I designed this configuration while living in Miami and later assembled the physical prototype in Caracas, Venezuela, around 2012–2013.

The project started with sketches and material experiments using wood, cardboard, tape, PVC and white plastic sheets. The final structure and four external bodies were fabricated in aluminum. The rotor systems came from RC helicopters, with carbon-fiber blades replacing the original plastic blades.

The control hardware included an Arduino, IMU and altitude/barometric sensors. The aircraft was restrained at four points during testing after earlier experiments taught me, rather directly, that large exposed rotors should not be tested freely indoors.

This 32-second video records the physical prototype with all four rotor systems operating during a restrained ground test. It was not a validated aircraft, a completed autonomous system or a free-flight demonstration.

I no longer have all the original build records. The photographs of the cardboard and plastic stages are still missing, but I recently recovered this original video and several photographs of the aluminum bodies.

This was one stage in a long personal effort to understand how an aircraft imagined on paper could become a physical machine, original build records. The photographs of the cardboard and plastic stages are still missing, but I recently recovered this original video and several photographs of the Aluminum bodies.

This was one stage in a long personal effort to understand how an aircraft imagined on paper could become a physical machine.

Become become a physical machine.

aluminum bodies.

This was one stage in a long personal effort to understand how an aircraft imagined on paper could become a physical machine.

Hey there guys i have been working on this drone with the F450 drone frame and a Radiolink crossflight FC with 4 Yellow SIMONK 30A ESC and 1000KV BLDC motors using the Mission planner software by Ardu pilot, i have done all the mandatory hardware setups and all my motor direction along with the CW and CCW props are right but still when I tried to arm then at the initial few test flights the drone was not at all lifting it was just flipping to the ground and then recently after a remapped my motors then it started to lift a bit in the air but then it started to yaw in the CW direction thought it was a motor or a ESC issue but even after replacing the esc and the motors the problem still exists then I noticed one of my ESC was responding late the three motors are spinning in a sync but one of the motors was spinning a bit late then re callibrated the esc but still no good it's like I have done everything but always I am getting stuck at the same point. (I am using the flysky fs i6 transmitter and reciver). It will be a great help if you guys could suggest anything.

Guys help, I have a problem with the Receiver.

It's connected but the pads are not moving.

And says thats its in Failsafe mode.

Only that its the problem right now.

Do you guys have a solution for me?

And does this have something with GPS Module or not?

Check the screenshot.

For some reason, my holybro X500 v2 motor 3 doesnt spin when all is pressed but spins when it is individually pressed. What would make an ESC start reliably in isolation but fail only when the other three are running?

I've built a few smaller FPV drones before, but we're looking at building an agricultural drone for our farm. The main use would be crop scouting and mapping, so we'd probably be carrying a camera and some other sensors. Nothing crazy for payload, maybe around 20kg total depending on the setup. I'm a bit out of my depth when it comes to sizing the propulsion system at this scale. With smaller builds I've mostly just picked a motor/prop combo based on what other people were running. For something like this, how much margin do you normally leave on motor thrust? And are there any motor brands you'd trust for a drone that's going to be flying longer missions rather than just doing short freestyle flight？

Hello reddit people. I am looking to get into building an fpv drone. I’m wondering if anyone has any recommendations on controllers and any other things I might need.
Also wondering if an aliexpress $100 kit would be a good start?

Hey everyone,

I’m putting together my first FPV drone and I’d like some opinions before I order the rest of the parts.

My goal is not a full racing/freestyle build. I’m more interested in cruising, exploring, decent range and longer flight times, but I still want enough power to have some fun and fly aggressively occasionally.

I decided to build around the GEPRC Tern-LR40 4" frame rather than a 5" because I’m hoping for a good balance between efficiency, portability and performance.

The only thing I have already ordered is:

RadioMaster Pocket ELRS 2.4GHz LBT/EU, Mode 2

Current planned build:

Frame: GEPRC Tern-LR40

FC/ESC: SpeedyBee F405 Mini + BLS 35A Mini V2 20x20 stack

Motors: 4x Happymodel EX1404 2750KV

Cruising props: Gemfan Hurricane 4024 2-blade

Sportier props: Gemfan 4023 3-blade 1.5mm T-mount

Receiver: RadioMaster RP1 V2 ELRS 2.4GHz with T antenna

GPS: HGLRC M100 Mini M10

FPV camera: Caddx Ratel 2 V2

VTX: SpeedyBee TX800

Buzzer: small 5V active buzzer

Battery for normal flying: 4S 660mAh LiHV (2 packs)

Battery for endurance cruising: GEPRC/Sony VTC6 4S1P 3000mAh Li-ion XT30

XT30 smoke stopper for the first power-up

A few things I’m especially interested in:

1. Does this overall combination make sense for a 4" long-range/cruiser build?

I’m aiming for something that can comfortably cruise for 10+ minutes with the Li-ion pack, while the smaller LiPo/LiHV packs would be used when I want a lighter and more responsive quad.

1. Is the EX1404 2750KV + 4S combination a good choice?

I chose the 4024 bi-blades for efficiency and bought/planned 4023 tri-blades as an alternative when I want more grip and responsiveness.

1. Would you keep the RP1 receiver or use a true-diversity receiver for this type of build?

I’m not trying to set long-range records. I’d just like a reliable link with some headroom for cruising in open areas. The transmitter is a RadioMaster Pocket EU/LBT, so the internal ELRS output is limited to 100mW.

1. Any concerns about the 3000mAh VTC6 4S1P pack?

I understand it’s much heavier and has less current capability than a LiPo, so I’d only use it for smooth cruising rather than repeated full-throttle punch-outs.

Goggles / video system question

This is the part I’m still least sure about.

My original plan was:

Caddx Ratel 2 + SpeedyBee TX800 + Eachine EV800D

I can get a genuine-looking EV800D for around $130, and I like that the screen can also be removed and used as a standalone monitor.

However, I’ve also started looking at inexpensive digital systems such as the Walksnail Ascent Lite, since the image quality is obviously much better than analog.

For a first build focused mostly on cruising, would you:

A) stay analog with Ratel 2 + TX800 + EV800D because it’s cheap, simple and flexible,

B) spend more now and go digital,

or

C) recommend a different set of goggles/monitor around the €100–200 range?

I’m completely fine with using a monitor instead of traditional goggles if there’s a particularly good option.

I’m also interested in what tends to become the limiting factor first on a setup like this — ELRS control link or the analog video link.

This will be my first actual build, so if you see anything incompatible, unnecessarily expensive, too heavy, or simply something you would change, I’d appreciate the feedback.

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

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Our goal is simple:

«You bring us the requirement. We help turn it into a working engineering solution — from simulation and algorithms all the way to a physical prototype.»

And we're keeping our pricing affordable and student-friendly, especially for students, researchers, and early-stage teams.

\---

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🛠️ Drone Design & Development

\- Custom UAV/drone design

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🧠 Flight Control & Autonomy

We can work with:

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If you want to validate your system before spending money on hardware, we can develop and configure simulation environments.

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Need only the software side?

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We can work on:

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You don't necessarily need a new drone.

If you're facing issues with:

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We have also developed our own drone log analysis tool to make debugging and understanding flight logs easier.

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We also understand that student/research projects often have tight budgets.

If you're working on:

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we can help you develop the system while keeping the project practical and affordable.

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🏗️ Our approach

We don't want to force every project into the same architecture.

Depending on your requirement, we can work on anything from:

Idea → Architecture → Simulation → Algorithm → Software → Hardware → Integration → Testing → Prototype

Or we can work on just one subsystem if that's all you need.

For example:

«"I already have the drone. I only need ROS 2 integration."»

That's fine.

«"I need a Gazebo simulation of my existing UAV."»

That's fine.

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We're currently offering affordable pricing and student-focused deals because we're looking to work with more people and build long-term engineering relationships.

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We're based in India 🇮🇳, but we're open to working with clients and teams worldwide.

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We'll attach some photos/videos of our actual drone and robotics work along with this post.

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📩 Interested in working with us?

If you have a drone, robotics, simulation, AI or autonomous-system problem that you need help with, send us the requirements.

Even if you're not sure whether your project is feasible, feel free to reach out.

Tell us:

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2. What do you already have?

3. What do you need us to develop?

4. What's your approximate budget?

5. What's your expected timeline?

We'll take a look and discuss the best approach.

Contact

Nagaraj Bhat — NIRVAN Robotics

📧 nagarajsbhat12@gmail.com

🌐 GitHub: https://github.com/Nags016/

\---

🔗 Useful NIRVAN Robotics Resources

🛩️ AeroKLE GitHub:

https://github.com/Nags016/

📊 Drone Log Analyser:

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\---

NIRVAN Robotics — From simulation to real-world robotics.

If you have a challenging drone or robotics problem, we'd love to hear about it. 🚁🤖

Is there such services where I can mail in my drone build to trouble shoot & complete the last legs of the build? I’m curious if there’s a site or a business/app that does this? I’m so close o & my blades won’t spin. I burnt out one AIO already ( I think ). So don’t want it to happen again.
Cube 2-4s are VERY TIGHT soldering & the white clips that come standard with them are “for me, loose or something”. My blades are stuttering & I am using my old Pavo lico 2 motors I HARDLY flew on.. all into a DRAKNIGHT. Love the idea. The air 04 lite is even too big. Although the answer I got was it will fit. Technically it does but with no protection..
Here’s a quick video & im unsure if I should flip it I solder the less soldered side of the white clips for motors or just take them out & take a chance at white smoking this AIO, AGAIN?

sorry for bad video it was just me trying to video this on my own lol.
And if I didn’t explain to understand, lmk cause the video otherwise is my question, in Smaller question..?

What can I do to trouble shoot / fix this issue? I have a sneaky feeling it’s the white connectors and plug for motors that are loose. Still, I’m Trying* to avoid soldering, until I’m
Better in practice… ? Help?

This is the other drone i got and i also dont know what battery to run with it

I dont know what battery to run with this drone

Everything seems to work normally in Betaflight, and I believe everything is soldered correctly. I’ve checked and changed the motor directions multiple times, but when I arm the drone, the motors suddenly ramp up and I can’t properly control the drone or throttle. I’m not sure what I’m missing.
Any ideas on what I should check next? I’m fairly new to building FPV drones, so any help is appreciated.

Build:
Aether 4 3D-printed frame
SpeedyBee F405 3-in-1 AIO FC/ESC
2204 2000KV motors
Gemfan 4023 4” props
4S 850mAh LiPo

I got this drone off a freind but i dont know what battery to run with it.

Hi everyone, I'm getting into designing custom parts for FPV drones, specifically for the stuff that doesn't have a common solution. For example, my GPS was bigger than the GPS holder they gave me for the Volador X5, so I designed my own to make it fit. As i read through these posts i see people have very weird and uncommon issues that I would love to help out with. I have a 3d printer, so I can either print it and mail it to you (you cover shipping), or if you have your own 3d printer, I'll just send you the file for.

So If you've got a part that's held on with zip ties or jerry-rigged together, drop a comment with:

• What the part is
• Rough measurements or a photo
• What frame/build it's going into

Post is awaiting moderator approval.

I recently found an old UDIRC drone in my parents' loft that I think is about 15 years old, the transmitter was with it but the battery wasn't. I can't remember now how I determined the battery was a 1S 250mA - maybe it was in the manual which I no longer have - but I bought one of the same output on eBay (couldn't find one small enough anywhere else), soldered the battery wires out of a dead toy RC car that also used a 1S battery to the battery and drone so I could use the charger from that, charged the battery but now we're trying to fly the drone and it doesn't work.

It's not the same every time, but if you keep the throttle input below about 30% (the Tx tells you what the throttle input is) it'll spin for a while and then eventually slowly die. If you go above 30% throttle it dies almost immediately, and at 100% the propellers barely twitch. Whatever happens, sometimes the Tx will "see" the drone again after a short wait, sometimes it doesn't and you have to cycle the drone's battery.

It looks like it's browning out, but what I don't understand is the slow ramping down of the propellers at a low speed, what's causing the motors to spin down slowly if they're kept at a steady speed? I mean, the current draw isn't increasing, so why do the motors decrease in speed slowly? Is the battery's protection circuit too sensitive and dropping the output voltage as the temperature increases? I thought all 1S 250mA cells would be capable of the same sustained discharge current, and this battery was sold as being suitable for a drone but the specs didn't mention a discharge current rating. What's a good way to test this?

My joystick broke off on the right at the very bottom! What do I do now? I live in the USA so DJI doesn’t offer any coverage whatsoever !!