate to the wiki page and issues you are having.

[Christian_CAD]

That is very interesting. Send some more photos and i will see if it is something i can use.

I have wanted to build a 250. But until im a more experienced pilot i will stick to the 500. But i think the next build will be a 250. Maybe we can join forces?

[k5o52]

I’m going to upload it to my thingiverse asap. The 250 flies right now, but I do have some plans to finetune and modify it using some 3D printing techniques. I’m always open for collaboration, send me a message if you want to discuss some building ideas or simply want to share experiences.

[ArnaudLeBot]

Thanks a lotfor the sharing.

[Christian_CAD]

No problem. There is more coming

[kolvenbag]

Do you have 3D design files of the case for the mini APM?

[kolvenbag]

You mentioned that you use regular ABS settings for printing the arms and frame part.

Nevertheless, can you please share the specific settings for:

- Layer height

- Fill density

- Shell thickness

- Bottom/Top thickness

The last three will both influence strength as well as weight, so I am curious what you have chosen.

[kolvenbag]

What exact screws or nuts & bolts did you use for:

1. Connecting the arms to the to the top plate?
2. Connecting the arms (all the way through) to both the top and the bottom plate?
3. Connecting the claws to the arms?

[kolvenbag]

Did you use a ring to make the motors fit to the arms?

If so, what ring is it?

(I am planning to use: Radio Control Planes, Drones, Cars, FPV, Quadcopters and more - Hobbyking)

[hairy_kiwi]

Very nice! Look forward to the updates. It would also be interesting to see what kind of frame SolidThinking’s Inspire (topology optimisation) CAD tool would generate. Just a shame it’s quite so expensive - but they might offer you a trial, you never know. Altair | Discover Continuously. Advance Infinitely - Only Forward.

[Khelil_Kridi]

Hello

Thank you so much for this amazing project. I am very motivated to participate to it.

I have a little question?

what is the cheapest 3D printer that I can use to print the parts??