LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Project Information

This is the artistic flying Steampunk Drone.

The dimensions are 11 5/16" from center of the motor to the center of the other motor.
Height 8 3/8"
Motors 935 Kv
Lipo 3s 3,000 mah
FC - KK2.1 flashed with stevis 1.9 firmware
ESC simonk 20 amp
Propellers 8045
Distribution board - bullet connectors 3mm
Receiver - 9 channel DSM2.
9/32 nuts and bolts
bought motor mounts.
Weight 1,034 grams
Design from plans

The design.
This is built from some plans that I designed for a drone. I used AutoCAD Inventor to design this done. The idea was to create a drone that could be made in a typical home workshop environment. I didn't want to invest in a 3d printer, and didn't want to use a CNC machine to cut out the parts. It had to be light, easy to cut and mold or finish, easy to assembly, and to be able to create as many parts that are needed for replacements. This is where the idea for these plans was born from. You can read more about the plans and how to purchase them here.
Drone plans to purchase here
The first design.
I made the first prototype out of Acrylic and wood. The first design was built with 935 kv motors and 9×7 props. The bolts and nuts came from a local hardware store. The motors, esc, flight control board, propellers, jst plugs, lipo battery, and the landing gear all were purchased from hobby stores online. The first design even had its own created power distribution board designed and built from bullets and wires. Weight and motor displacement was critical in the first design. The first motors I used were 2220 kv and were not powerful enough to lift it. I used the 2220 kv motors in another design that was built for indoor use. You can learn more about the other design at the website listed in this description. After finally getting the first prototype to fly and fly stable, the next step was to perfect the plans and then create a design with a smaller footprint. It needed to be a more fluid design and was modular. The drone had to have the parts easy to reproduce, and come apart quickly for repair and modifications. This is where the next design idea change came from. Everyone who builds their drones will either zip ties their speed controllers to the arms or put them inside the body of the drone. This lead to me think, why not make it a 2 piece design? I have not seen this done before and it would make the drone easier to repair. The upper body will contain the flight control board, the receiver and the motors. The bottom will contain the landing gear, the battery, and the power distribution board. You can see the 2 part drone flying here on you tube.
You tube video showing maiden flight
Browse the channel if you want to see more demonstration flights and other designs. The second prototype was made out of acrylic, wood, and had lights added to it. The lights were added in keeping with the 2 part design. The led lights were fed off of the battery's balance plug. This did not have any effect on the life of the battery. I was still able to get 6 to 8 minutes out of a flight. The second design showed itself to be more stable and flyer friendly. Everything was working as designed.
The second design.
The second design called the "Black Bug" because of the landing gear, was created for a smaller quad that could be flown in a living room or small area. I didn't have much room for the ESCS to be mounted on the arms. This design also needed to follow the 2 part take a part pattern. In keeping with the first design I was able to rubber band the electronics inside of the body. This gave the drone a more slender and unusual look. Just follow the You tube links in the website to see more of this.
The third design.
I was running short of purchased Acrylic and wondered if I could make it out of hardwood planed down to an 1/8"thickness. This is where the Steam Punk drone came from. I used walnut for the body, cherry for the arms, and this time I cut out my own motor mounts from a reed wood instead of purchasing them online already made. I showed this to a group I am part of on a FB group and someone challenged me to make it Steam Punk. Going to Inventor I started designing the parts for the Drone. It had to be light, part of the modular design, and artistic. This is what you will see on You Tube website. I will be selling this drone on Ebay once I get the black props that I ordered and have finished painting and antiquing the parts. If you don't like the Steam punk look you can take everything off and it will be just a nice walnut flying drone. I am at 900 to 1000 grams with the battery in. I would venture this could lift another 900 grams with some sacrifice to the battery life. I love designing these drones. I think they are the future. I may be getting a 3D printer with the sales from this drone. I hope to keep learning, building and designing for a very long time. I am still a novice flier and there is a wide range of learning for me to do. I bought some FPV goggles and will be learning more about this type of flying as my skill develop. Also in the plans is to learn autonomous, GPS, and nav points.
Please like and share and purchase some plans so you can make your own

Gallery

Comments

· Registered
Joined
·
160 Posts
That thing is REALLY cool!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
818 Posts
That is one cool looking flying machine and I sure would like to see the plan but I don't see a link and the "HERE " does nothing .
I have a bunch of hard drive motors but no way to run them any good ideas ?

Klaus
 

· Registered
Joined
·
18 Posts
How does she fly?
 

· Registered
Joined
·
0 Posts
That thing is so rad. How responsive is it? Looks rad
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,833 Posts
This is awesome, WOW!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
522 Posts
that thing looks sweet. should enter it onto that show "SteemPunk'd" on GSN.
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
921 Posts
Bill awesome looking drone, I do not see the link for the plans though, could you repost the link?
 

· Registered
Joined
·
351 Posts
I'd love to see a video of it flying if it can.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
4,714 Posts
You probably need to be a little more careful when flying, if you crash, you may get a splinter!
Really a steampunk machine! You must get some second looks when your flying this.

If you want to make small parts, take a look at glowforge.Com one of the newest/easiest laser cutters.

kiefer, you can find all types of brushless motor drivers on the Web and instructables has some projects using HD motors too!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
122 Posts
WOW, it's a monster!Awesome combination of woodworking and electronics. Almoust like LJ transformers.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
28 Posts

· Registered
Joined
·
29 Posts
Holy crap, Batman! That's preeeeeeeetty neat!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
0 Posts
Very clever, cool and FUN! Steampunk is perfect for drones…I love it!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
969 Posts
I will have to build one of these! I have a drone sitting in my living room right now that a buddy wants me to duplicate parts for on my CNC out of plastic. They would be so much cooler in wood! (Speaking of living rooms, yours looks just like I would expect from a respectable Steam Punker!)
 

· In Loving Memory
Joined
·
10,409 Posts
Nice one Bill.
 
Top