r/diydrones

Hello everyone,

For a drone project, I'm planning to use INAV on a GEP-F722-HD V2 - GEPRC and a Blueson A2 6S 65A 4-in-1 ESC - Sequre.

The drone is intended for indoor use and will be controlled by AI on a PC via ESP32 (there will be an ESP32 on the drone that communicates with the PC via Wi-Fi, and the AI ​​sends commands to the ESP32, which then sends them to the flight controller via Mavlink).

From what I understand, GPS is useless for INAV indoors. Is there a way to replace the GPS with sensors better suited for indoor use and to work on a local map, such as a plan of the area where the drone is flying?

anyone interested in 3d printing various propellers. im interested in learning more about aerodynamics and am willing to to the cad work for free as long as i get to see the outcomes.

When it comes to building drones, where did everyone who doesn’t have electronics background learn from? Was there specific websites or from friends? I have an electrical and soldering background. I’ve bought a few drones but would really like to give building one a go! Any info to help me take the leap is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/xdvqz68dmq1h1.png?width=1230&format=png&auto=webp&s=2eabd87f85c60d382bd4f78a2667b00541da5aa6

Hi, I’m in high school and I’m building a high speed drone with the end goal of getting the world record for fastest drone ever. I’ve been working on this for about a year. I’m looking for people with engineering experience (especially CFD, composites, machining and electrical) who’d be willing to answer a few questions I have or even hop on a call for a few minutes.

Although I’ve been doing engineering projects since I was very young, this one has been much harder, because I put a lot of effort into learning the math and theory necessary to do CFD simulations properly. I went through Fundamentals of Aerodynamics and the Finite Volume Method: an advanced introduction. I also did the FEA part of the Cornell EDX Ansys course. More recently, I did part of the 2 week introduction to Openfoam (on wiki.openfoam.com). 

The end goal is not only to build the fastest drone ever, but more importantly to run aerostructural optimizations to figure out what the actual optimal design is. To me, this is the really interesting part of the project and over the summer, I’m going to try to set up an aerostructural optimization pipeline using DaFoam.

In addition, I recently got access to several places with different 3 axis CNCs. My end goal is to create the drone body out of carbon fiber and not 3d print it. Thanks to the CNCs, I’ll be able to machine molds and resin infuse the carbon fiber (I already have all the equipment for that).

CAD-wise, thanks to the student licenses, I went through tons of different softwares: fusion first, then solidworks, then Siemens NX (did Xcelerator academy courses), then Catia. The latest version was made in Fusion (so that I have a CAD I can easily modify when machining). I’m planning on making the final design in Catia (great surfaces and the design can be fully parametric and not break unlike with fusion and solidworks).

The problem I’m facing at the moment is that I have developed a lot of skills very fast but in this small amount of time I obviously didn’t develop a very deep understanding (I mean I can’t replicate a Master’s doing Aerospace and CFD…) Additionally, I have spent a huge amount of time learning and doing courses which means I have less and less time to actually build, test and tune the drone. 

There are many areas where I have very little knowledge. If I try to fill those gaps by going through more textbooks, I won’t have time to build the actual drone. That’s why help from people with experience would be incredibly helpful. Unfortunately, there are parts of engineering you just can’t google. 

On another note, I was also thinking of sharing parts of the project here. Watching the videos from the other record holders was incredibly helpful and if I can do the same, that would be incredible.

Edit:
For anyone interested in the official record, it's fastest battery powered quadcopter ground speed. The record is set at around 660km/h by Luke and Mike Bell who have been competing with Ben and the guys at Droneprohub (they got an insane top speed of around 690km/h).

Howdy!

I'm looking at getting into some projects that require NDAA compliant drones, and (as a DJI Dealer) a lot of my customers are turning to these as well. I figured why not try to build one? However, i'm realizing there's not really a 'one stop shop' to learn how to do this. The end goal of the drone would be to have interchangeable payloads (photogrammetry, lidar, thermal, etc) lidar obstacle avoidance (looking into livox 360s for this) 40-60 min flight time, down the road ip55 rating would be ideal. being able to lose a rotor & (safely) crash land would be the cherry ontop, but i guess i could develop my own version of AVSS.

now that the 'end goal' is set- where do i even start to begin taking my baby steps? i highly doubt it's wise to just jump into this & start cranking out a 20-40k custom drone as my first build. I've watched numerous build videos on heavy lift drones, etc but they don't seem to be super step by step- but more or less a watch me put all these random parts together video.

frankly i expect the downvotes because of the 'broadness' of my post, but i guess you've got to start somewhere.

I accidentally ordered a 6S instead of a 4S battery for this kit, anyone else that has built it or knows more about drones, what is the right battery amount that would be able to lift a 2kg payload?

I know its a hobby, not a scientific field, but I'd be interested to get your opinion.

What are the frontiers (unsolved problems, areas of active research and excitement, breakthroughs on the horizon etc) of aerial robotics? Will things look different in 10 years?

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I'm building my very first drone from scratch, and I'm trying to make a basic cargo delivery drone on a very tight budget. My goal is to have it take off, fly to a specific GPS waypoint autonomously, drop a small package using a servo mechanism, and return. I also want basic FPV to see where it's going using my phone.

This is my first time doing anything like this (no soldering experience, no prior RC knowledge), so please bear with me.

I've done some basic research and put together a parts list based on what's available and affordable where I am (Turkey). My main problem is that my payload capacity calculations look very borderline. I need advice on how to squeeze out more payload capacity without blowing up my already maxed-out budget.

My Goals:

· Carry a payload of around 200g (package + servo mechanism).

· Autonomous GPS mission planning (Takeoff -> Go to Point -> Drop Payload -> Land).

· Basic FPV view on my phone (no goggles needed).

· Stable and forgiving flight for a complete beginner.

My Current Parts List (Already purchased the frame):

Part Model / Specs

Frame Q450 Quadcopter Frame (F450 clone, PCB integrated, 450mm, ~270g)

Flight Controller ArduPilot APM 2.8

Motors 4x 2212 920KV Brushless Motors

ESCs 4x 30A SimonK ESCs

Props APC 10x4.7 (10 inch)

Battery 3S 11.1V 5200mAh LiPo

Transmitter & Receiver FlySky FS-i6 + FS-iA6B (6 Channel)

Power Module APM compatible 30V 90A (with current sensor)

GPS M8N GPS with Compass

Payload Drop SG90 9g Micro Servo

FPV Camera Eachine EF-01 AIO Camera + 5.8GHz OTG Receiver (for my Android phone)

My Questions for You:

1. Payload Capacity Crisis: My math says I'll get around 2.5kg of total thrust, and my drone will weigh around 1.1-1.2kg. That leaves me with maybe 100-150g of payload, which is not enough. What's the single most effective and cheapest upgrade I can make to increase my lift right now? (e.g., bigger props? different motors? Is there a cheap motor/prop combo you swear by for a 450 frame?)

2. Compatibility Check: Is the APM 2.8 still a viable choice in 2026 for a beginner? Will it play nicely with my M8N GPS and QGroundControl on my phone? I'm worried about outdated firmware and calibration nightmares.

3. First-Timer Tips: Since this is my absolute first build, what are the biggest "noob traps" I should avoid during assembly and software setup? I'm terrified of messing up the ESC calibrations, drone flying away, or soldering my PCB board incorrectly.

4. Autonomous Mission: How complex is it to program a "drop package" command with APM? Can I plan the whole mission just using QGroundControl on my phone?

Any advice, even just pointing me to a reliable build guide, would be amazing. Thank you all!