Off-the-shelf drones by big manufacturers like Skydio or DJI are inexpensive and easy to purchase, but what you order is what you get — it can become hard to customize your drone for your own application. 

Even pre-made drone kits can limit your power to make design choices to optimize for speed, or take advantage of materials you may already have, saving on cost. Building your own DIY drone can make it easy to customize your drone for your unique application. In this guide, we’ll detail a step-by-step drone build, provide an easily accessible (and customizable) bill of materials, and talk about the advantages of different methods, materials, and components. 

Understanding Drone Physics

Before building your own DIY drone — we’ll later walk through a quadcopter design process — you should understand the basics of drone design and performance. 

First of all, why quadcopter drones? Quadcopter drones are used for drone racing, surveillance, research, construction site monitoring, and more. Their primary strength is their maneuverability and their ability to hover, which makes them well-suited for monitoring applications like crime-scene surveillance or agricultural mapping. The plane-like drones, called ‘fixed-wing’ drones that are used by the defense industry, by contrast, are geared towards long flight times and heavy payloads. 

Though you can absolutely build a DIY fixed-wing drone, the landing and takeoff processes are more complicated, and if it’s your first build and design, a quadcopter design will be more straightforward. 

Quadcopter drones lift off the ground by their motors pushing air down, creating ‘lift.’ Two of the quadcopter’s motors rotate clockwise, and the other two counterclockwise. These opposing forces keep the quadcopter balanced; think about a helicopter creating lift with its main propeller — it has to be balanced by the small rotor on the tail in order to stay level; it balances in the air by modulating the force of the two distinct ‘lifts.’ 

Drone Frame Size, Shape, and Material

This drone by ION Mobility has SLS 3D printed components in its main tech stack — the center portion that houses the battery, GPS, and VTX — as well as the thin parts encircling the off-the-shelf motors and propellers. With 3D printing, the ION team was able to optimize this drone for stability and durability — the frame protects the props in case of collision or rough landing. 

Your DIY drone frame is important — frames account for the vast majority of your drone’s size and need to be durable, lightweight, and strong. The drone frame’s job is to serve as a base for your electronics, and a central connection point for your motor arms. The distance from one propeller blade to the other is how drones’ sizes are measured, so a ‘550 drone’ is 550 mm from one tip of a propeller to the other. Most FPV drones, like the most popular DJI models, are around 200 to 300 mm in diameter, making them fast and agile. What these drone frames gain in agility, however, they often lose in flight time — their small frames cannot carry big batteries, limiting them to typically less than an hour of flight time. 

Most mass-produced drone frames are made using injection molded plastics like ABS. For your DIY drone, you can purchase the ABS components for frames and rotor arms, or you could purchase carbon fiber frames, which are easy to machine and assemble. Or, you could use 3D printing to design a unique frame that can be purpose-built for your application, bringing together motors, wiring, batteries, and navigation components that otherwise wouldn’t typically fit together. The bottom line — DIY drones are up to you, and 3D printing takes that to the next level by eliminating the limitations of pre-set DIY drone ‘kits.’ 

SLA 3D printers enable drone frames in materials like Formlabs’ Tough 1500 V2 Resin, which can handle the same impacts as injection molded polypropylene. Or, an SLS powder like Nylon 12 Tough Powder, which can be built with no supports, enabling organic geometries optimized for a great strength-to-weight ratio. 

^{3D printed materials have come a long way, and can withstand repeated stress and impact while still remaining functional. Formlabs SLA resins like Tough 1500 V2 Resin (left) and SLS powders like Nylon 12 Tough Powder (right) have been engineered for functional strength and impact-resistance, making them perfect for drone applications.} 

Identify Your DIY Drone Design Parameters

This agricultural mapping drone is a fixed-wing design, and can fly fast and far — it doesn’t need to prioritize maneuverability or the ability to hover. (photo courtesy of Nextech)

Before choosing components, the first step in getting your own customized drone designed and fabricated is setting some initial parameters by answering the following questions:

• Application: How can I optimize the design for the intended application? 

  • Every drone needs to strike a balance between structural strength and weight to be able to support the payload without depleting its power supply too quickly.

  • Delivery drones need to be large and have powerful power sources to carry heavy objects. Racing drones need to be lightweight and highly maneuverable. Surveillance drones, on the other hand, require designs adapted to accommodate high-quality camera systems.

• Regulations: What regulations do I need to pay attention to? 

  • Regulations vary from country to country. For example, in the United States, drones weighing less than 250 grams can be flown (for recreational purposes) without requiring an FAA license from the operator, while drones weighing 250 grams or more require an FAA-licensed operator and permission from local authorities in certain areas. Obtaining a license involves passing a written exam and paying fees.

  • All drones must fly at an altitude below 400 feet and are prohibited from flying within 5 miles of an airport.

• Cost: How much should I spend on components? 

  • Mix and match pre-made parts to fit your budget. This is the advantage of using 3D printing for drone frames and arms. You can create a frame that supports a wide variety of inexpensive parts that wouldn't normally fit together on a standard frame.

Pick a Fabrication Method for Your Drone

For underwater drones, or UUVs, 3D printing can be a good choice, though FDM 3D printed parts (like the capsule on the left) are not watertight. SLA (middle capsule) and SLS (right capsule) have been tested underwater at high pressures, and can keep delicate electronics safe. 

3D Printing for DIY Drones

Though most drone enthusiasts may be familiar with fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology, where a nozzle extrudes one layer of filament at a time like a hot glue-gun, this 3D printing technology is not ideal for functional drones. The anisotropic material properties of FDM 3D printed parts mean that upon impact or load-bearing strain, the components may peel apart along the layer lines. Though affordable, fast FDM 3D printing is still applicable for prototyping drone parts, end-use drone manufacturing should rely on a more functional 3D printing technology. 

SLA 3D printers can both prototype drone parts and produce end-use quality components. The material properties of SLA 3D printed drone parts are isotropic, so impact and load bearing will not cause a delamination effect along layer lines as with FDM 3D printed parts. Additionally, SLA 3D printing offers a range of materials that can be chosen for specific applications to best suit the demands of the job. For example, underwater drones, or UUVs, need watertight enclosures for their electronics. SLA 3D printing UUV components is an ideal choice, especially when using flexible materials like Formlabs’ Silicone 40A Resin for gaskets and seals. 

Impact-resistant materials like Tough 1500 Resin V2 are good choices for printing thin-walled enclosures, brackets, and covers. The smooth surface finish of SLA parts can also add to the professional look of a part and improve a drone’s overall aesthetics. High-speed SLA 3D printers like Form 4 and Form 4L can turn out prototypes multiple times a day, and can be useful for the iterative stages of drone design. 

SLS 3D printing offers several unique advantages to 3D printing for drone design. The powder bed fusion technology supports the part as it prints, ensuring there are no support marks and enabling complex, organic geometries, which can help optimize for lightweight strength without added bulk. The SLS powders available, like Formlabs Nylon 12 Tough Powder, are highly durable and proven in industrial, load-bearing applications. For 3D printed DIY drones, ordering SLS parts from a service bureau is the best way to get a functional, durable, strong drone frame for the lowest possible cost. If you’re looking to design and fabricate one to five drones for your business (i.e. drones as a service), outsourced 3D printing is the most affordable option, and SLS drone components combine the best geometric freedom with functional strength. 

For those looking to start manufacturing higher volumes of 3D printed drones, bringing SLS in-house with the Fuse 1+ 30W SLS 3D printer keeps upfront costs low, while enabling a production workflow. 

Using 3D Printed Tooling for DIY Drones

This frame for a racing drone is made of separate parts cut from sheets of carbon fiber. It’s incredibly lightweight and can withstand impact, but would be difficult to customize for a unique tech stack or payload. 

Many consumer-focused drones use carbon fiber body frames, for their extreme lightweight and strength. These carbon fiber pieces are typically cut from sheets of mass-produced carbon fiber. While these frames are a good solution for an at-home DIY drone kit, they are made to fit specific technology stacks, and aren’t truly customizable. 

However, 3D printing can also provide an affordable way to create a DIY drone, even when 3D printed parts are not used for the frame itself. 3D printed rapid tooling is an easy way to get custom carbon fiber parts made in-house. 

Many consumer-focused drones use carbon fiber body frames, for their extreme lightweight and strength. These carbon fiber pieces are typically cut from sheets of mass-produced carbon fiber. While these frames are a good solution for an at-home DIY drone kit, they are made to fit specific technology stacks, and aren’t truly customizable. 

However, 3D printing can also provide an affordable way to create a DIY drone, even when 3D printed parts are not used for the frame itself. 3D printed rapid tooling is an easy way to get custom carbon fiber parts made in-house. 

Designing a DIY Drone With SLS

As an example, we'll walk you through the assembly process step-by-step to design and build a DIY first-person view (FPV) drone that meets FAA and NDAA requirements and regulations.

1. Identify Parameters:

1. It can weigh more than 250 grams.
   

2. It has a Remote ID system.
   

3. It has a GPS system.
   

4. It has cameras and image transmission technology.
   

5. Use standard Small Unmanned Aerial System (SUAS) batteries: HRB 2pcs 6S Lipo Battery XT60.
   

6. It uses a quadcopter-style motor design.

2. Select your off-the-shelf components. See Appendix for a complete Bill of Materials.

3. Choose your drone design: fixed-wing, quadcopter with separate arms, or duct propeller frames.

1. Optimized for lightweight properties, such as lattice structures.
   

2. Run your design through a generative design program to find the best combination of weight and strength, eliminating unnecessary elements.

4. Choose a 3D printing process:

1. For this drone, we needed materials strong enough to support the weight of the LiPo battery without making the drone excessively large or bulky. Additionally, we wanted the drone frame to be able to withstand a certain level of impact and be resistant to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
   

2. The best way to optimize strength and weight, while accommodating our chosen prefabricated components, is to build a DIY drone using SLS 3D printing with a Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W. We can arrange all drone components in a single print room, print easily without supports, and get a complete printed drone with minimal post-printing work in less than 24 hours.

5. Choose a 3D printing material:

1. To maximize the strength and durability of the drone frame, we will be using Formlabs Nylon 12 Tough Powder for the arms, mounting plates, and covers, and TPU 90A Powder for small spacers, camera mounts, and GPS mounts.
   

2. Parts printed with Nylon 12 Tough Powder exhibit high toughness and extremely high dimensional accuracy. This material, with a refresh rate of only 20%, is also highly cost-effective for printing.

3. TPU 90A powder is ideal for mounts that need to absorb shock and help protect delicate components such as cameras and GPS modules, keeping them safe and secure. In this drone frame, we will cut out the GPS mount for wiring, which is possible with TPU 90A powder but not with other types of SLS powder.

6. Printing and Post-Processing:

1. Follow the instructions for printing and post-printing procedures.

1. Spacers are relatively small and may be lost in excess powder. A part cage should be created for easier locating, or printed as part of a grid that can be cut out later.

2. For SLS-printed drones, you will need to print Nylon 12 Tough Powder on one machine and TPU 90A Powder on another.

1. Remove unsintered powder, which can be done using Fuse Sift for SLS parts.

2. For the media blasting process, do not perform media blasting on parts printed with TPU 90A Powder (mounts and spacers).

7. Assemble your 3D-printed DIY drone:

1. For step-by-step assembly instructions, you can follow the drone build process provided by Henry Sullivan, Chief Product Officer at Building Momentum.

To learn more about the Fuse Series, please visit our website. And if you would like to test SLS-printed drone parts for your project, please contact our sales team.

Appendix: Bill of Materials

list	Description	Number per drone.	Price per item
Battery Mounting Straps	Battery strap	2	$7.99
Hardware	M3 square nut	12	$8.00
Hardware	Button head screw with washer M3 x 16 mm.	12	$12.93
Hardware	M3 washer	6	$5.50
Hardware	M3 x 10 mm screw.	16	$9.37
Hardware	Flat head screw M2 x 16 mm.	4	$9.00
Hardware	M2 [VTX] washer	4	$9.75
Hardware	Flat head screw M3 x 30 mm.	4	$6.93
Battery Connector	XT60 EM battery connector	1	$8.59
sUAS Battery	Dronetag BS V2 Remote ID Module	1	$89.00
sUAS Battery	Two HRB 6S LiPo XT60 batteries, 22.2V 4000mAh 60C.	1	$90.99
Battery Adapter	XT90 Male to XT60 Female Adapter (3pcs) for LiPo Electric Quad/ESC	1	$9.60
Antenna Connector	30cm SMA to U.FL cable.	1	$5.49
VTX Antenna	125mm long LHCP SMA antenna, red.	1	$14.99
VRX	Walksnail Avatar HD Goggles	1	$458.99
RC RX	HGLRC Gemini ELRS 2.4GHz RX Dual Receiver	1	$22.99
RC TX	RadioMaster Boxer Radio Transmitter - 4-in-1	1	$139.99
ESC	The Hobbywing XRotor Micro 65A 6S BLHeli_32 4-in-1 ESC kit is a 30x30 size.	1	$89.99
Flight Controller	The RADIX 2 HD Flight Controller uses the H7 chip for digital FPV systems.	1	$112.99
GPS	Lumenier SAM-M10Q GPS Module - NDAA Compliant	1	$79.99
HD VTX	Walksnail Avatar HD Kit V2 - 8GB Video Transmitter Set - with Gyro	1	$139.00
FPV Coaxial Cable	Coaxial cable for FPV, Walksnail Avatar model, 20 cm long.	1	$11.90
Motor	T-Motor CINE Series Cine66 2812 - 925KV Motor	4	$45.99
Props	HQProp fan blades, size 7.5x3.7x3, made of polycarbonate.	4	$4.99
Battery Charger	iSDT 608AC Smart Battery Charger AC 50W DC 200W 8A with detachable power supply.	1	$64.99
Lipo Bag	LiPo battery storage bag	1	$12.99

 

	Specifications of the Formlab Form4 SLA machine. click Check price click
	For details on the Formlab Fuse 1+ 30W SLS, click here. Check price click

References

https://formlabs.com/blog/diy-drones-how-to-build-a-drone/