So i have never flown a drone however i just recently bought a 3D printer and have been loving it. I also recently bought 2 little RTF drones for the kids and instantly wanted to build a FPV RACER lol. I think i watched to many Youtube videos and now am completely confused. I would like to 3D print myself a drone (looked at the Firefly Pro build) however after watching videos it might be cheaper to buy a carbon fiber kit. I do like the thought that if i smash my drone i can reprint the pieces i break. I guess the real question is, is it worth buying an online kit vs DIY 3D print. In your experiences how well do these carbon fiber racers hold up and has anyone 3d printed their own drone? PLease feel free to share links of kits you might have been watching yourselves. Thanks
New guy needs some sound advise
- Thread starter frezel
- Start date
Not entirely true. With good design, good infill and ABS you have a pretty strong quadcopter even for winter. Bonus when you add carbon inserts. 3D printing is great for the cost of replacement and rapid prototyping, however generally carbon is an all around winner.
I have 3D printed arms and smaller parts like motor mounts and tilt mechanisms. If you plan to design it yourself you should expect to pour several hours into just the design and redesign as well as failed prints and such. Carbon will likely outlast the 3D printed parts if you want to keep them reasonably light. In the long run you will spend less time and perhaps less money on a carbon frame. Especially if you get a good frame as not all carbon is created equally. Even using the same carbon and frame design just the direction the carbon is cut will affect the frame a lot.