r/betaflight • u/Next_Committee_7376 • 4d ago

Question How to Build a Custom Drone from Scratch

Hello everyone, I’m currently learning about drones and would like to ask a few questions:

  1. What material is used to 3D-print the drone frame?
  2. Can I 3D-print my own custom frame and purchase the circuit boards and motors separately to assemble the drone myself?
  3. What electronic boards are required for the drone?
  4. How do I configure and set them up?
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5

u/CaptainCheckmate 4d ago

Someone asks these question here every day, look through previous posts here and you'll get the answers

1

u/Party_Ambassador7816 4d ago

If you’re new to FPV, I wouldn’t recommend starting with a 3D-printed frame. It’s possible, but you’ll spend a lot of time solving frame strength, vibration, and tuning issues before you even get to the fun part. I’d suggest starting with a proven carbon frame build first, learn how the electronics work, then move on to designing your own frame later.

1

u/YellovvJacket 1d ago

On small micros 3d printed frames are fine with good material choice. I tried a hanfdful of 3d print frames for 1s 40mm drones and they all worked quite well.

1

u/i_like_screwdriver 4d ago

Designing and printing a frame is not worth it. I tried it myself and had many issues with vibrations. Just get a carbon frame it’s not expensive and very strong. Telling you what electronics you’ll need wouldn’t be very helpful for you. It depends on what size you’ll need but there are plenty of guides that break it down for you. Check out bardwell if you haven’t already

1

u/itsinthetrunk 4d ago

Think it's a good experiment as you'll forced to think from the perspective of frame resonance characteristics, how to reduce noise and improved damping, else just have fly aways.
Great for prototyping a design, with even contemporary plate style being fully doable (though optimal usually play on the ability to print more organic shapes).

You'll always be battling weight and robustness relative to carbon fibre sheets, while saving very little money and potentially costing yourself blown motors or damaged components in the long run.
Which is why most people preach to avoid it.
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Have had good results with PET at 100% infill (it has wanted to be dried for a good 12 hours prior).
Very strong (only ever broke one arm after lots of crashes with the example below, and it was for the feet being too narrow so snapping at the screw holes). PET has high heat resistance so can take the heat of the aio or vtx.
The down side is really the weight, especially as the sheets need to be thicker than they would if cf.

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There is light aero filaments, which might work better for some small/light drone designs, though are intended for fixed wings.
Another thing people do is use carbon fibre rods and print canals to feed them into. It's a cheap and easy way to add rigidity.

Overall I think it is worth doing, but agree with the commenter that suggested starting with a known cf frame, getting comfortable with the build process, then designing your own when you know exactly what you want and what a decent set up should feel like.

1

u/izzeww 4d ago

These are fundamental, broad questions. They are better answered on YouTube rather than a Reddit comment which couldn't possibly cover this broad topic. So my main advice is to search on YouTube and watch many hours of videos. I will try to answer your questions quickly however:

  1. The stiffer the better basically, but most 3D printing plastics work. If you use a weaker plastic you need to use more of it vs. if you use a stronger one. Carbon fiber nylon PA6 seems to be the best, but obviously difficult to print and expensive so depends what you're looking for.

  2. Yes.

  3. Flight controller and ESC's (or 1 4-in-1 ESC). You might also need receiver (if not integrated into flight controller), VTX (if using analog camera), digital VTX/Air Unit (if using a digital system, has to be for your specific digital system, normally comes with the camera) and if you want perhaps some sensors.

  4. Search how to setup Betaflight. Also you probably need to decrease the master multiplier because the plastic frame is less stiff than carbon fiber.

1

u/UntiI117 4d ago

youtube

1

u/Next_Committee_7376 4d ago

Thank you! I’ve also found a few tutorial videos.

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u/just_always_lost 2d ago edited 2d ago
  1. PETG-CF
  2. Yes
  3. FC, ESC, VTX
  4. Oscar Liang / Joshua Bardwell
  5. nunber of cells in a Battery determines what of the PCBs you have to get. 1S = one cell, micro drone, 2S = small drone, 3S to 4S compact drone up to 4 inch prop size, 6S only if you race, really LR or payload. DO NOT TRUST AI on anything related to drones. its niche and half the time wrong, Claude, ChatGPT etc tell you a lot of shit. Dangerous. learn to solder. get a smoke stopper. The goggles are as expensive as the drone. bigger batteries expensive. big drone dangerous. 40h in a simulator til you can fly one.