Propeller and Brushless Motor Test Bench

thingiverse

I've been struggling to find a reliable Prop/Motor combo for my quadcopter, one that would deliver high efficiency or thrust without putting my motors or ESCs at risk of burning out. The lack of a testbench specifically designed for propellers has made it tough, and I wanted something more elegant than a wooden manual build. So, I decided to design my own 3D printable testbench from scratch. With this setup, you can use a generic kitchen scale to measure propeller thrust accurately on the bench. It's suitable for props ranging from 5 to 12 inches in diameter - smaller props might have issues with airflow. I designed it as a pusher setup to minimize loss of thrust by pushing air against the frame. The motor and scale arms are exactly 150mm long from the turning point, ensuring precise measurements. Check out my first test run video here: https://youtu.be/-_s6RcAOIgQ Initially, I didn't have enough M3 bolts, so I used half-length bolts with a rubber band as a makeshift solution. It works just fine!