Why You Should Consider 3D Printing Your Racing Drones

Jun 12, 2019 | 3D printing | 0 comments

With the rise of everything being Bluetooth compatible has come a whole new hobby and sport: racing drones. These lean, mean speed machines have become increasingly popular.

Flying a racing drone is a unique challenge, allowing everyone, no matter their age or skill, to experience how it feels to fly an aircraft. Even the biggest fear learning pilots experience, crashing, is typically a minor annoyance, not an expensive or dangerous event. With a bit of practice, any drone pilot can learn to pull off some amazing maneuvers, from hovering to flips.

Racing drones are all controlled through the first person using a headset and handheld controls, a bit like virtual reality headsets. This makes the experience even more thrilling. While we’ve seen a similar set-up for virtual aircraft, such as the game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, there’s something special about taking that experience into the real world, with real physics and real challenges.

Throw a bit of healthy competition and a friendly, enthusiastic community in the mix, and you have a really fun way to spend a weekend morning. The Drone Racing League (DRL) has become more and more popular, receiving coverage from ESPN and other major outlets. Professional drone racing course have a sleek sci-fi look, taking advantage of everything they can to highlight this futuristic sport.

Closer to home, local drone racing communities organize courses and races. They offer brackets for all ages. These communities are all connected through a wealth of YouTube videos, forums, and social media where they discuss their hobby.

Like every other kind of racing, part of drone racing is tweaking the design of drone until it handles just like you want. While you can definitely buy decent drones off the market, they won’t be yours in the same way and won’t be customized to your flying style.

On top of this, drones crash regularly, especially if you’re still learning. Whether because of user error, software error, or some weird gust of wind, your racing drone is going to go down. A lot.

One of the best ways to alleviate the impact of the cost of customization and replacement parts on your wallet is to 3D print your racing drone. Any kind of hobbyist will tell you that, when it comes to replacement or additional parts, companies upcharge significantly and even then, you may have to make modifications by hand. With 3D printing, you can get the individual racing drone parts at a fraction of the cost and very quickly.

Crash your drone and end up with one of its rotors trashed? Order a 3D printed one (or even just the part of it that was actually trashed). This will cost much less than the manufacturer rate. For smaller parts, you may have to order more than you need just to get the one piece you need, but this isn’t an issue with 3D printed parts!

If you’re trying to reduce or add weight to your racing drone, you can 3D print parts at just the weight you need. Want to add a feature you’ve seen on professional drones or something a drone racing YouTuber recommended? 3D print it so that it fits just for your drone.

Almost every part of drone that is not electric or a motor can be 3D printed. At Jawstec, we can help you design and 3D print racing drones parts to your exact specifications. Our team stays up-to-date on the latest developments in 3D printing and we know just what techniques and materials will be ideal fro your racing drone goals. Contact us today for your free 3D printed racing drone design quote!

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