400mm Carbon Fibre X Quadcopter by ChrisBarr

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Hey there everyone!
I've recently been messing around with quadcopters, and after trying a few other designs on here I decided I wanted to make my own.
This design uses printed parts for the main frame and motor mounts, but makes use of 10mm square carbon fibre tubing for the arms. This means the arms are much stronger than regular printed quads, and also much lighter.
Total take off weight (including battery, props, even some extra LEDs and such) comes to ~595g. Using the parts mentioned in the build instructions, I've tested it to be able to lift up to an extra 750g and still have some headroom. This means it can easily carry a camera, FPV gear, etc - if you can attach it.
While the frame might break in a really bad crash, I've had quite a few hard collisions with this quad and usually it comes out of it fine. I've printed my frame in PLA and it seems to be pretty strong, but ABS might be a better option.
The carbon fiber tubes to suit can be purchased from Hobbyking for <$2 each:http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__47623__Carbon_Fiber_Square_Tube_10_x_10_x_150mm.html
I recommend using the 150mm long rods (as linked above), as the frame was designed with those in mind. You could use the 200mm or 100mm rods if you wanted to try something different, just keep in mind clearance for the propellers.
This frame is held together with M3 bolts or screws. The bolts bite directly into the plastic, and I recommend bolts with a hex socket head - as philips head ones seem to wear out being put through so much plastic.
Check the instructions page for a parts list!