Devlog – Day 9

Date: August 6, 2026
Time Worked: 3 hours

Today I finalized several major aspects of my drone project. I updated the battery system by switching to a 6S Li-ion pack to improve efficiency and flight performance, completed the final bill of materials, and recreated the project’s wiring diagrams after losing my previous work.

I also finished the demonstration video for the drone, adding realistic motor rotation to accurately represent how a quadcopter operates. After reviewing the entire project, I confirmed that the design is complete and ready for the funding and manufacturing stage.

Next Steps

• Apply for project funding.
• Order the project components.
• Begin 3D printing the custom parts.
• Start assembling the drone once the parts arrive.

Devlog – Day 8

Date: August 5, 2026
Time Worked: 3 hours

Today I continued refining my drone CAD assembly by creating detailed proxy models of the ESC, flight controller, motors, and propellers. Integrating these components into the full assembly gave me a much more accurate representation of the final build and helped verify that everything fits together correctly.

During the assembly process, I identified and corrected several design issues, including screw hole sizing problems and an incompatibility between my planned hardware and the flight controller/ESC stack. I also reinforced key structural areas of the frame while removing unnecessary material in low-stress regions to improve the balance between strength and weight.

Next Steps

• Perform a final review of the complete assembly.
• Create a Demo Video of the build.
• Apply for project funding and order the components.

Devlog – Day 7

Date: August 2, 2026
Time Worked: 3 hours

Today I completed the CAD design for my custom drone controller and created a complete assembly to verify that all of the components fit together correctly. Building the full assembly allowed me to identify a few missing parts and small design issues, which I corrected before moving to manufacturing.

I also began creating the project’s wiring diagrams using Cirkit. I completed the full wiring diagram for the drone, including the flight controller, ESC, motors, GPS module, and LoRa receiver. This gives me a clear electrical layout before starting the physical build.

Next Steps

• Complete the controller wiring diagram.
• Perform a final review of the complete parts list.
• Apply for project funding.
• Order the components once funding is approved.

Devlog – Day 6

Date: August 1, 2026
Time Worked: 2 hours 46 minutes

Today I made major progress on the CAD design of my drone project. I completed the drone frame design and brought the custom controller design close to completion. I also built a complete CAD assembly of the frame, including proxy M3 screws, which allowed me to visualize how all the components fit together before manufacturing.

Creating the full assembly helped me identify several clearance, alignment, and mounting issues that were difficult to notice while designing the individual parts. I corrected these problems in the CAD model, reducing the likelihood of print failures and unnecessary redesigns later. I also designed the landing legs, completing the frame’s structural layout.

Next Steps

• Finish the remaining controller CAD design.
• Perform a final review of the complete assembly.

Devlog – Day 5

Date: July 31, 2026
Time Worked: 3 hours

Today I reviewed my drone design and optimized several major components to better match my goal of building an efficient long-endurance quadcopter. I replaced my original motors with more efficient iFlight XING-E Pro 2207 1800KV motors, upgraded to a 4500mAh 4S Li-ion battery for significantly longer flight times, and selected the SkyRC B6Neo charger to support the new battery.

I also continued designing the drone frame in CAD, reaching approximately 50% completion. During this process, I finalized the arm dimensions and confirmed that my Bambu A1 Mini printer and Elegoo PETG filament are suitable for manufacturing the frame without requiring any upgrades.

Next Steps

• Continue designing the remaining sections of the drone frame.
• Refine the CAD model before beginning the first prototype print.

Devlog – Day 3

Date: July 29, 2026

Time Worked: 3 hours

Today I refined the hardware design for both the drone and the custom controller. I switched to the Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 board for the transmitter and receiver, finalized the controller’s battery setup, and continued planning the drone frame.

I also confirmed the motor mounting hardware, selected M3 nylon standoffs for mounting the flight controller stack, and evaluated using a PLA+ frame instead of carbon fiber to reduce cost and manufacturing time.

Next Steps

• Continue designing the drone frame.
• Finalize the frame material.
• Design the controller enclosure.
• Review the parts list.