How to Build a DIY Micro Drone
Build a lightweight micro brushed quadcopter from scratch using coreless motors, a mini receiver board, and a simple custom frame for indoor flying fun.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
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- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Soldering iron with fine tip
- ✓ Wire strippers
- ✓ Hot glue gun
- ✓ Precision tweezers
- ✓ Digital multimeter
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 4x 8520 coreless DC motors (2 CW, 2 CCW)
- ✓ Micro brushed flight controller receiver board
- ✓ 4x Micro propellers (2 CW, 2 CCW)
- ✓ Micro quadcopter frame kit
- ✓ 3.7V 1S 380mAh LiPo battery
- ✓ Double-sided vibration foam tape
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Never attach propellers until all bench wiring, binding, and motor direction tests are fully completed.
- • Verify 1S LiPo polarity with a multimeter before plugging in to avoid frying the flight controller board.
- • Operate the soldering iron in a well-ventilated area and use a heat-resistant mat.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Assemble the Drone Frame Base
Lay out the micro quadcopter cross-frame on a flat surface. Snap or screw the four motor mounts tightly to the ends of the arms. Ensure the central platform sits flat without warps so the gyro can calibrate accurately later.
- • Frame arms form a rigid, symmetrical X shape
- • Motor sockets are aligned vertically at 90 degrees
- • Over-tightening tiny plastic screws causing frame arms to crack
Install Motors in Diagonal Pairs
Push the four coreless motors into their respective socket mounts until flush. Place the clockwise motors (red/blue wires) in the front-left and rear-right positions, and counter-clockwise motors (black/white wires) in the front-right and rear-left positions. Route the thin leads along each arm toward the center platform.
- • All 4 motors sit fully seated and level in their housings
- • Opposing diagonal corners have matching wire color pairs
- • Swapping CW and CCW motor placements, which prevents takeoff
Solder Motor Leads to the Flight Board
Tin the eight motor solder pads (M1 through M4) on the micro flight controller with a small dab of solder. Trim excess motor wire length, strip 2mm of insulation, and solder each pair to the corresponding motor pad markings. Check each joint with a multimeter on continuity mode to confirm there are no accidental bridges.
- • Shiny, rounded solder joints on all motor contacts
- • Zero solder bridges between adjacent positive and negative pads
- • Applying soldering heat for more than 3 seconds, which lifts micro circuit board pads
Mount the Flight Board and Battery Tray
Cut a small square of double-sided vibration dampening foam tape and stick it to the center of the frame. Press the flight controller firmly onto the foam, making sure the board's directional arrow points toward the front of the frame. Secure a small elastic band or hook-and-loop strap underneath the frame to hold the 1S LiPo battery.
- • Flight board is horizontally level and aligned with the front axis
- • Battery strap securely holds the 1S battery without shifting
- • Mounting the board backwards, which causes inverted flight control responses
Bind Transmitter and Test Motor Spin Direction
Turn on your compatible radio transmitter in bind mode and plug the 1S LiPo battery into the flight controller. Confirm successful binding via the solid LED indicator on the board. Gently raise the throttle slightly to confirm that all four motors spin smoothly without propellers installed.
- • Flight controller LED transitions from blinking to solid
- • All 4 bare motor shafts spin freely when throttle is engaged
- • Attempting binding with low transmitter batteries, leading to connection dropouts
Install Propellers and Execute Maiden Hover
Press the matching CW and CCW propellers firmly onto their respective motor shafts until secure. Place the drone on a flat, level indoor floor at least 2 meters away from obstacles. Slowly raise the throttle stick until the drone lifts off into a stable, low-altitude hover, adjusting transmitter trims if it drifts.
- • Propellers spin flat without vertical wobble
- • Quadcopter lifts off straight and hovers stably at knee height
- • Installing CW props on CCW motors, which pushes the drone down instead of generating lift
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Bhole Ka Technical — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Vibration dampening foam? Thick double-sided foam mounting tape
- No Propeller removal tool? A rigid flat plastic card or metal teaspoon as a gentle lever
- No Multimeter? A 10x magnifying glass or phone macro camera to visually inspect solder bridges