Design Printable Twin-Motor Drone
Budget: $30 – $250 USD
Project Description:
I am looking for an experienced aeronautical or RC aircraft designer to produce a complete airframe design for a fixed-wing recreational drone. The aircraft uses differential thrust as its sole means of directional control — there are no ailerons, rudder, elevator, servos, or moving control surfaces of any kind. Stability is the primary design goal. The aircraft should be docile, predictable, and resistant to upset in moderate conditions.
Configuration:
- Twin tractor (puller) motors mounted on the wing leading edge
- Counter-rotating propellers (CW left, CCW right) to eliminate net torque
- Dihedral angle sufficient to provide strong passive roll stability (designer to recommend exact angle)
- Zero control surfaces — the only actuators are the two brushless motors
- Turns are achieved through differential thrust. Increasing thrust on one motor accelerates airflow over that wing panel, generating greater lift on that side and rolling the aircraft into a bank. The opposite motor is reduced correspondingly. Yaw is a secondary side effect of the thrust imbalance, not the primary control input.
Strict Parameters:
- Wingspan: 1–2 m
- Payload capacity: 1 kg (carried in a centralised payload bay positioned at or near the CG)
Construction:
- 3D-printed honeycomb/lattice internal skeleton — this is the primary structural deliverable
- The airframe will be skinless as printed; the skin will be applied separately using heat-shrink film (Oracover / MonoKote style)
- Snap-fit or bonded section joints
- All printed parts must be segmented to fit a Bambu Lab printer bed (256 × 256 mm) without requiring supports where possible
- PLA as the preferred filament; note any sections where PETG or reinforcement (carbon-tube spar) would materially improve durability
Mounting & Bays:
- Centralized payload bay (~1 kg capacity), easily accessible for loading and unloading
- Motor mounts at wing leading edge (tractor configuration)
- ESC mounting provisions (one per motor)
- Battery bay positioned for correct CG
- Wiring channels from fuselage to wingtips and tail for navigation lights:
- Left wingtip: red (port)
- Right wingtip: green (starboard)
- Tail: white strobe
Deliverables:
- Native CAD files (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or comparable parametric format)
- Ready-to-slice STL files for the honeycomb skeleton, organised by assembly section — single-material print
- CG location and recommended dihedral angle, with rationale
- Build notes covering recommended print settings (layer height, infill, wall count, orientation on bed) and any carbon or plywood reinforcement that would improve longevity
- Basic flight envelope estimate: stall speed and maximum bank angle achievable via differential thrust alone
Important — What This Project Is NOT:
This is not a conventional RC aircraft. There are zero control surfaces and no servos. All steering is accomplished exclusively through differential thrust — asymmetric propwash creates a lift differential across the wing, rolling the aircraft into coordinated turns. If you are not comfortable designing a fixed-wing airframe around this unconventional control method, this project is not a good fit.
I am looking for an experienced aeronautical or RC aircraft designer to produce a complete airframe design for a fixed-wing recreational drone. The aircraft uses differential thrust as its sole means of directional control — there are no ailerons, rudder, elevator, servos, or moving control surfaces of any kind. Stability is the primary design goal. The aircraft should be docile, predictable, and resistant to upset in moderate conditions.
Configuration:
- Twin tractor (puller) motors mounted on the wing leading edge
- Counter-rotating propellers (CW left, CCW right) to eliminate net torque
- Dihedral angle sufficient to provide strong passive roll stability (designer to recommend exact angle)
- Zero control surfaces — the only actuators are the two brushless motors
- Turns are achieved through differential thrust. Increasing thrust on one motor accelerates airflow over that wing panel, generating greater lift on that side and rolling the aircraft into a bank. The opposite motor is reduced correspondingly. Yaw is a secondary side effect of the thrust imbalance, not the primary control input.
Strict Parameters:
- Wingspan: 1–2 m
- Payload capacity: 1 kg (carried in a centralised payload bay positioned at or near the CG)
Construction:
- 3D-printed honeycomb/lattice internal skeleton — this is the primary structural deliverable
- The airframe will be skinless as printed; the skin will be applied separately using heat-shrink film (Oracover / MonoKote style)
- Snap-fit or bonded section joints
- All printed parts must be segmented to fit a Bambu Lab printer bed (256 × 256 mm) without requiring supports where possible
- PLA as the preferred filament; note any sections where PETG or reinforcement (carbon-tube spar) would materially improve durability
Mounting & Bays:
- Centralized payload bay (~1 kg capacity), easily accessible for loading and unloading
- Motor mounts at wing leading edge (tractor configuration)
- ESC mounting provisions (one per motor)
- Battery bay positioned for correct CG
- Wiring channels from fuselage to wingtips and tail for navigation lights:
- Left wingtip: red (port)
- Right wingtip: green (starboard)
- Tail: white strobe
Deliverables:
- Native CAD files (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or comparable parametric format)
- Ready-to-slice STL files for the honeycomb skeleton, organised by assembly section — single-material print
- CG location and recommended dihedral angle, with rationale
- Build notes covering recommended print settings (layer height, infill, wall count, orientation on bed) and any carbon or plywood reinforcement that would improve longevity
- Basic flight envelope estimate: stall speed and maximum bank angle achievable via differential thrust alone
Important — What This Project Is NOT:
This is not a conventional RC aircraft. There are zero control surfaces and no servos. All steering is accomplished exclusively through differential thrust — asymmetric propwash creates a lift differential across the wing, rolling the aircraft into coordinated turns. If you are not comfortable designing a fixed-wing airframe around this unconventional control method, this project is not a good fit.