UAV Builder Application

Builder applications are open. Early applicants receive founding network status.

✅ Identity Verified🔍 Background Screened🇺🇸 U.S. Only

$600

Per drone

3–4 hrs

First build

~1 hr

Experienced

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

State / Location *

Weekly Production Capacity *

What Can You Make? (optional)

Component specialists are just as valuable as full assemblers.

Full Drone AssemblyAdvancedFrame / Body / ArmsEasyPropellers / BladesEasyGimbal / Camera MountEasy–MediumMotor AssemblyMediumElectronics / ESCMediumWiring HarnessMediumFlight ControllerAdvanced

Builder Type (optional)

Tools & Equipment (optional)

Build Experience (optional)

U.S. builders only. All applicants are identity-verified and background-screened.

Why Join the Network

💰

Earn Per Drone

$126.44/hr floor rate. Paid on QA-accepted units only. High performers earn above-floor rates.

📈

Build Your Reputation

Every accepted drone builds your score — unlocking higher-value work and priority allocation.

⬡

Merit-Based

High performers get complex builds, higher rates, and first-pick work orders.

🌐

Work From Your Shop

Build from your own space on your own schedule. Drone designs delivered securely.

Node Minimum Specs

Aedes assigns work by verified capability tier. Declare your tier in the application — the network verifies it during the capability assessment.

Typical industry thresholds as of September 2026 — not Aedes-certified requirements. The largest printed part in the current platform family is the Aedes MD monocoque (~200 mm), so above ~250 mm the envelope is not the binding constraint and the heated chamber is. Machines named below are examples, not endorsements; not every one clears every number as shipped (some chambers/hot ends are options), so verify your own unit.

TIER 1

Prototype / Trainer

Build volume250 mm+

Nozzle / bed260 °C / 100 °C

ChamberPassive enclosure

MaterialsPLA+, PETG, TPU

Repeatability±0.3 mm

Tooling, jigs, fixtures, GSE, trainer/demo airframes. No production parts, no controlled data.

TIER 2

Production Airframe

Build volume250 mm+

Nozzle / bed300 °C+ / 120 °C

ChamberActively heated 60 °C+

MaterialsPA-CF, PC, ASA

Repeatability±0.1–0.2 mm target, calibrated

Production airframe sections and functional components. The chamber is the line, not the envelope. Controlled data requires CMMC Level 2.

TIER 3

Structural / High-Temp

Build volume350–600 mm

Nozzle / bed350–450 °C / 140–160 °C

ChamberHeated 80–200 °C

MaterialsPEEK, PEKK, PEI, CFF

Repeatability±0.1 mm, process-controlled

Load-bearing and hot-environment components.

Disqualifiers — and the half that isn’t the printer

No heated chamber → prototype tier only. PLA/PETG-only hot end → no structural parts.
Under ~220 mm build volume → cannot print the family's largest part (the Aedes MD single-print monocoque, a 200 mm × 200 mm plate part).
No calibration log or material lot tracking → fails traceability for defense-facing work.
Defense-facing work also requires CMMC Level 2 (controlled data → CUI), material certifications, and a quality system progressing toward AS9100.

Asking about SLS instead of FDM? For airframe production, that’s the right question — read the full spec.

The Builder Path

Apply

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Get Certified

→

Receive Designs

→

Build & Pass QA

→

Build Reputation

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Advanced Builds

All builders are vetted. Learn how our compliance program works →