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HOW TO BUILD A DRONE: CONSTRUCT

YOUR DRONE FROM SCRATCH
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17 min read

Written by Jack Brown

Unmanned aerial vehicles have been around for decades, but they have achieved
the greatest popularity in recent years with small commercial drones. The new
so-called FPV (first person view) technology gave us a unique experience of
flying and the advancement of GPS systems in drones opened a whole new world
for passionate individuals.

Of course, drones are not the only RC flying devices on the market, but their agile
multi-rotors and their capability to take amazing photos and record stunning
videos during flight made them the most popular. That’s why commercial drones
are in great demand nowadays, but have you ever wondered how to build a DIY
drone from scratch?
Today, there is a wide range of drones on the market, and they differ in size,
design, and properties. You just need to visit some popular online stores where
the drones are being sold and find some ready to use a model that best suits you,
according to its features and price.

Most people will simply buy a drone. On the other side, people who like do it
yourself projects may enjoy building these devices from scratch. If you also like
this craft, you can buy drone kits and enjoy piecing them together like a Lego
puzzle.

The real challenge is to construct a drone from scratch without using a special
kit. This is a complicated project, as you would have to find the necessary pieces
and imagine the drone structure yourself. So what do you say? Are you up for this
task?

This article will take you through the basic steps of building a drone from
scratch. As expected, this can be an extremely complicated project, depending
on the type of drone you want to build, and the materials necessary. This article
will take you through a general outline of what it looks like to make a DIY
quadcopter drone, and hopefully this will help you to understand whether you
truly want to take on this project. No one is saying it is going to be easy, but
some people find that the end satisfaction is more than worth it!

BASIC PARTS YOU’D NEED

Before you start to make this DIY drone, you need to know which components are
needed to build it; if you want it to fly, of course.
Here is a basic list of the components you’ll need in order to build yourself a
drone:

 Frame: there are two possibilities when it comes to a frame for your drone.
You can make it yourself or buy it in an online store, and for a wide choice of
high-quality frames, we suggest checking out our article about best drone
frames. If you decide to build it yourself, the project is not that difficult, but
you’ll need some engineering knowledge and knowledge of the materials you
are going to use. For instance, you can use metal (something light), plastic, or
 even wood slats. If you opt for a wooden frame, you’ll need a wood board
which is about 2.5 cm thick.
 Motors: For an ordinary quad, you will need 4 motors in total, but an
octocopter requires eight motors to fly. The recommendation is to use
brushless motors – they are lighter on the battery and, unless you are an
engineer who completely understands how a motor works, these pieces
should be bought from a store. You can also get more familiar with them by
reading our article about drone motors.
 ESCs or electronic speed control: these are also essential pieces of your
drone as they are in charge of delivering power to the motors. Again, their
number depends on the number of arms your drone is going to have.
 Propellers: When looking for the propellers, you must find the ones that
match the frame of your drone. Pay attention to materials – you won’t find
wooden propellers, but you must make sure the ones you choose are a good
fit.
 Connectors:You will need 3.5 mm connectors to weld the motors and
ESCs, as well as 4.5 mm connectors for the power distribution board.
 The power distribution board – this board connects the electronic speed
controls to the battery.
 Batteries:When purchasing the batteries for your drone, you need to
consider the capacity of a battery and its type. The most used batteries for
this purpose are Li-Po batteries and their power differs. To have a much
better insight on this topic, we strongly suggest checking out our article
about drone batteries.
 Battery monitor:This is not an elementary item, but the monitor is quite
useful in warning you when the batteries are close to finishing. This way you
don’t risk having the drone remain out of juice in the air, over a pond. A
battery monitor ensures that your aerial vehicle won’t die in the most
inopportune place.
 Mounting pad:It reduces the vibrations, and thus improves the flight. This
one is very useful especially if you are trying to take pictures or videos with
your DIY drone.
 Controller: This device shares the power and commands the motors at the
same time.
 RC receiver:Of course, if you have a transmitter (which is usually with you),
you’ll also have a receiver mounted on the drone.
 Camera:If you want to take aerial photos and record the surroundings
while flying your drone, you will need a camera. The best cameras are those
that can take the quality 4K videos, but everyone will find one according to
their needs. For high-quality aerial photography and videography, you might
also need a gimbal for the camera.
 USB key:This is necessary to save the photos and videos.
Aside from the above-mentioned parts, you will also need AWG silicone wires, a
battery charger, Servo lead wire cables, zip ties, 3M command strips, thread
locking compounds, etc. In addition to these components, you can also embed
other accessories to your drone and make it more advanced.

In other words, there are many, many ways to build a drone, and depending how
much of it you truly want to make DIY, these steps will vary and the necessary
components will change. The guide below will provide you with insight into the
DIY process for a quadcopter.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
There are different types of drones, but people find quadcopters to be more
efficient, as they are easy to fly.

So for this step-by-step guide, we have focused on showing you how to build a
quadcopter with pieces that you can buy separately:

STEP 1: MAKING THE FRAME

No matter what your drone is going to be, it must have a frame. So, the first task
is to make a frame. For this purpose, you can use different materials, such as
metal, plastic, or wood. These materials will differ based on how sturdy you
intend the drone to be.

If you select wood for the frame, find a wood board that is longer than 60 cm and
about 25-30 mm thick. Cut up this board in such a way to get two laths which are
60cm long and 30mm wide. These two lengths are required to make the
structure of your future quad.
Crossing these two laths you’ll make the X frame. Also, you will need a wooden
sheet in order to make and add a rectangular piece in the central part of this
frame. Its size should be 6×15 cm, and about 2mm thick.

Of course, you can use other dimensions if you like, but these will get you a pretty
nice quad. To connect these parts, you will need nails and glue. In case you
decide to go with metal or plastic, the dimensions are similar but the way you
connect the laths together is going to be different.

Check out our suggestions for the best-premade frames which you can use as a
base for your project:
 LHI 220-RX FPV Quadcopter Frame (Carbon Fiber)
 Readytosky FPV Drone Frame (Carbon Fiber)
 iFlight XL5 V3 240mm FPV Frame Carbon Fiber
 Mallofusa 4-Axis HJ450 F450 RC QuadCopter Multirotor Airframe
 Usmile X style Carbon Fiber Drone Frame
 Readytosky S500 Quadcopter Frame with Carbon Fiber Landing Gear

STEP 2: PROPELLERS, ELECTRONIC SPEED

CONTROLLERS, AND MOTORS
The ESCs (Electronic Speed Controllers), the motors, and the propellers are
among the most important elements of a functional drone. So, you should get
these components from an authorized store to ensure quality and reliability. They
must be in accordance with the size of your drone, so bare this in mind when
buying them. Do not be afraid to ask for assistance from someone at the store.
When looking for the motors (or rotors), you should know that multi-rotor drones
produce greater speed and ensure a stable flight, as each rotor works with
other’s thrust points. For example, check out these rotors:
 Emax RS2205 2600KV Brushless Motors
 Readytosky GT2205 2205 2300KV Brushless Motor
 HOBBYMATE 2204 QuadCopter Rotors Combo
 AOKFLY 4PCS RV1104 4200KV FPV Brushless Motor
For the propellers, we suggest you buy the metal 9-inch props you can find at a
very affordable price on the market. These are durable and won’t bend so easily if
the drone hits something during flight. However, if you want better performance,
it would be better to get carbon props.If you want good performance we
recommend you to get any of these:

 BTG Quick Release Carbon Fiber Reinforced Propellers

 Myshine 9450 Self-tightening Propeller Props
 Performance 1245 Black Propellers MR Series
 USAQ Carbon Fiber Propellers (2) Pair
 Helistar Propellers 6 Pairs 4730F Colored Quick Release Folding Blades
And finally, you need to pick up some ESCs (Electronic Speed Controllers), if you
don’t want 4 of these (keep in mind we’re talking about a quad here) you can buy
the 4 in 1 controller. We would suggest these models, which are great and
stable:
 AKK 30A 4 IN 1 2-6S Brushless ESC BLHeli_S Electronic Speed Controller
DShot150/300/600 Capable for Micro Racing Drones
 Original Airbot Omnibus F4 Nano Flight Controller

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE THE MOTORS

The next thing you need to do is drill the holes in the frame for the motors,
according to the distance between the screws holes on the motors. It would be
good to make another hole that will allow the clip and shaft of the motor to move
freely.
However, you may skip this action if the motors already came with mountings.
Put the motor in the appropriate place and fix it to the frame using the screws
and a screwdriver.
STEP 4: MOUNT THE ELECTRONIC SPEED
CONTROLLERS
After mounting the motors, you also have to mount the speed controllers. How
will you do this? It is recommended to connect the speed controllers on the
bottom side of the frame due to several reasons which involve the functionality
of the drone. These reasons, among others, include that it will “unload” the upper
side of the drone where other components should be added.

In order to fix the ESC very well to the frame, you need to use zip ties. This way,
your ESCs are tied down and well secured while flying.

STEP 5: ADD THE LANDING GEAR

This gear is an important part when landing your UAV because it significantly
reduces the shock when the drone lands on a solid ground. It can be made in
different ways, but you should be creative and make it in your own, unique way.

Here’s one idea: find a metal pipe (about 6 inches in diameter) and cut off (with
the appropriate tools) 4 rings that will be 1-2 cm thick. Of course, the size of
these rings should be in accordance with the general size of your drone. You can
then use duct tape to fix these pieces to the frame.

If you don’t like this metal pipe idea, you can also use other materials that are
flexible but strong, such as some new plastics, or anything that will reduce shock.

STEP 6: FLIGHT CONTROLLER

Every flying drone must have a control system. This electronic system allows a
drone to be stable in the air while flying and processes all the shifts and changes
in direction and the wind.
There are two options when it comes to this step:

First, and the easier option, is to buy a ready-to-use controller. With the second
option being that you make it yourself.

For this work, you can use one of the following source flight controller projects:
 DJI NAZA: DJI NAZA M V2or DJI Naza Lite closed sources.
 ArduPilot: An expensive but a very good hardware for drone controllers
with great performance. It features an automated flight mode.
 OpenPilot CC3D: This superb open-source flight project contains 6
channels and the MPU-6000 It is very easy to set up and install, and there is
a wizard guide that leads you through the installation. Even better, this open
project is now available through different sources on the web.
 NAZE32: Very flexible but a bit complicated to set up. It has the advanced
fliers which improve the control over your drone, but you must make sure you
can actually set it up.
 KK2: This is one of the most used projects for this purpose since it is
cheaper than most other sources of that ilk. It comes with LCD that is based
on the advanced AVR controllers. Thus, you can set it up without using a
computer. Also, it has the MPU6050 has a sensor, which allows you to write
your firmware. However, KK2 requires manual tuning and it is not convenient
for RC beginners.
If you want to make a controller yourself, you should opt for one of these projects
that best suits your needs. Follow the links above to do some more research, and
examine the individuals features of each in more detail. It is very complicated to
construct such a device and requires an expert drone technician. But if you are
able, your drone will be the ultimate “do-it-yourself” aerial vehicle.

STEP 7: CHOOSING A RIGHT RC TX-RX (WIRELESS

REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM)
This is the remote control system that is needed to control a drone.
There are various available RC control systems nowadays, like Futaba,
Spektrum, Turnigy, FlySky, and so on. You can find more details and do research
on all of these systems here:
 Futaba 10JH 10-Channel Heli T-FHSS Computer Radio System
 Spektrum DX8 Radio Transmitter
 Turnigy 9X 9Ch Transmitter w/ Module
 Flysky FS-i6X 10CH 2.4GHz AFHDS RC Transmitter w/ FS-iA6B Receiver
In addition to this system, you’ll also need a few channels for yaw, pitch, throttle,
and roll, as well as the additional channels if you want to mount a camera control
to your drone for some aerial photography.
STEP 8: MOUNT THE FLIGHT CONTROLLER
Once you choose the particular flight controller that is best for your needs, you
need to mount it. There are several ways to mount it. For instance, you can place
it on the top of the frame in a certain direction, but you need to make sure that all
the components are fixed well before calibrating your drone. For this purpose,
you can also use the zip ties which were mentioned above.
It is recommended to put a small piece of sponge on the underside of the flight
controller because it absorbs and reduces the vibrations from the motors. Thus,
your drone will be more stable while flying, and stability is key to fly a drone.

STEP 9: CONNECT THE OPEN PILOT TO YOUR DRONE

The next thing you have to do is to configure and connect the flight controller to
the electronic speed controllers.

Also, you have to connect it to the remote control. In order to see how to do this
step, you will need to find an appropriate tutorial video on the web for the
particular flight controller you have previously mounted.

I wrote an ultimate guide on how to build a quadcopter with the Arduino Uno
Controller. There is lots of info on assembling, wiring everything together, and
the programming science involved.

STEP 10: CHECK OUT AND TEST YOUR DRONE

Before you finally use your drone, you must be sure that everything works well.
Therefore, you have to check out all the functions before the first flight. You can
test the sensors as well as other components of your drone using the special
OpenPilot GCS.
To make sure that everything works well, you need to take off the props and
make a small experiment with the remote control. This ensures that you can test
the drone without risking the potential of breaking it.

For this test, you should find a suitable place and try to move your drone within
its control distance. Pay attention to the zip ties and cables to make sure that
they are connected well. When everything is okay, your drone is ready to fly!
Be sure not to cut any corners in this step, it is imperative to test everything in
detail before actually flying the drone. You would not want your drone’s first flight
to be its last after all!

STEP 11: TAKEOFF

This is the last (and dare I say, most important) step. Before taking off, the
battery must be well connected and all the components must be fixed in place.
For the test flight, you need to choose a location carefully, since this aircraft can
cause serious damages and can be damaged as well. It is best to choose an
open, flat area, so that you do not run the risk of damaging anything with your
drone, or vice versa. Also, you will ensure that you can see your drone at all
times.

Place your quad on the ground, put it into operation, take the flight controller, and
get started with your first flight. It’s recommended that you slowly throttle up your
drone, and fly it at low altitude for the very first time. Thus, if it starts coming
down out of control, the damage won’t be that significant.

If the drone starts drifting in one direction, you have to use the trims in order to
make the necessary flight correction. Also, you should try out different PID values
to see how your drone works in various inputs until you get exactly what you
want.

WRAPPING UP
In this article, we managed to briefly cover the pieces and the steps to make in
order to build a drone from scratch, but you should consider learning more.
What’s more, there are also many “intermediate steps” in addition to the basic
steps we just described. It is simply the fact that due to the multitude of types of
drones, component, programs, and accessories, that there are many ways to
build a drone depending on the complexity of drone you are planning to make.

So, what will be the final conclusion when it comes to the do-it-yourself
unmanned aircraft? In any case, they are not going to be serious competitors to
the ready-to-use drones on the market, especially if they are made by the
amateurs.

This general gap in quality between DIY and ready-to-use drones applies to both

features and appearance. However, people who build the UAVs from scratch
usually don’t want to compete with the commercial drones, they simply do it for
pleasure. It is indescribable joy when you take off your do-it-yourself aircraft in
the air! People who want to build a drone likely just want to learn a new skill, and
take pride in something that they have built themselves, regardless of how high-
performance the end result may be.
Another big consideration is the total cost for such a drone. Because there are so
many potential variables, components, and programs involved, the cost can really
fluctuate. The cost will depend on the components you are going to use if you are
considering additional accessories. However, as a general benchmark, the total
costs for the entire project range from $200 to $300 for an ordinary quadcopter.
Aside from this amount, you also should consider the cost of the camera and if
you are going to use a drone for aerial recording and taking high-quality photos
as well.

If you check out the prices on the Amazon and other similar websites, you will
see that you can buy an advanced drone that supports aerial photography for a
similar amount as a DIY drone. However, the satisfaction of having built your own
drone does not have a price tag, and often you just want to have the experience
of flying something that you have built!

Video :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r2pS1oIoCw