I 3D Printed a Tiny Quadcopter

[@ThebeezkneezReal]

Weird that so many (me) are into drones, 3D printing, and pews, love this

[@landencase404]

i think its really just the natural trajectory of modern civilian defense you know

[@chancepaladin]

imo drones are considered a part of 2a, along with nods, armor, and radios.

[@Xplicit_fpv]

I fly ,pew pew and 3d print! Also!! 🤘🤘🤘

[@redneckracing556]

Yeah Im into the freestyle drones and fly HD, just turned 18 so im going to be getting some guns but unfortunately im broke in college. Its surprising how these hobbies overlap

[@Willy_Tepes]

I need a bird's eye view of my surroundings because of "reasons".

[@BookOfMorman]

The peaky blinders just developed quads.... the yanks are toast

[@dmoose7066]

Flight test just announced they are working on stateside boards.

[@HoffmanTactical]

Awesome. Not watched them in years, should see what they are up to.

[@zxggwrt]

Flight test could do it for sure

[@yoimsho]

NDAA and Blue UAS compliant parts are what you're looking for if you need compliance. Rotor Riot is making both Blue UAS and NDAA compliant flight controllers and ESC's

[@Reindeer-ry2lf]

As usual awesome project I am going to have to start tinkering with this. Happy new year to you and your family 💪

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@yoimsho Yes. Just not AIO's.

[@CNCKitchen]

Awesome design 👌

[@willcubemakes]

quad video in the future? 👀👀👀

[@uoislame]

friendship ended with dirigibles, now drones are my best friend

[@HoffmanTactical]

No. We're still going to make airships the future.

[@RandyCampbell-fk3pf]

​@@HoffmanTacticalWill hydrogen fuel cells be used so the lift gas can be used for propulsion? Helium is lame.

[@AckzaTV]

@@RandyCampbell-fk3pf propelled by orca-15 recoil

[@RandyCampbell-fk3pf]

@@AckzaTV Adding a little poof of H2 to a full auto air rifle with pellets on pause could be a decent mode of rocket propulsion. Turn the pellets back on for high power, hydrogen boosted assault mode.

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@RandyCampbell-fk3pf Yes, though purity control is an issue.

[@dieselphiend]

Even the stiffest TPU will not break on impact. It's very strong. I remember I tried cutting some 1.75mm with some scissors once, and the scissors just folded right over it. It's incredibly abrasion, and impact resistant. TPU is the most underappreciated material we have access to.

[@robertparis5680]

No really, 95a is insane levels of durable when printed as a solid unit.

[@AckzaTV]

just hard to print with, right? "terror noodles"

[@williwonti]

@@AckzaTV Most of that, especially with the harder variety, is down to wet filament. It soaks up water and doesn't like to let it go. Keep your powder and TPU dry

[@dougbas3980]

@@AckzaTV direct drive print heads do well with it.

[@MonsterPartsRc]

@@dougbas3980 My Bambu P1S spits out TPU like nobody's business... it wokrs incredible with it!

[@whatfor5]

Would love a release of this, a complete beginner package. I have been wanting to get into this, and your combination of solid approach and good documentation would be just the kick I have been waiting for!

[@conorstewart2214]

ELRS is significantly better than other protocols with people managing really long ranges, I think the record is beyond 50 km. They also have a 900 MHz version for even better range.

[@ArchDeusAirsoftNC]

Fiber optic drones are becoming the new edge against jamming, interception and detection.

[@keptleroymg6877]

It also gets rid of the range and signal issues

[@AckzaTV]

im honestly suprised hoffman didnt immediatly try using a tiny spool of fiber optics, no need for the 5km spool teh rusians have, but even a spool of 3d printyer filament is like a mile long. so juyst a small spool of fiber optic cable can make this thing into an un stoppable weapon.

[@HoffmanTactical]

I want to try, but it's not easy.

[@HoffmanTactical]

The issue is the TX / RX equipment.

[@PeterA650]

You need a fiber network card. They're not cheap, small light or power efficient. In addition, all of your comms to and from the station need to be digitized and packetized, and this includes video.

[@thirtythreeeyes8624]

ELRS on 2.4 can go 50 miles no problem especially if you've got 1W. Video has some options as well if you want to throw a gps on the drone you can do antenna trackers and really high gain antenna for more range especially if you up the mw 400mw will give you 4x the range of 25mw, circular polarized antennas will help a lot with penetration and reliability of the link as well. I actually designed a gps module that weighs under 1 gram specifically for builds like this and tinywhoops.

[@HoffmanTactical]

Yes. ELRS is looking pretty impressive. What GPS did you design? I bought some random 3 gram ones for the iNav build.

[@thirtythreeeyes8624]

@@HoffmanTactical It's just a simple pcb for a bare module and uses a monopole antenna, the antenna is the big weight savings. They require smd soldering though so store bought is easier now that there are so many options for sub 5g modules. If you're curious though there's an rcgroups thread titled "Sub 1 gram GPS and GPS+compass" with a link to the files. Also for good autonomous flights on inav you want a compass they only recently added support for no compass and it's still recommended to use one. Edit: also use a FC with a barometer I don't remember if Inav requires it but, you'll want it for the best performance.

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@thirtythreeeyes8624 Yes. I got a slightly larger board with a baro for the iNav build.

[@xXlURMOMlXx]

Tinywhoops are awfully inefficient for any kind of long range

[@pastorhudson]

GPS modules are not created equal. The u-blox M10050 chip is the difference between a couple minutes sat lock and 20 minutes of hoping it works. I really like the GEP-M10 nano that came on geprc tern lr-40. It works great with very fast location acquisition.

[@joshmccartney6474]

Amazing timing right after the govt tried to ban civi drones and failed then responded with a massive psyop! Great work, this makes me eager to dive in.

[@Atom224]

What was the Psyop about? (Non US resident here)

[@valian8985]

​@@Atom224 The misterious UFO spoted in US sky i think ?

[@emmanuelgoldstein3682]

If you had a circular polarization antenna you would see significant differences between vtx power settings, likely more than double the range.

[@HoffmanTactical]

Less gain from my experience.

[@emmanuelgoldstein3682]

@@HoffmanTactical Maybe because you're using linear antennas on your video receiver. Either way, this is well known in the fpv community.

[@pastorhudson]

Yup you have to match antennas on quad and receiver. The cheap circular polarized ones that come with the cheap goggles are garbage. I’ve had good luck with Xilo Axii.

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@emmanuelgoldstein3682 No, I was using matching antennas on both RX and TX. CP is omnidirectional, which is why it has less gain from my understanding.

[@emmanuelgoldstein3682]

@@HoffmanTactical CP has less gain than directional/patch/Yagi antennas, for sure, but definitely more than linear or dipole, which are considered bi-directional. The reception surface area alone makes up the difference.

[@operator1192]

This is the perfect blending of my hobbies. I’ve been building and flying FPV quads for about 12 years now and I’ve also seen the many ways that they can be used in tactical applications. One thing I haven’t tried yet is 3D printing drone components or an 18650 battery for them which is genius for something small like this.

[@saturnmedia1]

As for the overheating, See if you can make 2 smaller holes for the front of the drone and then two out of the back so the air actually passes through and over the circuit board. Maybe some stick on aluminum heat sinks?

[@HoffmanTactical]

The over heating issue is not due to lack of airflow!

[@MrNikkoz]

​@HoffmanTactical the soft arms are creating oscillation and possibly causing overheating through excessive D gain. Print a PLA+ in the same design and see if you get less overheating with a more rigid frame.

[@flowrfpv]

@@HoffmanTactical I bet it is, haha

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@MrNikkoz The original was PLA+, and had similar heat issues. I would like to know more about the excess D gain causing heat though. Does it increase the clock speed?

[@MrNikkoz]

@HoffmanTactical As far as I understand D gain is the essentially the amount of error in over compensating inputs from the controller. The extra work the motors put out creates the heat because the processor is working overtime to compensate for the corrective inputs to stabilize the flight. This would also certainly create excess heat in the motors themselves. So if the motors are not cooking, maybe look elsewhere. The only other thing I saw was the way the battery was mounted looked as if the terminals were just spring steel. Try a LiPo pack that has terminal clips. Maybe it's just resistance issue and low voltage, causing higher amperage than ideal. All in all. a whoop with an indestructible body if a stellar achievement unto itself. Even if flight times are limited to a minute. Keep up the awesome work.

[@twinturbostang]

I know it's fun to 3D print the frame. But using an off the shelf carbon fiber frame (very little $'s) is better in every way. Lighter. Much more stiff, which will improve flight performance (those motors are shaking like crazy on the high speed). And also you'll get much better cooling on the FC because they are a more open design. Also, I'd suggest flipping the motors over to make it easier on take-offs and landings. 😀

[@HoffmanTactical]

I would have to disagree on several of these points.

[@emmanuelgoldstein3682]

@@HoffmanTactical Which ones? Genuinely curious.

[@SystemsPlanet]

​@@emmanuelgoldstein3682 Timestamp where you see vibration? I watched and saw none until after it hit the wall.

[@emmanuelgoldstein3682]

@@SystemsPlanet 8:51 He even comments on it.

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@emmanuelgoldstein3682 Carbon is less durable, open frames are not appropriate for polished end use product, stiff is not better (this is not a high performance quad). As to the motors, facing downward protects them from impact and can be a bit more efficient. Hand launching or launching from a smooth surface eliminates the need for gear.

[@WildArmsResearchAndDevelopment]

Great video as usual, I like the diverse topics

[@DAMDIndustries]

Pews, drones, and 3d printing, right up my alley!

[@LackLusterMedia]

Can we test for ya?

[@LackLusterMedia]

Ahhh. Finally reached the end!

[@mmorin92]

first hot air balloons, now drones, and from the beginning of the video im guessing soon we shall see Hoffman flying a plane.

[@HoffmanTactical]

Airships.

[@tedo3332]

​​@@HoffmanTactical A derigible drone hybrid with starlink?

[@NoahJohnson7452]

@@HoffmanTactical yes please

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@tedo3332 Hybrid airships are fake and gay.

[@pastorhudson]

Airship would be sick!

[@Roxillua]

The engineering and design of this build is amazing! Please do more stuff like this!

[@markyo99]

Brilliant design. You are a genius my friend.

[@C-V-Z]

Awesome project that turned out really well for your intended purposes. I hope to build one soon now that I have a surplus of spare fpv parts waiting for a home. Any chances you'd ever develop and release a modular fixed wing UAV? Something that uses carbon archery arrow shafts, printed connectors, and dollar store foamboard that is cheap and easy to source/build. Very interested in using UAVs with preprogrammed INAV waypoint missions to monitor livestock/stock tanks over an area of a couple square miles without having to go out every day.

[@HoffmanTactical]

I would love to get back into fixed wing! You don't need any spars if you use paper laminated foam board either, such great stuff.

[@woTrainingWheelz]

Qgroundcontrol had a lot of autonomy built back in the day. Setup flight missions and GPS positions and press go. This was way before Betaflight. Think it soldout but it was a ground station more than just an FC configurator.

[@HoffmanTactical]

I think it's still around, but not sure when it was last under active dev.

[@alphaforce6998]

This is actually good for testing drone countermeasures. I think a generally effective countermeasure would be spark-gap transmitter, due to the ability of such a transmit broad frequency radio waves that can interfere or jam drone communications and possibly even their electronics if they get close enough to the spark gap transmitter.

[@nerdCopter]

we typically allow the FC/etc to be open to the air and the propellers' "disk-unloading" to cool them.

[@HoffmanTactical]

I see that. However, I would rather have a fully enclosed PCB. And seeing that it's only the MCU that is overheating, that should be possible. There is no reason for the MCU to over heat. Maybe we need to move back to eight bit MCU's if that is what it takes.

[@CosmicOstrich]

You could try adding a small aluminum heatsink to the main chip on the board to see if that helps with cooling. It would at least give you more thermal density before it overheats.

[@justanotherfpv]

Iv been 3d printing my own frames for many years now. Print prop guards and your buikd will be on point. Air flow is extremely important

[@HoffmanTactical]

I don't think the added weight is worth it.

[@FlintStone-c3s]

This looks small enough to tough resin print. I just got one of those $5 Lidl style foam gliders to make a Raspberry Pi FPV.

[@BabaYagaFPV]

There are US FC options, rotor riot has one, f722, but it's not an aio and only does betaflight.

[@HoffmanTactical]

I meant just the little AIO boards. I know ARK has several US flight controller options as well, but they are much to heavy for something this small.

[@BabaYagaFPV]

@HoffmanTactical I've been working on a similar 18650 quad, using a flywoo AIO, I feel like it could be a stack with separate FC but it's hard to do these without an AIO and I don't think we'll see a US option anytime soon. I'd like to know more about how you TPU'd the frame though, that would be a game changer for freestyle imo

[@ThePewski]

You are one of the most interesting you tubers out there!

[@chompdoesathing]

New year, new video, new project, damn good start to 2025! If you ever get bored throw some stickers on your store, would love to toss one in a future order, at this point you've earned a spot on the toolbox lol.

[@kmieciu4ever]

Abraham Maslow wrote in 1966, "it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail." 🙂

[@HoffmanTactical]

I see carbon plate in the same way ;)

[@kmieciu4ever]

@HoffmanTactical Meet me half way and print it out of carbon fibre ;-)

[@PothocketsFPV]

VTX power and radio protocol are important. With a readily available 1.6w VTX such as a Rush Tank solo and ELRS 2.4 you can get really good penetration close range and fly over 4 miles away with no obstructions. At the very least increasing your current VTX power from 25mw to whatever it's max is will see a good improvement. Edit: also try RHCP antennae on goggles and quad

[@DrOne-sw6oz]

Love the idea, nice build.

[@CantFly_FPV]

I'd be very interested in seeing the blackbox logs.

[@HoffmanTactical]

Me too, still have not figured out how to connect to the onboard memory though.

[@sdrowlette]

Very cool! Watching you intentionally flying it into the wall is funny. Now I want to try this hobby!

[@LeVsTerFpv]

Elrs goes much further than frsky or flysky! Btw I know most people say dont use angle mode and horizon but i think since betaflight 4.5 horizon mode is very close to acro mode. Try horizon on 4.5 they changed it for the better its amazing now you can stay inverted and with a small touch on the sticks it moves you out of inverted back to normal in a very smooth way. Much better than 4.4 . Try it out it is helping me to learn acro. Its amazing

[@HoffmanTactical]

Yes, I'm impressed by what they have done with 2.4.

[@bigdatapimp]

Rotor Riot is currently the only seller of US made Flight controllers. Flite Test is working on one. As far as motors, ESCs, Radio Links, or video transmitters, your only options will be Chinese. as far as VTX power 25mW will go several miles with good line of sight, good antennas, and a good video receiver. I have personally flown 3 miles on 25mW, with direct line of sight. Higher power will definitely make a difference, but more for penetration than distance. A good diversity receiver, like a rapid fire, with a good omni and patch antenna will improve your reception massively. I am in TN if you ever want any help or anything. I have been flying FPV for several years.

[@HoffmanTactical]

Directional antennas are cool, but for a fun flier like this I don't think it's worth it. I used to run a patch with my 2.4 ghz system and could get ~4 miles. Though that was probably due to loss of LOS with our hills and trees.

[@WestFPV]

try turning down the pid loop frequency in betaflight and disable accelerometer and other un used things, could help with the load on the processor.

[@HoffmanTactical]

I'll try that.

[@k98killer]

This is a really cool project. Building my own custom quadcopter has been on my to-do list for a little while. The main features I would want to play with would be autopilot and mesh networking/relay networks.

[@БрониславКотов]

as ukranian military, i can say that gps signal more easy for jamming than video or rc some betaflight mods allow u to change video freqs on fly, also u can use scrambler also rc freqs may be modifyed and u can find some digital vtx's

[@brockly7916]

love your work man... how long did it took..

[@Willy_Tepes]

You can reduce the weight by using a smaller FC. Speedybee has a F405 Mini that is great.

[@HoffmanTactical]

Why that is a nice duel board controller, it's ~13 gram weight is much higher than the Happymodel SuperX at 4 grams.

[@Willy_Tepes]

@@HoffmanTactical I ordered the one without the ESC board. My main reason for choosing it was the possibility of using external sensors, and a sighting laser. You can find lighter ones with the 20x20 mm hole pattern.

[@itsnotthat_]

You have to try this in LW-TPU! I use Colorfabb but I see eSun has just released some too. You can print all of the same parts with the same strength (possibly stronger) at 55-60% the density of 90A TPU.

[@HoffmanTactical]

I think it would be quite a bit less stiff, but would be fun to try!

[@itsnotthat_]

​@@HoffmanTactical That's what I assumed too, then I started printing Varioshore and got stuck in a deep rabbithole. Varioshore is tricky and I'm the only person I know of who has calibrated it to the point of being able to print density gradients across its entire foaming range. I did 100+ points in my calibration curve and fit a polynomial to the resulting %foaming vs. print temperature curve. I measure this % foaming by extrusion width and iteratively calibrate until I get constant extrusion width across the entire temp range. I can effectively add density gradients to my prints that range from 0.6-1.2g/cm^3 .. I am a bioengineer and have developed foam materials of my own before, so that may explain why I'm the only one doing this.. I still need to do mechanical testing to confirm, but based on anecdotal evidence the mechanical strength is not reduced with density, if anything it increases very slightly. to counter the reduced stiffness at 100% foaming, what I do is add aforementioned density gradients to my prints such that any region of the print that requires high stiffness is printed at 0% foaming. this works incredibly well for shock absorption and anything that takes a lot of impact Idk how useful it'd be to you, but I'm more than happy to share my data. It should spare you most if not all calibration

[@kevinbernitz6580]

You should try printing in ABS - far more impact resistant than PLA and about 20% less dense than TPU and obviously far stiffer so you'll get far better flight characteristics. Also worth considering id Sometimes you want the arms to break - cheaper for them to break than the motors... So making s design that allows quick changing of the frame is a good way to go too. I've a 3" design that has the FC and electronics mounted in a TPU mount and the frame in ABS that can be swapped out with 12 screws and no soldering and weighs about 16g.

[@HoffmanTactical]

ABS has significantly lower impact resistance than PLA+. Because I duct the wires inside the arms, changing arms is a bit a pain. With this design the TPU is the best option, and flight performance is still fine.

[@kevinbernitz6580]

@HoffmanTactical I think as you are only flying with 1S batteries so have a relatively low powered build you are getting away with the flexible arms, but from experience if you were to try 3S or above you'd really struggle to prevent "fly aways" without really dialling down the P gains leading to a really badly handling build. Interested in what PLA+ you've seen that is more impact resistant than ABS?

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@kevinbernitz6580 I agree with. This is a dedicated low power build, not a high power racing quad. Got to use the best materials for each application. Polymaker PLA Pro is the PLA+ I use the most.

[@savvygood]

12:54 OH! A dangerous maneuver there!

[@doncunningham3124]

Try ventilating the bottom of your frame design as well. Cross ventilation is the key.

[@andrews.7754]

Aluminum heat sink?

[@HoffmanTactical]

The MCU should not get hot. We should move back to 8 bit processors if that's what it takes.

[@doncunningham3124]

@@HoffmanTactical perhaps too much resonance then? The TPU is soft material but there may be too much flex in the arms? What do you think?

[@breckfreeride]

​@@doncunningham3124 yes the arms flexing are driving the escs crazy I bet.

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@doncunningham3124 I'm not understanding how this would create heat. If anything the TPU damps the vibrations caused by the imbalanced props.

[@gordontarpley]

Really inspiring. I'll be modeling my own frames as well and the TPU is a fantastic idea. Got some really innovative ideas and I like it!

[@calholli]

If you have a thermal camera.. You can see what is actually over heating on the board, and you can probably just strap a little light weight aluminum heat sink over those chips and solve the heat dissipation issue. Start small and use some thermal paste.. With it being open to the air, it shouldn't take much aluminum. There are "heat sink stickers" or "heat sink foil" that are made to go over NMVE drives that help to dissipate heat. Might be all you need.

[@HoffmanTactical]

It's the MCU, and a heat sink is out of the question. I need to solve the root issue.

[@calholli]

@@HoffmanTactical You might be surprised at how well that "heat sink foil" or thermal foil.. stickers/ etc.. actually work. Very light weight

[@oceans3579]

Keep up the good work Tim. You’re killing it.

[@everlastingmedia]

I suspect a tiny self-adhesive heatsink attached to your control board (in the exposed area) might help with the temp issues.

[@HoffmanTactical]

I think we just need to move back to nice cool eight bit MCU's.

[@MonsterPartsRc]

You can put the battery in the belly and that works great, but Instead of using glue, get a 3D printing pen and you can use that to "weld" the parts together with TPU filment and it retains the "indestructibility"... (just an FYI from someone that does a LOT for 3D printing with TPU) and for cooling, you can put channels through the frame to allow for airflow using your slicer is the STL/component list available for this quad?

[@HoffmanTactical]

Not released it yet. I think you will enjoy the latest battery holder, I printed it directly onto the belly.

[@tomollie]

Everyone should be making quadcopters. This is the way of the future & the government is working hard EVERYDAY trying to ban these things

[@jackcarver9031]

How is it that I am not subscribed to this GOAT?

[@jackcarver9031]

Fixed it

[@pastorhudson]

I love this design! So cool! I wonder if we could do fixed wings with tpu? ELRS at 900mhz can do 40km. Using directional 5.8ghz antenna and you should be able to get a couple miles at 5.8ghz. It’s all about the antennas. Get quality fpv antennas with diversity receiver it makes a huge difference. As to learning Acro mode FPV liftoff sim is excellent.

[@AckzaTV]

wait so did you put gunpowder in there to make it explode? or some sort of tannerite exploding target? with a simple pressure sensor like on a mine?

[@williwonti]

It was just a gag

[@zxggwrt]

Love this diversity of skills and I love drones. Keep up all the good work!

[@KevinATJumpWorks]

On FPV-drones with payloads: I spoke to a couple guys who fought in Ukraine and while it is true that there are jammers, war is messy. People are still just people. Somebody forgets to turn it on or it runs out of battery. You can also drop stuff from rather high up to stay outside the jamming bubble. It's by no means a silver bullet kind of solution, but it is far less niche than one might think.

[@HoffmanTactical]

The US gov has better equipment than they do.

[@KevinATJumpWorks]

@@HoffmanTactical The guys I talked to were CIA. High tech isn't always the solution. It needs to be easily reproducible and adaptable. For example, a Rogue One (FLIR) isn't gonna cut it, despite being objectively 'better'.

[@dougbas3980]

Interesting. I only saw this one video on quadcopters at your site. You indicated in the video you have done others. Is there somewhere where we can see others? I have purchased quads, but look forward to printing some.

[@nombrefalso]

awesome project, i would like to see anti jamming features in the future and also range extension, maybe through relay using other drones

[@nombrefalso]

i also forgot to add: maybe jamming detection and auto switch to autonomous control, and also work on other drone propellers that are stealthy and dont make so much noise

[@zeke7515]

Have you considered printing something like 68D or 72D shore hardness tpu? That should give you more structural stability as it's a much stiffer tpu but should retain the same strength. Downsides are you'll lose flexibility in the arms, but you could probably omit the core being nylon. I get a kg roll of 72d from Amazon for about $30.

[@HoffmanTactical]

I just moved up to 95A. I think a D might be too stiff, and suffer delaminating around where the walls meet the first layer.

[@apa5599]

The boards you are using are designed to be cooled by the props, in use. The vtx must be cooled by the props on any significant power output, and those AiO boards are notorious for frying their 5v reg. Depriving either of active cooling will fry them pretty quickly. I would just say that is your problem... if you weren't actively smashing them into a wall, which sort of muddies the waters, diagnostically

[@HoffmanTactical]

Which is why I need boards designed to run cooler ;) The VTX at 25 mw has actually not been an issue, it's just that pesky MCU. Sadly 100% of flight controllers (certainly AIO's) these days use basically the same hardware.

[@PrOpJuNkiE]

That actually looks like it doesn't fly too bad... on angle mode. I would love to take that for a proper rip for ya...😬 Still, a sweet build... Nice man! Oh and great channel, very informative and helpful!

[@HoffmanTactical]

Just remember, it's not a racing quad :) Endurance was the goal.

[@PrOpJuNkiE]

@HoffmanTactical 🤣 more of a freestyle pilot myself but, you are correct... honestly bro I think it's cool, I was shocked when you said TPU, but smart move with the pla or whatever in the center, kinda backwards when I think about it though, normally the kwad is stiff and you soft mount the Flight controller, but clearly it works in reverse as well!🤣😂🤣 Interesting find bro!

[@bryanteger]

Nice dude. Where can I get the stls? I print whoop frames all the time. What's your milliwatts? The x12 with an integrated VTX at 400 MW gets warm pretty quick if it doesn't get air flow over it, and the design of your frame probably doesn't get enough air across it.

[@AckzaTV]

about jamming, why dont you just get a fiber optic cable spool, a smaller one? Ive also wondered why drones arent just tethered via power cables but those are heavy fiber optics lighter

[@HoffmanTactical]

I want to, but there are currently only a couple sketchy import options, and nothing light enough or this. The issue is getting the video on control sent over a single line, and interfaced with the equipment on each end.

[@akapoop06]

Do you have an issue with the PID settings with the arms being so flexible? I would imagine that would add feedback into the system and make the flight wonky.

[@HoffmanTactical]

So far it's very smooth.

[@TJ_Hack3r]

Another option for frame material might be CF reinforced TPU. There a few companies making it now

[@josephvarner603]

Have you tested any glass fiber polypropylene? Seems like the perfect filament for that

[@HoffmanTactical]

Might be.

[@LeonardSamuels75]

Will you look into mini swarms at some point? That seems like an interesting variation, some kind of autonomous mesh of multiple cheap drones fufilling multiple roles, anti drone, isr, comms repeating ...

[@mattbloom1004]

Man you are like a genius. Love to meet u one day.

[@Spessforce]

Why does it fly upside down vs a normal quadcopter with the blades on top?

[@HoffmanTactical]

More efficient, and protect the motors in crash. There are also some structural advantage, and it looks great ;)

[@NONAME-lo9ih]

are you going to release the STL files? this drone looks epic and id love to make one for myself

[@DanielPile103]

There are solvents for TPU that would work better than any glue i would think. DMSO i think is one of them.

[@HoffmanTactical]

Ended up thermally bonding it.

[@Redacted-Arms]

Im not familiar with what regulations/legalities would be involved as far as military application would be. But just a thought, a melt cast able energetic could be used as your center support. It would most likely weigh more depending on selection, but it would be a way to increase payload capacity. Which a one time use unit could be in the pla as well.

[@valian8985]

Hey , what is the FC and radio emiter. Used ? Very impresive build, might try it if i have the time and money lol !

[@jackcorn4020]

You need to put a Caddex Infra in there. Night vision would be slick in a micro quad

[@option350z]

I'd honestly take a look into printing with Polypropylene filament. Some printable quad frames are designed around that or HD/LDPE.

[@DroneSkinz]

Been watching you off and on for a good minute. Glad to see that you're exploring "qwads" which we people in the drone world reall call them. All and all you have a ton to learn, butni already know that you can handle it. Oh, and BTW its called Beta Flight -pronounced "bataflight" but no harm done! Lastly live by the qwad maker/builder slogan which is Build-Fly-Crash-Repeat! You got this dude!

[@mattthcfocus4207]

run your drone from a cell service so you can go as far as there is cell towers or battery. is a small controller and is incoporated in beta flight

[@mattthcfocus4207]

and easier to hide form looking like a drone on , shows up as just cell phone

[@HoffmanTactical]

It's definitely a valid solution in some cases, though not for something this small (at least not yet).

[@xXlURMOMlXx]

Latency would be a massive problem. Would need altitude and object avoidance if you don't want to lose your drone

[@mattthcfocus4207]

@@xXlURMOMlXx really comes down to 5g service and provider. i can control a drone over 70 miles away minor latency. when starlink comes out with cell service itll be all over.

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@xXlURMOMlXx LTE communication is currently used for UAV control by at least one manufacturer, It's intended for larger working quads, not racers. Which is why the higher latency is OK.

[@Lift33d]

Bro !! as a professional FPV pilot This is cool build! 3 blade props bro will be way better for handling

[@HoffmanTactical]

"Handling" is not the goal. Three blade props will be less efficient. Everything is not a racing quad ;)

[@davidhernandez9985]

Finally, sir, and happy 2025🎉, and on getting busy in the lab!

[@jeffhuntley2921]

Thanks for including pricing. At least drone shooting practice is becoming in the realm of affordable

[@johnmcoy8114]

Shooting on public land they are a great spotting scope too.

[@josephsagotti8786]

you're better off learning to fly one.

[@sevenity2677]

Great info Hoff🤘🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@Cooper-sCreations]

It would be great if you released this! I'm looking into fpv and i think it would be really cool if a printed drone can be my first!

[@azinfidel6461]

With the psyop we've seen about drones I have a feeling we are going to see restrictions. So I guess it's a good idea to come up with your own designs

[@tnap1979]

Look into crossfire, or ELRS Gemini x for long range

[@HoffmanTactical]

Once again, it' the video that is the limit. Just got a ELRS setup though, seems like a great low cost option.

[@tnap1979]

@HoffmanTactical ohi know, I'm a fpv pilot myself, and video is always limit.. but for best most robust data link crossfire is the top dog.. but elrs is coming in close 2nd

[@HoffmanTactical]

@@tnap1979 Well, Dragon Link is where it's really at, but it's way more than you need for anything running 5.8 video!

[@tnap1979]

@HoffmanTactical I've heard of dragon link, never really looked into it, as crossfire was all i needed.. but it's also all I've had access to.. Love the videos brother, keep up the good work 👏 happy new year :-)

[@tnap1979]

@@HoffmanTactical also, look into the new AKK alpha 16 VTX.. Albert Kim just released a video about it... 16watts !!!

[@LupusMechanicus]

Nice tpu idea, its definitely stiffer than pricks if you get the 90 durometer version.

[@vaerxx5927]

I am curious if you have seen the thermal drone cameras on aliexpress, they can be relatively cheap and it would be interesting to see if they could be turned into a monocular or sight. Or just see how they perform on a drone despite their limited FOV.

[@breckfreeride]

Bet they aren't thermal if they are cheap... Maybe near infrared...

[@BigMamaJama]

Gloves, hat, no socks or shoes. Mad lad

[@justinb6955]

Now I'm picturing HT making airship carriers that launch small fleets of these little quads.

[@coolbugfacts1234]

People have printed glock frames in TPU, it's pretty strong stuff

[@savvygood]

Can you manufacture your own board?

[@HoffmanTactical]

I kinda want to, but the software would be complex.

[@Willy_Tepes]

@@HoffmanTactical You can flash Betaflight onto a any STM32 microcontroller.

[@HoffmanTactical]

@Willy_Tepes I would not do a board unless I moved away from the STM32 platform, hence the software complexities.

[@Willy_Tepes]

@@HoffmanTactical A arduino based flight controller does not have much clock speed. A STM32 F4 runs at 180MHz giving you much better response time. It is not as complicated as it initially looks as you can use Betaflight or INAV with very little adaptation.

[@melon9088]

Have you considered using Z-Polymers' Tullomer fillament? I think it could have great applications both here and in your other projects. It's crazy strong, lightweight, expensive, and it doesnt block radio waves. They claim up to 6 times the strength of steel while being only 1/6th weight, 22-36% lighter than carbon fiber, and higher tensile strength than other fdm "super-polymer" fillaments. That said, regular old TPU is a wonder material, I'd give versions with a higher shore hardness a try since they'll keep the indestructible properites but significanly reduce your wild motor vibrations. Also, setting your vtx to 400mw will massively increase your video penetration, and look at getting goggles with a built in or eternal diversity receiver. Diapole + patch antennas will blow the cheap $80 goggles out of the water.

[@HoffmanTactical]

Patches are awesome if you want range, but the power increase is not really that beneficial (it is, just not as significant as a good patch). Tullamer I intend to test at some point, it does have very impressive rated tensile (about twice the strongest carbon fiber filaments).

[@natecus4926]

I may have missed you explaining this, but is this a model you designed from scratch or is it based on a file that is available to download?

[@HoffmanTactical]

This is my design, I'll share once complete.

[@natecus4926]

@@HoffmanTactical it looks great!

[@mezzanoon]

would love to see a BOM with links!

[@dougbas3980]

A question about the props. They appeared to standup well to the crashes (or did they usually break?) What are they and from where, thanks.

[@HoffmanTactical]

They hold up incredibly well, eventually getting dinged and nicked enough to replace, but I've never had one break. They are Polycarbonate and made by Gemfan.

[@maxdjembe]

Nice ideas here. Thanks for sharing. Do you have the bill of materials you are using here to buikd this tiny quad? 30mins is still impressive

[@WestFPV]

love seeing you enjoy drones!

[@dustinhollis]

What would nice is links to the hardware, and links to the stl file. If you post it up on makerworld, people can take it and iterate it and improve it. Initially i'm seeing a few places to improve. I think I would reinforce the arms better by having some stubs (that extend into the arms) of a harder material attached to the hard insert in the middle.

[@HoffmanTactical]

I'll do a full release once the project is done, STEPs will be included for you to change as you see fit. As to arm stiffness, it might be interesting to try adding a core as you suggest, I'm just not sure it's needed. So far the slight flexing due to motor vibration has no apparent side effects.

[@orozcocris93]

hey man i am glad to see you have essentially come up with a drone you can crash and not worry about being out hundreds of dollars. its why i barely fly my carbon fiber acro drone. with this i might just go out and crash all i want lol. thanks for the video!

[@HoffmanTactical]

Others tell me carbon frames are indestructible.

[@orozcocris93]

@@HoffmanTactical they are hard to break but when they do they shatter. also depends on what camera system you are using. if you are on the dji o3 dont mount it directly to the frame. use tpu as a buffer as their chips are prone to break in light crashes. being mounted directly shorts it and kills everything. at least with a buffer you have less of a risk. just in case you were looking to get into the hd relm and had an eye on the o3. great for pretty much everything but sadly pretty fragile...