Nowadays you sometimes see a drone flying. Some are lightning fast and fly very high. The drones look quite complex and complicated, but in practice it is not too bad. If you can recognize a number of elements of the drone and know what they are for, you might be able to build a drone yourself in the future!
The base of a First Person View drone (FPV drone) can be built in many different shapes and sizes. Installing a camera in a drone makes it an FPV drone. This means that you can see through the eyes of the drone, as it were. The camera images are sent with a transmitter to the FPV goggles or a screen. A racing drone is made for speed and maneuverability. A decor of trees or a pre-set course can be covered by the drone for fun or a competition. A racing drone is also suitable for freestyle flying. Stunning camera images are created that can be recorded by HD or even 4K recording cameras.
What parts does an FPV drone have?
- Frame
- Power Distrubition Board
- ESC
- Motor
- Flight Controller
- Transmitter
- Battery
- Camera
- Transmitter and antenna
- Receiver
- FPV goggles or screen
Frame
Many types and sizes of frames are available. As an example we take the 250 frame of which 4 motors must be placed on the arms. 250 represents the distance; 250 mm diagonal from each motor housing. So they are opposite each other. It’s a nice size to start with. There are also several materials available. In any case, it is important to purchase a sturdy / rigid frame that can take a beating. A frequently chosen material is carbon or fiber.
Power Distrubition Board
The Power Distrubition Board can be integrated into an existing frame, but is also available separately. This board is used for soldering the main connection of the battery and to which all ECS power cables are soldered.
ESC
The ESC are the motor controllers that regulate and control the speed of the motor. You connect the ESC to the flight control and to the main power supplies on the Power Distrubition Board. For the 2300KV motor you can apply a 12A ESC. The ESC ensures the control of a continuous equal output in order to get and keep the motors at a correct speed.
Motor
The electric motors are available in many types and sizes. It is important to choose motors with sufficient power and which are compatible with the battery and the ECS. For the use of frame size 250 you can use a brushless motor of 2300KV (rpm / v). A 5×3 propeller can easily be mounted here in combination with a 3S LiPo battery.
Flight Controller
The flight controller is the brain of the drone. You connect the receiver and the ECS to this. Depending on the type of flight controller, even more electronics can be connected to this. For example, a buzzer when the drone is lost or telemetry to read the current height of the drone and the battery life in your glasses or screen.
Transmitter
The handheld transmitter is the device in which your actions (stick movements) are sent to the receiver of the drone. The drone receiver linked to the flight controller further regulates the actions by means of the controls of the ECS.
Battery
The batteries are available in many sizes, types and capacities. The well-known LiPo batteries (lithium-ion polymer batteries) provide a lot of power per weight. This power is indicated by cells: the 2S (2 cells 7.4 VOLT) and 3S (3 cells 11.1VOLT). A battery with 3 cells has more power than a battery with 2 cells. For a beginner with the above specifications in combination with a 2300KV motor and 12A ECS, a 3S is more than enough.
Camera
A camera mounted on the drone functions like your drone’s eyes through the FPV goggles. Many sizes and types are available here. Apart from the camera, there are many pilots who mount a separate camera on the drone itself to separately record the flight recording. These cameras are equipped with a higher resolution, which produces razor-sharp images. The camera you are looking through has a lesser resolution due to the fact that the image must be sent quickly via the AV transmitter.
Transmitter and antenna
The transmitter sends the camera images from the drone to your FPV goggles. The frequency of the AV receiver must of course correspond to the frequency of the receiver in the glasses. The antenna also plays an important role in this. Various antennas are available, spiral or linear.
Receiver
The transmitter is the device in which the transmitter connects to the drone. The receiver is connected to the flight control.
FPV goggles or screen
The FPV goggles are the device that you put on your head to experience the unique FPV. The glasses are available in many shapes and sizes. You can also opt for a screen, which gives a different flying experience.