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In this video series I show the design and construction of a quadcopter drone that will carry a stabilized camera platform for shooting aerial video. Part 1 covers all the main components and shows how I calculated the expected performance using xcopterCalc from ecalc.ch in order to optimize the design.
Part 2 shows the construction of the drone, setup of the CC3D flight controller using LibrePilot software, and first flight tests.
Part 3 shows construction of the stabilized camera platform, and aerial video from the first test flight.
Part 4 shows an upgrade to use the SP Racing F3 flight controller with CleanFlight software, communicating live flight data to the On Screen Display, and a new lightweight FPV payload section.
Performance Data
Here are PDF files showing the predicted performance data for my original design using 2300KV motors, and for the revised design with 1900KV motors and larger propellers:
Parts List
Here are the components I’m using for this build:
(2) QAV2206-1900KV Brushless Motor CW
(2) QAV2206-1900KV Brushless Motor CCW
Turnigy Slowfly Propeller 8×3.8 Black CW, 4pcs
Turnigy Slowfly Propeller 8×3.8 Black CCW, 4pcs
(4) ZTW Spider Series 18A OPTO Multi-Rotor ESC 2~4S
HobbyKing™ Micro Battery Eliminator Circuit 5V/1A
Multistar High Capacity 5200mAh 3S 10C Multi-Rotor Lipo Pack
2-axis Smart GoPro Brushless Gimbal
ImmersionRC 600MW 5.8 GHz A/V Transmitter
Seriously Pro Racing F3 Flight Controller
Fat Shark FPV Camera (this is a newer version of the one I’m using)
Software
I use LibrePilot software for the flight controller, which you can download at http://www.librepilot.org/.
3D Printable Parts
Here’s an STL file of the 3D printed cover for the flight controller and receiver, and the new baseplates I designed, so if you have access to a 3D printer you can print them yourself: