Workshop Participant Handout

Summary¶

After completing the workshop series, the participant has built a flying libdrone from components, understands why each design decision was made, and can maintain and repair their build independently. This handout is the condensed guide for workshop participants — it complements the instructor's delivery, not replaces it.

Concept¶

Why you are building this and not buying it¶

→ why-build-a-drone answers this directly. The short version: a drone you built is transparent — you understand every layer, you can repair every failure mode, and you are not dependent on a vendor's continued support. A bought drone is a black box. The build is not the price of admission; the build is the point.

The workshop uses libdrone specifically because every design decision has a documented rationale. When the instructor says "we use floating motor mounts with O-ring isolators" — that is not an arbitrary choice. → floating-motor-mounts explains the vibration isolation physics and why silicone O-rings at 40–50 Shore A are the correct damping material.

Session 1 — Understanding the frame¶

Before printing or assembling anything, understand what you are building and why it is shaped the way it is.

The five-layer sandwich (PETG-PCCF-PCCF-PCCF-PETG) is not aesthetic — it is a specific engineering choice. → sandwich-structure explains why this combination outperforms a pure carbon fibre frame for community builders: printable, repairable, tolerates non-expert assembly. The carbon fibre rods through all five layers provide the stiffness; the printed layers provide the geometry and the crash energy distribution.

The failure hierarchy is the most important design principle to internalise before your first crash (and you will crash). → failure-hierarchy explains the deliberate sequence: bumper absorbs first impact, arm shaft fractures and absorbs crash energy, electronics survive. A fractured arm shaft after a crash is a success, not a failure. You replace a 20g piece of PETG in five minutes and fly again.

Session 2 — Frame assembly¶

→ coupon-validation happens before printing production parts. Coupon 8 verifies the T-lock fit at your printer's calibration — the arm tab must slide into the T-slot with light hand pressure and zero lateral play. If it doesn't fit, the variable is adjusted in FreeCAD, not filed or forced.

→ airframe-integration is the assembly sequence. The order matters: tabs into T-slots, all five layers on the CF rods simultaneously (they self-align), sandwich bolts, Platform on posts. The acoustic ring test after rod threading confirms correct pre-tension: tap each rod, listen for a clear ring at 2.2–2.6 kHz. A dull thud means the rod is loose.

Session 3 — Electronics installation¶

→ electronics-installation is the wiring session. The EMC rules are not bureaucratic — they are the reason the drone will fly smoothly and the GPS will have a stable fix.

The three rules in practice: (1) all grounds to the ESC pad, nothing else (→ star-grounding); (2) motor phase wires twisted together 1 twist per 15mm (→ twisted-pairs); (3) signal wires left of centre, power wires right (→ power-signal-separation). Violating these rules produces a flying drone that works until it doesn't — intermittent GPS drift, vibration in the video, noisy Blackbox traces.

Conformal coating is mandatory before first power-on. → conformal-coating explains why: electronics are designed for dry conditions; a skatepark has dew, rain, and condensation. The coating takes 30 minutes to apply and 24 hours to cure.

Session 4 — Software commissioning¶

→ software-commissioning is the configuration session. The sequence is fixed: EdgeTX model first (→ edgetx-model), then Betaflight (→ betaflight-setup), then AM32 ESC, then HDZero VTX (→ digital-fpv).

After configuration: verify motor directions in the Betaflight Motors tab with props removed. Verify all channels respond correctly in the Receiver tab while moving each stick. Verify GPS fix ≥ 8 satellites outdoors before arming.

Session 5 — Acceptance validation and first flight¶

→ acceptance-validation is the checklist between commissioning and flight. Weigh the drone. Confirm e-ID label is on the frame. Confirm airspace is clear.

→ first-flight is the supervised first flight sequence: hover at 1m for 30 seconds, land and inspect, then a slow circuit with the instructor, then a GPS Rescue demonstration. The GPS Rescue demonstration is not optional — you need to have seen GPS Rescue activate deliberately before you ever experience it in an uncontrolled situation.

After the first flight: → blackbox-analysis with the instructor. You will see your drone's gyro spectrum for the first time. A clean build looks like this: noise floor below −40 dB in the 0–200 Hz range, no sharp peaks at motor RPM harmonics.

Continuing from here¶

The workshop gave you a flyable drone. → scheduled-maintenance tells you how to keep it airworthy. → piloting-progression maps the skill development from hover to FPV orientation to emergency procedures. → preflight-checklist is the discipline that separates safe operators from ones who get lucky.

Reference¶

Workshop sessions and key articles¶

Procedure¶

Pre-workshop preparation (if time permits)¶

Read → sandwich-structure, → failure-hierarchy, and → lipo-batteries before Session 1. Understanding the frame philosophy and LiPo safety rules before you handle either component is time well spent.

Rationale¶

The workshop handout exists because the Complete Build Guide is too long for a workshop context. Workshop participants need the narrative arc and the "why" behind each step — not the full technical depth of every atom. This skeleton provides that narrative at workshop depth, with links to the full depth for participants who want to go further.

Connections¶

requires: [] related: - sk-complete-build-guide - sk-engineering-101 leads_to: - sk-complete-build-guide - sk-operations-manual