Foldable tricopter

thingiverse

I derived this tricopter project from an existing one called Brocopter. Take a look at that drone before proceeding, as I have found it to be invaluable for gaining insight into its construction. You can find all the instructions, CAD files and videos of the original on this link: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:413639 My initial goal was to build a drone as inexpensive as possible, which could also be easily built and transported. I decided to create a foldable version of a drone in order to achieve this objective. In an effort to save money, I made some modifications to the original design, which include: I replaced the carbon plates with wooden plates, which is cheaper and can be directly cut with a laser-cut machine. I updated the CAD models of the motor supports. I changed the ESC case because I wanted to fit my cheaper ESC into this drone. The result is a drone that is slightly heavier but remains solid and cheaper. Print Settings: Printer Brand: Ultimaker Printer: Ultimaker 2 Rafts: No Supports: Yes Resolution: 0.1mm Infill: 100% Notes: I used PLA. Can be done in 0.2mm except for the yaw horn. How I Designed This: Motor mounts modifications Most of the 3D printed parts are the same as those used in the original Brocopter drone, but I found that the feet on motor mounts were a bit fragile and unable to support the shock of landing. Furthermore, the shape was a bit tricky to print, so these mounts were retrofitted to rigidify the assembly and make it easier to print. Motor mounts updates Servo mount modification: I modified the servo mount to fit an Emax ES08D servo into it. New ESC case: I completely changed the ESC case, which in the original drone was a case designed for ESCs with specific dimensions. As I wanted to use cheaper ESCs (bigger), I had to design a new case and place it at the front of the frame. This space is occupied by an FPV camera in the original drone, but you can still add a camera directly on top of the top frame.