UAS Systems

250mm X-configuration quadcopter — same class as Ukraine's most producible platforms, proven at scale for low-cost high-volume production.

5-inch propellers on 2207-class brushless motors at 35–45 mph cruise speed. Autonomous waypoint flight via ArduPilot — no FPV link required, removing the video transmitter from the BOM entirely.

Electronics package: F4 flight controller, 4-in-1 ESC stack, GPS, and ELRS receiver for telemetry-only uplink. Single operator can queue and launch 20+ units from a ground control station.

Identical arm geometry — each of 4 arms is the same print/part. Fully parallelizable sub-assembly. Builders specialize on arms, bodies, or electronics stacks and feed a final integration station.

PLA frame at 15% infill reduces material cost to under $5 per frame. Non-recovery is built into the design — releasing weight and cost from every subsystem that exists only to support repeated flights.

2 lb servo-actuated payload bay on the underside belly. Payload releases autonomously at programmed GPS coordinates — no operator input required at drop point.

Low-profile body at 35mm height without props. Extremely compact for packaging — a builder can produce and ship a completed unit in a standard flat-rate USPS box.

No FPV camera. The antenna cluster (GPS mast, ELRS receiver) is mounted for telemetry-only operation. Ground operator receives position and battery status; drone executes mission autonomously.

Battery mounts flush with the top body panel — standardized XT60 connector, inline LiPo thermal cutoff installed as standard equipment. Post-impact battery fire prevention is a non-negotiable safety requirement regardless of airframe lifetime.

Total platform weight without payload: approximately 520g. With 2 lb payload: ~1.4 kg. Well within 5-inch motor performance envelope for 25–30 min one-way cruise endurance.

PLA monocoque body and integrated arms print as a single part on any printer with a 200mm x 200mm build plate. 3–4 hours print time at 15% infill in standard PLA — the cheapest widely-available filament. Material cost per frame: under $5.

Electronics sub-assembly separates cleanly from frame work: solder motors to ESC, mount FC, pre-load ArduPilot firmware with mission profile template. Sub-assemblies can be stockpiled in advance of frame batches.

M3 fasteners on motor mounts — a non-negotiable safety standard. A motor shed in flight over populated terrain is a public-safety event regardless of airframe lifetime. All other connections use press-fit or screw terminal where practical.

Total build time (frame + electronics install + configuration): 3–4 hours per unit for a network builder. A 5-builder cell running multiple printers can sustain 8–10 completed units per day.

Required tools: 3D printer, soldering iron, screwdriver set. No specialized equipment, no machining. The simplest build process in the Aedes platform family.

320mm wheelbase quadcopter in X-configuration — 7-inch class platform with hybrid-frame architecture: 3D-printed PETG-CF body mated to 4 pultruded carbon fiber tube arms.

7-inch tri-blade propellers on 2806.5 brushless motors. Top speed 70–80 mph clean; 50–60 mph carrying a 2 lb payload. 35–45 minutes cruise endurance unloaded.

Central body plates house a stacked F7 flight controller and 4-in-1 ESC — accessible from the top for field serviceability. GPS mast mounted separately for clean compass isolation.

Four identical arm assemblies — each CF tube and motor mount housing is the same part. Builders can specialize in sub-assemblies: one builder on printed body parts, another on tube prep, another on electronics stacks.

Entire platform ships in a standard flat-rate box without disassembly. Compact footprint fits the kitchen-table build environment from which every Aedes platform starts.

Quick-release payload rail on the underside center accepts standardized payload modules — swap in under 60 seconds without tools.

Low-profile body keeps center of gravity stable with payload mounted close to the motor plane. Hybrid-frame geometry places motor mass outboard, reducing pitching moment under load.

Top-mounted battery tray accepts a 6S 8000mAh LiPo — the primary endurance configuration for 35–45 min unloaded cruise. Li-ion packs are also supported for extended loiter profiles.

Front-facing camera mount for piloted FPV and ISR profiles; full GPS navigation stack for autonomous waypoint missions. The platform operates in both modes with the same hardware.

Landing gear provides adequate ground clearance for payload module installation and hot-swap battery access in field conditions.

Hybrid-frame architecture: 3D-printed PETG-CF body parts handle low-stress structural roles while 16×16mm pultruded CF tube arms carry the high-stress arm loads — eliminating the two primary failure modes of fully-printed 7-inch builds: vibration fatigue and heat soak.

Body parts: 4 components (top plate, bottom plate, motor mount housings, GPS mast). Total print time 6–8 hours, parallelizable across multiple printers. Material cost: ~$15 in PETG-CF filament.

Arms: cut 4 CF tubes to 110mm using a $15 pipe cutter — 10 minutes total. Chamfer ends, bolt to motor mount housings with M3 cross-bolts. No machining. A bent CF tube is a $5 swap in 10 minutes.

Electronics sub-assembly separates cleanly: motors-to-ESC soldering, FC stack integration, and firmware pre-load can be completed before the frame is finished. First build: 12–15 hours. Network builder: 4–6 hours.

Total component count under 150 parts. M3 fasteners throughout — no snap-fits in any load path. All electronics are off-the-shelf components available from domestic suppliers.

900mm wheelbase hexacopter — 6-motor configuration provides redundancy. Lose one motor and the platform stays airborne.

15-inch propellers on each arm deliver the thrust-to-weight ratio needed for 10+ lb payload capacity at sustained flight endurance.

Central octagonal body houses the flight controller, GPS, telemetry, and power distribution — all accessible from the top for field serviceability.

Folding arm design allows the entire platform to collapse to 60% of deployed size — fits in a standard Pelican 1510 carry-on case.

Arm geometry optimized for distributed assembly: each arm is an identical unit, 3D-printed with carbon fiber tube core reinforcement.

Quick-release payload rail on the underside center accepts standardized payload modules — swap in under 60 seconds without tools.

Low-profile body (80mm) keeps center of gravity stable under heavy payload. Payload mass sits close to the motor plane.

Landing gear provides 200mm of ground clearance — sufficient for most payload modules including gimbaled cameras and relay antennas.

Top-mounted battery bay accepts standard 6S 22,000mAh packs — hot-swap capable in field conditions. Multiple battery configurations supported.

Front-mounted gimbal attachment point is payload-agnostic: accepts EO/IR cameras, multispectral sensors, or custom sensor packages.

Primary frame components are designed for FDM 3D printing in PETG or ASA — standard materials available at any hardware store or online supplier.

Carbon fiber tube cores slide into 3D-printed arm housings — no machining required. Cut to length with a pipe cutter, press fit and secure with M3 hardware.

Total component count under 200 parts. A builder with basic electronics skills and a $300 3D printer can produce a complete airframe in under 20 hours.

All electronics (flight controller, ESCs, motors, GPS, receiver) are off-the-shelf components available from domestic suppliers — no foreign-only sourced parts required.

Assembly documentation includes step-by-step instructions, torque specifications, wiring diagrams, and pre-flight checklists. Designed to be followed without prior drone-building experience.