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Dirt-cheap throwaway cargo drone

Posted by Jim Sci on June 16, 2022 at 1:49pm

Howdy,

I'm looking for a design (parts list, assembly diagrams & instructions) for a dirt-cheap DIY quadcopter or octocopter cargo drone. 

Because of the environmental conditions that it'll be facing, it's not expected to survive more than a few flights. I expect the drone to last a few weeks to a month at most.

It needs to carry a 5 kg cargo package of environmental sensors reliably from point A to point B and back under operator or software control in bad weather.

This is not a racing drone!  It's fine if it flies at only 35 km/hr for 20 minutes and has a range of only 5 km.

Because the drone has a short life, the design should use the cheapest parts available.

Any tips on design, parts and assembly diagrams and instructions will be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Jim

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Replies

  • Steward Campbell March 20, 2023 at 4:58am
    I found your step-by-step instructions and accompanying photos to be incredibly helpful. I think what I appreciated most about your article was your emphasis on creating a drone that's not only functional but also affordable and accessible to people from all walks of life. The reason I decided on my answer here is that I always wanted to try it. Nevertheless, when I was younger I can't afford a drone. Later when I was in college I started interesting to it unfortunately I had a lack of time because of my studying. Luckily after some time, I came across https://top-papers.com/ which helped me to cope with my task.
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  • Eli Silverman July 2, 2022 at 10:11pm
    I am new here, but have you looked into 3d printing a drone or the drone parts?
    • Jim Sci > Eli Silverman July 3, 2022 at 8:33am
      The motors, wiring harnesses, webcams, and digital/RF boards are what I'm looking to source cheap, and they can't be 3D printed. The frame and rotor arms can be 3D printed and we might do that if we can't find cheap ready-to-go frames and arms. Thanks for your reply, Eli!
      • Eli Silverman > Jim Sci July 3, 2022 at 1:16pm
        Depending on your time frame, you could look at Aliexpress. Takes a while to come here, but the prices are good.
        • DustinKWhite > Eli Silverman December 16, 2022 at 12:35am
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This reply was deleted.

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