How to make a paleolith with your own hands from a quadrocopter. Do-it-yourself quadrocopter: step-by-step assembly. Step by step assembly instructions
You, as a novice pilot, decided to figure out how to make a radio-controlled quadrocopter on a remote control (mini or with a camera) with your own hands at home. The task, at first glance, is simple, but there are a lot of nuances that you should pay attention to - about this in our detailed instructions.
The myth of total cheapness
If you are new to aeromodelling, then you should accept that this is not a cheap undertaking.
Now “slippers will fly”, which is a video circulating on the net, where a small drone was assembled from improvised materials and funds for only 50 rubles, spending only 2 hours of time.
Take a look - it's a joke. It's a pity if you believed that the screws, plastic tableware and aluminum corners can be assembled to become a full-fledged copter.
Disappointed by information? Then it's better to buy a ready-made RTF quadric (ready to fly, ready to fly) and not fool your head.
What is required at the very beginning
If you still have a desire, then first you should have hands from the right place, namely, from the shoulders. Also, at least superficial knowledge in electronics and a little bit in programming, determination and lack of laziness, and, of course, details on the list.
Oh yes, you still need to decide on the main function of the drone. At the very beginning, it is better to make a quadcopter without a camera. You need to get your hand in control so that one of the expensive equipment does not crash or drown.
An important detail for beginners is the place where you will release your first drone for flights. The urban area is eliminated immediately, as houses, trees and wires will interfere with test flights. The park doesn't fit either. One wrong move - the vacationer and your new brainchild may suffer. It is better to go out into the open field and steer the quadric for your pleasure.
List of main spare parts:
- frame;
- motors with controllers for them;
- screws;
- battery for quadcopter and remote control;
- flight controller;
- control panel with signal reception and transmission;
- Charger;
- connecting wires, bolts, etc.;
- tools for work.
In order to be able to modify the drone to work with video and photography in the future, the base between the rays of the copter should be made wider in order to later accommodate the rest of the devices.
Selecting the shape of the quadcopter
First of all, you should decide on the number of beams and screws on the copter. There is a wide variety of modifications and appearance flying drones, based on the number of beams coming out of the center of the frame, there are three-, quadro-, hexa- and octocopters.
The number of propellers can be more than the number of beams. But the name doesn't change. For example, a quadcopter has two motors with propellers on each beam - this does not make it an octocopter.
From the title of the article, it is clear that we are talking about drones that have four axes (and four motors as standard).
The shape of the beams on the quadcopter is also different (+, X or H - shaped).
Most popular model among the quadcopters, there remains a quatrocopter with an X-shaped beam arrangement (it can be seen on the diagram). Firstly, two motors at once pull the entire structure forward, and secondly, the attached video camera will not see the screws in front of it.
What to consider when selecting all spare parts
Based on the estimated weight of the complete structure already FPV-, you should assemble a copter with powerful motors. This implies the purchase of additional batteries or the installation of more capacious ones at once.
To facilitate the design, the frame can be made independently. There are options: from simple wooden rulers to aluminum profiles or tubes. You can save money on this. The main thing is that the material is durable, because when it falls, the first thing that suffers is the rays of the copter.
Of course, there are ready-made frames, but you should beware of fakes, otherwise at least one “leg” will fly off after the first crash test. For the duration of the management skill, improvised materials are more advantageous.
The beams for a quadrocopter have an optimal parameter - 30-60 cm in length from motor to motor.
In order not to get hurt and not to mow the foliage of nearby trees, as well as to test the copter at home, you can put special protection on the propellers.
What will the flight controller and all other gadgets be attached to? Here, too, you can turn on the fantasy. Of course, a piece of cardboard will not work, but a square of plywood, a plastic base from under the CD box is optimal. Not heavy and will withstand everything that you need to fasten.
If in the future the use of an action camera, you should leave a place for the receiver and transmitter of the camera signal on the tablet and a place for its fastening.
Motors - they need four at once. For propellers, they are mainly selected according to diameter and power. The diameter is taken from the parameters of the frame (if it is self-made, then at its discretion).
Motor controllers are needed to control the speed of rotation of the blades. The power of the engines directly depends on the weight of the drone assembly.
Batteries for motors can be of different capacities. It is better to provide the opportunity to change batteries to high capacities and, of course, use not one, but several at once.
The screws themselves can be taken 9-12 cm. A pair of ordinary and 2 with reverse rotation. It is desirable that they come with fasteners for several types of motors at once.
The most important and most expensive thing in a quatrocopter is its "brains", namely, the flight controller - you can't save on it. Here, the future capabilities of the drone should be considered. It is better to take a microcontroller programmable (for example, Arduino Mega). Sensors for it can be taken "all in one" All In One (gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, magnetometer), or at a minimum - a gyroscope and an accelerometer.
Additional functions:
- GPS - flight route programming;
- "soft landing" - fail safe (if the radio connection with the remote control is lost, the copter will sit down smoothly, and not crash to the ground);
- FPV (first person view) - view from the first person, and observation from the tablet.
The transmitter on the control board should be chosen according to your pocket. The main thing is that there should be at least four channels and a frequency of 2.4 GHz. It can be bought for left-handed or right-handed people.
Of course, you will have to tinker with wires, but in capable hands this time will pass quickly.
It is better to attach a special soft lining to the legs of the copter or to the beams themselves on the frame, so that landing on hard surfaces is easier.
It won't be easy, but it will be interesting and entertaining!
More drone ideas
But craftsmen are not limited to standard materials for creating radio-controlled quadrocopters - they use Lego parts, paper, bottles, and coolers, independently creating drawings and gradually creating their device.
Paper quadcopter
Imagine, there are also paper aircraft! Of course, they do not provide for serious loads, so they are created just for fun.
As fasteners for paper models, an adhesive gun and plastic ties are used. Also, small wooden blocks become an obligatory element - this is necessary so that the paper does not tear with ties under loads.
Drone from coolers
If you have old computer coolers in your hands, do not rush to throw them away! They will make an excellent (though not the strongest) copter. You will need four to create computer fan and the same set of materials and tools as for a conventional drone - but without motors.
Today, there are many articles on the Internet on the topic "assembling a quadrocopter with your own hands", and the most easy way to make a quadrocopter, for a beginner, is to make it "according to the instructions", so it is enough to find a high-quality article-instruction and try to repeat the author's creation. The main thing is not only to know what kind of aircraft you need, but also what prospects you are counting on. I wanted a quadcopter "with a margin", so that it would be possible to hang a camera (like Gopro) on a brushless gimbal and broadcast video "on the ground". And "Empty" i.e. unloaded, was able to fly for the longest possible time. I could not find a finished article, so I had to "shovel" a pile of materials.
This article is about a quadcopter designed for FPV - first-person camera flight and aerial photography. Aerial photography is planned not only with GoPro (and analogues), but also with the ability to load a more or less decent "soap box" (150-250 grams) on board. Plus, so that the flight time is long and that in emergency and any unforeseen cases, the autopilot returns the device "home".
The most difficult thing in assembling the first quadcopter is to decide "what copter" and "for what purposes" it is needed, place an order and pay, the amount is not small.
Frame and power section with propellers.
F450 Quadcopter Frame - 450mm
Engine AX-2810Q 750kv
ESC Speed Controller Turnigy Multistar 40A V2 Slim BLHeli Multi-Rotor Brushless OPTO 2-6S
Propellers 12x6 carbon, cheap, from Aliexpress
Flight controller (brain)- I chose APM 2.6:
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Great a budget option. While there are cheaper options, the APM (ardu pilot mega) has all the features of an "advanced" flight controller. I connect a GPS module to it so that the autopilot can return the copter "home" in case of a loss of communication.
To fly around the camera, I also install OSD - this is an overlay, on the broadcast video, of telemetry data: flight speed, altitude, an arrow indicating the way home and, most importantly, battery data - from the ground you can see the power consumption and forecast how long the battery will last.
Also, to obtain data on the state of the battery, a power module is required:
FPV kit for broadcasting video from a quadrocopter to the ground, it includes a set of receiver and transmitter:
Operating frequency 5.8 GHz. The transmitter power (pictured on the right) is 600 mW - which, with normal antennas, should keep a stable reception in line of sight at a distance of more than 5 km. Initially, I calculated this kit for an airplane and a flight of 10 km, so it is too powerful and heavy. The weight of the transmitter is 40 g together with the standard antenna.
In such a set, it is better to change the standard whip antennas (dipole) to modern circular polarization antennas called - "clover" they provide a more stable signal reception / transmission, i.e. There will be less noise on the video:
On the ground watch the image I plan in a cheap video helmet:
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The helmet is delivered unassembled, as in the photo on the right. What the helmet is: a foam shell (EPO), an LCD screen (5 ") and a fresnel lens. That is, the lens allows you to more or less comfortably look at the screen at a close distance (5-6 cm), as a result you see a large screen Due to such a lens, there is slight distortion at the edges of the visible area.The disadvantages of this helmet are a low-resolution 640-dot LCD screen, graininess is felt, so amateurs and enthusiasts replace the standard screen with a screen of the same size, but with a higher resolution, for example, 840 dots on inch, the main thing is that it does not have a black or blue screen when there is no signal, because in case of poor reception, it is important to see at least the outlines of the image through the interference.
The cost of such a helmet (monitor) is about 2000 rubles ($35). There are other models of helmets with a screen resolution of 1280, the quality and the feeling of presence in these are at the highest level, but the price is also higher.
As for video glasses, their quality is estimated at a very high cost (due to compactness). Normal Fatshark glasses (640 dpi) will not be much higher in quality than a helmet for 2000 rubles, and their price will be around 8000 rubles. Cheap video glasses from aliexpress are more suitable for a "passenger" than a pilot.
The manufacturer claims that the virtual display with a diagonal of 52 inches is simulated in glasses, this is true (but at a distance of 5-6 meters), watching a movie is absolutely acceptable, but when flying with a camera, you need to not only navigate in space, but also on the ground, and it is also necessary to be distracted by OSD data, which looks small on a small grainy screen. I would not recommend these glasses for a beginner. The price of the described glasses is $100, their resolution is only 320x240.
camera on quadcopter, for recording and broadcasting video will be installed on a 2-axis brushless gimbal from aliexpress. Camera selected SJ5000.
The drone is expected to look something like this:
Various little things:
Anti-vibration platform for APM - it is customary to install apm on an anti-vibration stand, this improves the stability of the controller.
BEC is a power regulator that converts incoming 11.1 or 14.8 volts to 5 volts, which is used to power the receiver, flight controller, etc. It is necessary because my ESC (brushless motor speed controller) without built-in BEC.
The weight of my copter was:
Frame, 4 motors, 4 ESCs, 1 BEC, APM, power distribution board with XT60 connectors, receiver, "legs" - 990 gr.
FPV kit: minimosd-6gr, FPV camera-20gr, video transmitter with antenna-30gr, GPS module-30gr.
Video filming: two-axis gimbal-212gr, camera SJ4000-70gr.
Battery: 5000mAh 4S 30C - 650g.
Total empty: 1 kg - with battery 1650 gr.
with FPV kit - 1100 and 1750g with battery.
with brushless gimbal and camera-2.1 kg.
I also want to increase the duration of the flight due to large propellers. Therefore, I will test in the following configuration: the engines are described above, 12x4.5 propellers powered by 3s (11.1 volts) and the second option 10x4.5 propellers powered by 4s (14.8).
How to choose a motor/frame for a quadcopter?
You need to know the weight of the future aircraft, the weight of a fully loaded one - frame, motors, regulators, receiver, video transmitter, OSD, GPS, flight controller, camera, battery, camera gimbal, etc. Under this weight, the engine / propeller is selected - VMG- propeller group and battery.
The propeller group develops a certain thrust in grams, usually the seller or manufacturer publishes specifications: current consumption, voltage / propeller, thrust in grams.
Example: the thrust scale is in grams vertically, the current consumption in amperes is horizontal. Voltage 14.8 (4S), two graphics - one for the propeller 11x4.7 the second for 10x4.7
Unfortunately, not every engine has thrust data, or it may not be entirely correct. Often these data are posted in the comments, enthusiasts leading the measurement. And in principle, this is correct, I bought the engine, installed it on a stand with weights and start testing, sorting through the propeller options declared by the manufacturer, on which of the propellers the thrust and moderate heating are higher and that one will do.
For example, you found an engine with a thrust of 1 kg, in a quadcopter there are 4 engines, respectively, 4 kg of thrust. Thrust-to-weight ratio is a margin of thrust capability, i.e. if the quadric weighs 4 kg and the thrust is 4 kg, then the thrust-to-weight ratio is equal to one (1 - it will not fly), for copters you need from 2 to 3.
Interested in quadcopters. I decided to place an order, the choice fell on the Habsan x4 with a 0.3mr camera.
I waited, I got it. I flew a lot on it (there were crashes, long waits for spare parts and repairs). My brain was visited by the idea to assemble a large quadrocopter, plunged into this topic, re-read many articles. Whenever possible, he answered the questions of people in the group of Rc modellers: regarding the choice of parts, assembly of the quadrocopter. From all this, the idea to write this article arose.
Flight principle
So, if you decide to build your quadcopter, then you need to decide on the budget. The size depends on the amount you are willing to spend on this Miracle. The most common sizes (in mm.) are 250,330,450,550 and more.
*250 size: small, light, most often used only for FPV flights.
*330 and 450 the golden mean for a budget quadcopter. Acceptable weight and assembly price.
*550 and more can be attributed to professional quadcopters or multirotors. Such machines will be heavy and expensive. For these aircraft, there will be powerful engines and they can carry a decent weight, up to kilogram SLRs.
I will continue my story based on a 450 scale copter.
A special place in this category is occupied by frames DJI 330 and 450, TBS Discovery.
Their price is appropriate ... high.
There are many clones, and I chose it.
It's time to find out what is quadcopter and what it consists of.
1. Frame
2. Receiver/Transmitter
3. Flight controller:
a) AIOP
b) NAZA
c) MuliWii
d) H.K.Pilot
f) AMP
f) And others
4. Power plant
a) Motor
b) Speed controller
c) Propellers
5. Battery
6. Add. Equipment:
a) FPV system (real time first person view)
FPV camera
Transmitter
OSD
b) Hanger for on-board camera
c) Backlight
Now you can see everything in detail.
1) With frame already decided. 450 scale, TBS clone. 
2) Receiver/Transmitter. His choice is very important. You need to understand for yourself: how far you want to fly.
Most popular options:
1.5-2km will provide 2.4GHz
433 MHz will provide about 5-10km (it all depends on the power, you can fly up to 20km)
For myself, I chose 2.4 GHz FlySky Th9x 9 channels 
Inexpensive and easy to set up equipment.
For a quadrocopter, you need from 5 channels.
The choice of this equipment is due to its popularity, longevity on the market. There are many clones. There are many disputes about which company was the first, this is the same turgiga 9, avionics and others ... There are many settings on the Internet.
3) Flight controller
At the moment, there are a lot of flight controllers for quadcopters. I made my choice. This is Naza Lite with GPS
Not very expensive and angry. Naza requires minimal setup and is very easy to make.
With AIOP, Crius and MultiWii controllers it will be many times more difficult and especially for a beginner.
Why did I take a controller with GPS?
This function is necessary for hovering at a point and returning home.
I see this as a very handy feature.
4) Power plant
Raises many questions from the uninitiated.
BC motors are used. They are three-phase (3 wires), their efficiency is about 90%.
To control the speed of rotation of such a motor, a speed controller (regulator) is used, which receives commands from the flight controller.
Consider frames 330.450mm. Depending on your needs, you need to estimate the weight of the quadcopter. On average, it turns out from 1k to 1.5 kg. It is desirable that the thrust of the motors be 2-2.5 times more total mass. This suggests that the thrust should be 2-3 kg. We divide this by 4 and get the thrust of one motor: approximately 500-750 gr.
The question arises: which engine to choose? We look at the characteristics of the frame: we are interested in what engines can be put in it. Should be interested in the first 2 digits: 22 or 28 in most cases.
Let's start with engine selection. At the name of the engine you will see a certain value, for example: 1100kv. This value indicates the number of revolutions per 1 volt. Motors with high kv values have fewer stator windings than less revving ones. It follows that the maximum current will be higher in motors with lower kv, which have more torque and this allows the use of large propellers.
It can be compared to a car gearbox. 380kv and 1400kv are like first and third gear on a car.
380kv for steady slow and long flights with a large payload
1400kv for fast and agile running.
In the Internet or in the description of this engine, you can see its technical characteristics and test results. You need to find out the maximum current (A) that the engine can pull and, based on these data, select the speed controller (ESC). Let's say max A for an engine of 20A. Then, we take ESC 20-25% more powerful, 25-30A.
Now we look at the test results.
for example we see: 11x4.7 -3S-12A - 830g
It means
11x4.7 - propeller characteristics (11-inch, 4.7 pitch)
3S - number of cans of LiPo battery
12A - current in the circuit at a given load
830gr - engine thrust under given conditions
Thus, the maximum thrust is 830x4 = 3300 gr., Max current in the circuit is 12x4 = 48A
The maximum current strength is needed for the selection of Battery and Wiring.
For starters, don't use carbon props. Overpayment. Learn to fly cheap ones.
The propeller mount depends on the engine itself. Most propellers have an adapter for the motor shaft. Mounting on Collets or thread is possible. DJI has some great self-tightening mount options that will keep your propeller from ever coming loose while flying.
For more simple options I advise you to additionally fix it with thread sealant.
Paying attention
: motors with different kv can be compared under conditions of the same size. For example, EMAX XA 2212 exist in different configurations:
820
980
1400
They can be compared.
Motor efficiency with 1400kv will be maximum when using 8040 propeller,
And a motor with 820kv - with a propeller 1147.
The maximum torque will be at the motor with 820kv, so it is advisable to use large propellers. A motor with 1400kv will love high rpm with less load.
The difference between the presented motors in the winding.
It makes sense to use them like this:
1400kv on 330 frame and 8040 propellers
980kv on 450 frame and 1045 propellers
820kv on 500-550 frame and 1147 propellers
I chose
And propellers
Wonderful set.
Wiring diagram
For simplicity: Signal - black, Power (+\-) - red 
5) Battery
When choosing a battery, it is necessary to choose a current output. This is the number C. (25C, 35C)
Do not forget that, according to our data, the system eats 48A.
Let's say we have a 3300mAh 3S 35C Lipo Pack
3300 mAh - battery capacity
3S - number of cans (one can 3.7v)
35C - current output. Those. Battery with a capacity of 3.3Ah (3300 mAh) x 35C = 115A
Which is enough to cover our energy consumption. Even redundant. The more C, the heavier and more expensive the battery.
Let's see if a battery of the same capacity, but with a current output of 25C, will cope with our tasks or not: 3.3Ah (3300 mAh) x 25C = 82A
Answer: Yes.
Such a battery will be lighter and cheaper.
To monitor the condition of the battery, you can buy such a thing.
Imax B6 is very popular for charging batteries, be careful, there are a lot of fakes.
And don't forget LiPo needs to be handled very carefully.
My advice: take at least a couple of batteries.
6) Add. Equipment.
When you have decided on the flight range and selected the control system, you can start choosing an FPV system:
FPV - literally: first-person view in real time.
2.4GHz compatible with 5.8GHz
433MHz compatible with 1.2GHz
Otherwise, joint interference will be created.
For my 2.4GHz, I picked up 5.8GHz 200mw
FPV system consists of:
1) FPV
2) Transmitter on a quadric
3) Receiving station on the ground.
To increase the communication range, you can replace the standard antennas with "clovers"
Most transmitters are powered within 9-12v, a small 3S battery can power the transmitter and camera, which is selected for this voltage.
What does 200mw mean?
This is the transmitter power. It directly affects the communication range. In open areas with non-standard antennas, a signal can be received at a distance of up to 1 km.
Considering that my control system is not capable of more than 1.5-2 km, this is an ideal
option for my needs.
With the choice of receiver and transmitter, everything is now clear, but how to choose a camera, there are a huge number of them?
The choice of camera initially rests on money.
There are cameras that have the function of streaming data and simultaneous recording. The cost of such cameras is much higher. The Mobius camera is very popular.
Her competitor appeared, also having AV output
You can use a FPV camera from the cheapest, without a body. The cost of which ranges from 600 to 1000 rubles, and record using a good action camera on a suspension.
At the FPV camera, we will see the number of TV lines. What it is? This is the number of scan lines. For an FPV camera, 500-700TVL will be enough. The level of minimum illumination is important, this parameter is measured in lux. 0.01 lux is enough for flying even in the evening. The viewing angle is equally important. 100-120 degrees is ideal. It would not be bad to have automatic light correction and auto. white balance.
The picture can be displayed on such a monitor
You can buy a 2- or 3-axis gimbal for the camera. Such a thing allows you to rotate the camera and have a more stable picture, without jerking and twitching.
The piece is quite expensive.
I have this one:
Naturally, the onboard camera itself
You can install LED backlight, buzzer, GPS tracker
As you understand, in order to assemble such a UAV, quite a few investments are needed.
The price is approximately in the range of 400-500 dollars.
This review is intended for beginners and carries the theory, there will be a continuation soon. With assembly and configuration.
I have planned a series of articles and will slowly implement them.
I will be glad to criticism Thank you for viewing.
I'll show the cards: the end result 
How to assemble such a thing and lift it into the sky?
Instructions will be in the next part)
Here is a short video from the first flights with a suspension.
P.S. I bought everything with personal funds. I plan to buy +99 Add to favorites Liked the review +62 +150
The reasons why amateur quadcopters think about how to build a quadcopter with their own hands are different. For example, some people are not happy with the prices, some want to install their own camera, which is not installed on any gimbal, others want to get a race-only configuration. Yes, you never know what else!
Modern users prefer to get an exhaustive answer to the above question in the form step by step recommendations. And even better if they are given the opportunity to see it in video format. Because the diagrams and instructions in many cases do not fully reveal all the important details during assembly.
In order to understand how to make a quadrocopter with my own hands, let's look at the big picture so that at each stage of the assembly we have an understanding of how much we have managed to do so far and how much work we still have to do. This will make it easier to continue and finish the process, because often a lack of understanding of how much work is left makes a novice designer drop everything halfway.
So, let's first remember all the key components of the aircraft, which must be included in the kit for assembling a quadrocopter with your own hands. The first thing that comes to mind is, of course, the body of the drone, on which all the rest of the equipment and electronics will be put on.
It is not difficult to assemble a case from scratch. For example, if we look at what the body of ordinary quadcopters is made of, we will see that manufacturers use plastic as a material. Plastic is the most versatile and suitable material for assembling the body and arms of any drone.
It is lightweight, which allows you to save battery power for a longer period. Of course, it cannot be said that plastic is the most reliable means to protect a multicopter from breakage during an emergency fall. But if you think about it as a whole, even large planes made of more durable material crumble into wreckage. Therefore, let's not be so demanding on light plastic, the main task of which is, first of all, a strong fixation of electronics and accessories inside the case during the flight.
If you do not have the opportunity to make arms and body elements from this material, and also do not have spare pipes or arms from other unmanned vehicles, then we recommend paying attention to ordinary plywood. Of course, you should not pick up solid sheets of fiberboard, because not a single motors and engines will be able to lift such a heavy structure. Look for a lighter option for your case.
Plywood is also good because it will be possible to drill any number of holes in it to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the copter, as well as to insert various copter blocks into it. They can be the same blocks for motors and propellers, mounts for wires and landing gear, compartments for electronic boards, batteries and video cameras.
After that, you should think about installing electronic and printed circuit boards on the finished case. This will allow you to move in the assembly of the apparatus, as it were, from its middle. As they like to say in such cases - to dance from the stove. That is, from the most important thing that is in the quadrocopter.
On each of the beams, special markings are required so that the wires and motors are installed perfectly. It depends on how smoothly and balanced your assembled device will fly. An error of a couple of millimeters can lead to a strong roll or tipping of the drone during the flight. Take accurate measurements and double check them several times before installing motors.
At the very end, you will only have to establish a connection between all the components of the drone - to connect between them in the form of wiring. Read on for general guidelines for setting up a connection. It remains to be added here that the preliminary assembly of the drone ends here. It remains to do a lot of tests on the ground and in the air to make sure that you did everything right and in case of mistakes, and they, believe me, will definitely be - to make adjustments.
Next, we will tell you about what important components should be on board your quadcopter, so that you know what, in fact, you need to start building your air “house” and what important details will come in handy. After that, all questions like “how to assemble a quadrocopter yourself and at home” will definitely disappear from you. As it turns out, it's not that difficult. The most important thing is to know the structure of the drone and the principles of its flight.
What is a quadriplane
For those who are not yet in the subject, this is a structure, a platform, a structure, an aircraft, whichever is more convenient for you, which (if we are talking about a platform) is controlled by a transmitter. Has 4 motors with the same number of propellers. In the assembly of such aircraft, there is certainly a flying multi-engine platform.
When the drone takes off, it takes a horizontal position. Like a helicopter, it is able to hover above the ground at different heights. Flying in different directions. Previously, copters could only fly towards their noses. AT last years they began to make models of the Headless type, when the drone during the flight could fly sharply in any of the four directions without turning in that very direction with its bow.
The aircraft is capable of ascending and descending while always remaining level with respect to the ground. If special equipment is installed on it, then in some cases it can even fly in autopilot mode. Most aviation enthusiasts use such opportunities, first of all, to focus on aerial photography at this moment, and not to show their piloting skills to the world.
The general principle of the drone
As we said earlier, the system is multi-rotor. These same rotors create a powerful diagonal rotation in opposite directions. The rotors have a so-called manager that collects information from three or six gyroscopes (the number of the latter depends on the configuration of the copter) and transmits it to the rotors.
Gyroscopes were created in order to automatically determine the position of the device during the flight and then fix it in all three planes. At the same time, the accelerometer makes sure that the copter takes the ideal horizontal position. To fix the quadrocopter at a certain height, the flight system is equipped with a pressure sensor.
Due to this, the movement of the copter occurs if all four propellers rotate in the same way. The result of changing the speed of rotation of one or another pair of motors is the inclination of the copter (as it is also called “roll”) in the direction of the least rotating propellers – the drone flies horizontally.
In most cases, there are strictly four rotors, but sometimes you can find quadcopters with six and even eight propellers. Therefore, they are called multicopters, and the word “quadcopter” will no longer be relevant to the last two representatives of multirotor drones.
Instructions for assembling a simple drone
And here is what is useful for the assembly itself:
- Technique Turnigy 9;
- control fee;
- Batteries for Turnigy;
- Power battery;
- Blades;
- Various battery chargers.
Let's start assembling
First of all, install the control board. At the same time, place it as close to the center of your platform as possible. From the very beginning, take the necessary, and most importantly, accurate measurements. In this case, the device will not skid from side to side during the flight. Use self-tapping screws long enough to screw the arms to the board. Ribbon made of aluminum is suitable for landing skis and holding the battery.
Install the receiver close to the board. To install the receiver, you can use some powerful superglue. A simplified version of the connection with two three-wire loops is possible when the receiving channels are the same as the channels of the control board in their purpose. Keep this in mind.
Engine installation
Before inserting it, it is necessary to make an accurate marking of the rays and make holes for the engine itself. Do your best to ensure that the distance from the edges to the axis of rotation are equivalent. At least as far as possible. When installing the engine, a shaft tail will stick out of its bottom, so a special hole must be made for it.
When making holes for mounting, drill the entire width of the square and through. Then you can immediately see if the shaft will cling to the edges of this square.
Wiring
Using adapters, make a parallel connection of 4 power wires. In the place where the battery will be connected to all four wires, you will need to use detachable connections. In other places, soldering will be necessary. Then tighten all the parts with heat shrink so that during a strong vibration (when the copter is flying) something will not pop out and come off.
Now let's deal with the control board and connect the driver wires. In principle, after this operation, you can do a little check and fix the problems that come to light during testing.
The second way to assemble a quadrocopter with your own hands
No matter how you assemble your first aircraft, one thing you need to remember is to spare no expense on the parts from which you will assemble the drone. Only in this case, with a greater degree of probability, it will turn out to be of high quality and minor inaccuracies and errors will be forgiven you.
When assembling a quadcopter in the second way, we will consider a step-by-step assembly using Arduino Mega, Mega-Pirate firmware.
What is required for assembly? 5 motors including 1 spare. Also purchase two sets of blades - one working, the second for stock. We remind you that there should be two regular screws and two reverse screws. Speed controllers. There must be at least four of them and, again, at least the same number of spares.
It is better to take a smaller battery for such a drone so that it does not weigh down the copter.
We advise you to use several light and small ones. Yes, the drone will fly less during one life cycle of such a mini battery, but at the same time, your flight will be more stable. Moreover, the process of replacing the battery does not take much time.
The frame for your quadcopter needs to be light and strong at the same time. Remember what frame we described in the first case of self-assembly. So, such a frame is quite suitable for this option. Of the electronic stuffing, you will need: an all-in-one board, an accelerometer, batteries, a microcontroller, a gyroscope, as well as a lot of bolts, screws, wires and different kind screeds. Do not forget also about the soldering iron and drill.
When you are sure that you have everything you need, you can safely proceed with the assembly. The assembly process can be repeated using the first method described above. The most important thing is that the distance from each end of the beam to the center of the frame is the same. Make sure that the propellers do not touch each other and, importantly, the central part of the frame, because this is where the electronic brains of your drone will be placed, plus a video camera, which, by the way, can be installed at will.
If you mount your sensors in rubber or, say, in a silicone mass, then the force of vibration during the operation of the propellers will be extinguished. As a chassis, you can make and fix the foam at the very ends of the beams. For more soft landing they can be rubberized or foam rubber attached.
If you do not want to collect the board yourself, then we recommend buying a ready-made one. It already has 4 sensors installed, a gyroscope that will measure angular acceleration, an accelerometer that measures acceleration, a barometer that is responsible for choosing the desired height and holding the quadcopter at it, as well as a magnetometer that is responsible for where the drone will fly.
How to Build a Cheap DIY Arduino Uno Quadcopter
If you follow the short Arduino Uno assembly instructions below, you will end up with a four-beam unmanned vehicle with a 30 minute flight time, measuring 60 centimeters (152 inches) from motor to motor. It will weigh a little over one kilogram.
For the frame, you need to use thin beams cut from ordinary wooden planks. The approximate thickness of one such beam should be 1-1.5 centimeters from above and about 3-4 centimeters when viewed from the side of the beam. Make two identical blanks 60 centimeters long each and, using a hole in the center of one of them, firmly fasten both beams together. You can solder them, glue them, and so on.
After that, for your convenience, you can paint the rays in two different colors. For example, paint the front two beams yellow, and red or black those beams that, after assembly, will turn out to be the back of the drone.
The power board will need to be installed at the intersection of your frame. It should be fixed in the center, at the bottom of the cross. Using plastic straps, the length of which can be adjusted, attach this board to the case on both sides. This will be enough so that the board does not fly off and stably fulfills its main purpose. Let it not bother you that it can move and move from its place by a couple of millimeters or even 1 centimeter.
After that, you will need to install 4 electronic speed controllers from HobbyKing - each weighs only 16 grams. Attach them securely near the edge of each of the beams. For this purpose, the same plastic adjustable strap with which you secured the power board is quite suitable. In most cases, only one strap per controller is sufficient. But if you doubt it, you can add one or even two more straps for reliability.
At the end of each of the beams, you should attach a special cap with a hole in which you will install the engines and propellers. Again, use straps as a fixing material. Fasten the cover to the conscience so that it does not fly off at the first start of the motors. By the way, it is better to install an electronic speed controller on the top of the beam. So it will interact better with the propeller and it will be easier for you to establish a connection between them.
The control panel, assembled from several important electronic elements (see the assembly diagram in the illustrations), is attached to the top with plastic straps. Your board should have two holes on each of the four sides in order to attach it securely to each beam.
Ultimately, in the central part of your homemade quadcopter there will be two boards. One is the power one, installed at the bottom of the mount, the second is the control panel, fixed at the top of the crossed beams of your copter.
To soften and suppress the vibration of motors, which will not have a very good effect on your electronics, you need to make anti-vibration dampers. For these purposes, you can use ordinary silicone ear plugs. They are sold in any pharmacy. You will need a set of four of these earplugs to fit under each control PCB mount.
It's better to do it like this. Before you start tightening the reinforcing straps on each of the four sides of your board, place the silicone plug so that it is under the board itself while resting on the beam. In this case, it will act as a kind of gasket between these two rigid elements and will be able to absorb vibration.
To secure the earplug between the PCB and multicopter crosspiece, insert the plastic strap through the holes in the PCB, align the earplug and tighten the strap so that it can secure not only printed circuit board on the crosspiece, but also pressed the plug itself on both sides.
Now let's move on to installing the batteries. Two Zippy Compact batteries can be used. The capacity of each of them is 3700 milliamp hours. If you use both of them, then it will double. As a result, we will get 7400 mAh and almost 30 minutes of a full flight. However, it is worth remembering that it is these two batteries that will become the main load of the drone. Their total weight will be 517 grams.
To secure the batteries, you will need tape and a long plastic strap (only one, but wider than the ones you used to secure the parts before). Batteries should be attached in such a way that they take a diagonal position, that is, they are attached not to any beam, but to both at once.
It is clear that the best place for this there will be the same cross in the center. Since between the control printed circuit and the cross itself there will be free space, obtained due to the height of the ear plugs, you just need to put the strap into this slot in order to attach the batteries to the structure.
Before that, you will need to put one battery on top of the other, and add an ordinary soft sponge on top, which is used to transport breakable parts, hold a plastic strap under them, and stick strong adhesive tape on top of it. This will allow you to secure the strap in one place so that the batteries do not slip off the strap and glue the batteries together. To be safe, you can also use tape to stick the batteries together around the edges, but this is optional.
Next, we attach the batteries tightly to the bottom of the case, push the strap into the hole under the board from above. We pull it tight. If necessary, once again check the design for strength. The sponge will also act as a dampener for vibration that can occur between the quadcopter's arms, batteries, and the power board at the bottom of the structure.
Special covers at the ends of the beams can now install 25mm engines and put propellers on them. Your frame is already painted in two different colors, in order to better understand where the device is in front and where is the back. But for more precise orientation, you can use an orange or white table tennis ball.
To do this, from one front beam to another, you need to run an ordinary wire and fix each end of it approximately under the speed controllers. In the center of the wire there should already be a ball tightly strung on it.
That's it, your Arduino is ready to fly. As mentioned above, its flight weight was 1054 grams. The flight time at this weight is 30 minutes and a few seconds.
When designing a quadrocopter, the presence of a landing gear was not taken into account. In principle, they are not needed, because the drone does not have a camera installed on its belly, and it is not worth protecting the batteries and bothering for them by attaching legs. All you have to do is calculate exactly when the 30 minutes of flight will be up and soft-land the system in time. So you will save the device from accidental falling from a great height, because you will not have sensors anywhere informing you about the state of charge of your batteries.
Setting up the firmware
Today it is quite easy to find the necessary firmware, download and install it. After uploading it to the Arduino, download the setup program. After starting the program, you will be taken to the "Options" menu, there enter the Arduino COM port and go to the Action menu - AC2 Setup. In order for the ATV setup to turn out to be correct, try to follow the instructions (tips) flawlessly during the installation process and the operation of the program.
For example, one dialog box will ask you to move the levers on the transmitter to the largest and smallest values, and the other will ask you to control the position of the copter. It must be level to accurately calibrate the sensors.
When calibration is complete, you will need to open A5 from GND. In the menu, in the AC2 Sensor item, find the Raw Sensor tab to check if the sensors are working correctly. In this case, you need to focus on the arrow. During the rotation of our board, the arrow should reach the desired value. If this does not happen or, on the contrary, it goes off scale, then you have problems with sensors or coefficients in the code.
The transmitter is tested as follows. If the levels move as expected, then when you press the gas lever for a couple of seconds to the right and down, you will have a red diode flashing. If you move the stick up, then the indicators should be identical, that is, the LED should turn red again.
Takeoff
It's time to take off. Before that, install the multicopter at a distance of about 10-12 meters from you. Tilt the throttle stick down and to the right. The copter will have to take off. If instead it is standing still, the propellers are working, but it is shaking, then it will be necessary to adjust the PID configuration in the corresponding menu.
Good day to all dear friends! In today's article, I would like to show you a rather interesting homemade, namely a homemade quadrocopter. If you like aircraft modeling, but assembling an airplane is still quite difficult for you, then you can start with a quadcopter. This article will detail how to assemble your own homemade quadcopter. This assembly will consist of the cheapest components purchased in Chinese stores. Of course, this micro quadcopter will not brag about its flight qualities, and some other parameters. But this will help you master the correct location of the mass on the aircraft and the basic settings, and the main functions of the quadcopter. Oh well, enough long prefaces, let's go!
And so, for this homemade product we need:
- electric motors 4 pcs. (2pcs CW and 2pcs CCW sold as a set of 4)
- suitable screws for electric motors 4 pcs.
- battery right size 3.7V.
- battery charging cable.
- control board.
- equipment for the control board.
- a sheet of ABS plastic (you can use a box from a DVD disc).
- wires.
- thermal shrinkage.
Of the tools we will also need:
- soldering iron.
- stationery knife.
- drill.
- drill.
- ruler.
- marker.
- double tape.
- thermal glue.
- Super glue.
First, we need to make a frame on which the quadrocopter will be assembled. For the manufacture of the frame, we should take a sheet of plastic, ABS plastic is best, as it is very light, which is very good for a micro quadcopter. But if you do not have such plastic, then a DVD box or a food container is perfect.
Having dealt with the plastic for the frame, we make similar marks on the plastic itself, approximately, such as those shown in the photo below. You should also pay attention to the marked points, electric motors will be installed in these places, which means that they must be marked as accurately and symmetrically as possible.
Our next step is drilling holes for mounting the electric motors. This is a very important stage, since the controllability and general behavior of the quadcopter will depend on it. For drilling, it is better to use a stepped drill, it will be very convenient for them to make a clear contour. But if you don’t have one, then you just need to take a drill of a suitable diameter, that is, the diameter of the drill should match the diameter of the electric motor.
Then we need to cut the frame itself. We will cut using a clerical knife. I advise you to do this using a ruler, applying a ruler, pressing hard, draw with a knife and break off, bending the plastic. Try to be as accurate as possible.
Let's move on to the installation of electric motors. This is not quite as simple as it might seem, since the purchased Chinese set has 2 CW engines and 2 CW engines. But first, we increase the length of the wires on the electric motors, since their length will simply not be enough for us. We solder wire segments 3-4 cm and isolate the terma by shrinkage.
The image below shows how to install the motors. The arrow in the image points to the front of the quadcopter. And install the motors according to the image.
The next step is to install the screws on the motor shafts. Here, too, not everything is so simple. If you look closely at the screw, you can see the inscription "B1" or "A2" on it. Meaning screw rated "B1" should be installed on a CW motor and screw "A2" on a CCW motor.
Then we take the quadrocopter control board and unsolder all the connectors for the electric motors from it.
The control board should be glued to the quadcopter frame strictly, as indicated in the photo below. And you should install this board with the help of thermal glue, of course it would be better to fasten the board with screws, but the screws are much heavier than a couple of drops of thermal glue.
We solder the contacts from the electric motors to the control board in the same way as shown in the photo below.
Next, cut out from the same plastic, a suitable trapezoid in size. We need 2 such blanks. They will play the role of both legs and protect the quadrocopter.
Cut out trapeziums should be glued to the indicated places. Gluing is best with super glue. We apply super glue to the trapezoid, wait about one minute, apply it to the frame and wait for the glue to set.
After that, you should fix the battery on the case, we will fix it with double tape.
We insert the connector from the battery to the control board, and if the blue LED lights up, then everything is normal.
After turning on the control board, turn on the equipment. By moving the sticks, the equipment will connect to the control board, and the blue LED will stop blinking.
You should think about charging the battery of our micro quadcopter. To do this, take a ready-made USB cable with a charging module. But since the connectors did not fit, the author of the homemade product simply soldered the connectors.