Building a Fixed-Wing Drone with 3D Printing | Stallion
This is the Stallion, a fully 3D-printed fixed-wing drone. Those who follow us may already recognize this aircraft, but in this video, I will present it to you, in an updated, refreshed version. Like the other aircraft in our collection, it is primarily designed for LW-PLA with additional components made from rigid filaments such as PETG, PLA or others. The aircraft features a twin-motor configuration with a single tail boom and a V-tail. Its wingspan is just over 130cm, and its length is just under one meter.
Additionally, this platform can be built in a VTOL version with a tricopter configuration using tilt motors at the front—but more on that later. The design files are available on our website, which you can find linked in the description. There, you'll find all the details about this design, the aircraft's geometry, technical data, printing guidelines, and a complete list of required materials and electronics for assembly. The user manual includes an illustrated build guide, a list of all files in the package, and more. All our aircraft can be printed on 3D printers with a bed size of at least 220x220mm and a minimum print height of 200mm. The files include different variants to
accommodate various user needs and printer capabilities. For example, the fuselage components are available split into left and right sections, as well as in a single-piece version for slightly larger printers. For this build, we used the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max printer, which features a massive 420x420x480mm print volume. It’s an excellent budget-friendly option that offers all the essential features, such as auto bed leveling, a high print temperature of up to three hundred celcius degrees—allowing for the use of durable materials, including carbon fiber-reinforced filaments—and a fast print speed of up to 500mm/s.
With some effort, you could even print the entire Stallion fuselage in one piece using supports on this printer. A link to Neptune 4 is also included in the description. Several Neptune 4 variants are available in different sizes, in case you don’t need such a large print volume Let's move on to the assembly. It starts with gluing the fuselage together. The prepared version is split into left and right segments. To simplify alignment, 2mm holes serve as guide pin slots, allowing small filament pieces to be inserted. Once aligned, the parts are bonded using thick CA glue. This step doesn’t take long and is even quicker if
using the version without the left/right split. For the last fuselage segment, a component responsible for mounting the tail boom is glued in. Printed from PLA, but other rigid materials can also be used. The part has a flattened bottom and a guide on top, ensuring a fixed orientation relative to the fuselage. One side features a threaded section, later used for attaching the tail to the fuselage. After that, the fuselage assembly continues.
Next, glue in the reinforcement elements for the wing-fuselage connection. These parts are also printed from PLA. The battery pad is mounted in the front section of the fuselage, where the battery will later be attached. Now, glue the front and rear hatches together.
Install the hatch locks right away—these are also printed from PLA. Moving on to the front of the fuselage, press in 5mm threaded inserts for M3 screws, which will secure the nose. A slightly heated soldering iron works best for this. On the outside, glue the front reinforcement in place to strengthen the connection At this point, the fuselage is basically ready for painting. Lightly sand the surface, focusing mainly on the joints between elements. Now for the tail, Start by gluing the three segments together. The servos are installed right away. Since the cables will run inside the tail boom, they need to be fed through and guided out. A thin rod with a hooked end helps with this. Apply a small amount of hot glue to the contact surface between the servo and the tail section—this step is optional but recommended for extra security. Then, screw the servo in using dedicated screws.
With the tail ready, it’s time to mount the stabilizers. Insert a 4mm carbon tube, slide on the stabilizer segments, and glue them in place. Next, insert the second carbon tube. The order here is important since the tubes aren’t parallel—one must be inserted after the other. Finally, add the V-tail tip. Repeat the process on the other side to complete the tail assembly. Now, let's prepare the tail boom. Use a 16mm tube, pre-cut to 430mm,
and fit the necessary components. One side has the fuselage mount with a threaded section, the other side connects to the tail, and there’s a knob in the middle. Both mounting elements are flattened on the bottom, so when gluing them, place everything on a flat surface to maintain alignment. CA glue works, but epoxy with a longer
curing time is the safer option. Finally, cut out a section in the tail area to make space for the servo cables. Be sure to wear a mask and avoid inhaling composite dust while doing this. Time to mount the tail boom onto the tail. First, extend the servo cables. Ready-made extensions work well, as shown here, but cutting and soldering an extension is also an option. Feed the cables through the tube and glue the tail boom into the tail. CA glue was used here, but since the process requires speed, epoxy would be a more convenient choice.
For now, set the tail aside and move on to assembling the wings. A 6mm carbon tube is needed, cut to the appropriate length, and then inserted through all the wing segments. Gluing the components doesn’t take long, and after that, reinforce the wing root. Just like with the fuselage, the wing also uses reinforcement made of PLA or another rigid material. Next, glue the ailerons and rudders together. These control surfaces can be printed as a single piece, but the example here shows them split into two parts.
This is the best time to paint the aircraft before continuing with the remaining steps. A gray primer was used here, as it provides smooth coverage and evens out minor surface imperfections. Now, attach the control surfaces to the tail using thin CA polyester hinges. These can be cut from a sheet, purchased pre-made, or replaced with other flexible materials, including TPU prints.
Insert the hinges into the designated slots and secure them with a small amount of CA glue. Moving the control surfaces while the glue sets ensures even distribution and full mobility. Repeat the process for the ailerons on the wings.
Next, insert threaded inserts into the servo mounting points in the wings. This process is identical like previously in the fuselage. Now, prepare the snap-fit locks that secure the wings to the fuselage. For this, hair clips—or more specifically, the torsion springs inside them—are needed. These locks function on the same torsional principle, ensuring a secure wing attachment. This type of mechanism is commonly used in simple locks, such as those in thermal mugs. Each lock consists of a base and a top piece. The front and rear locks differ
in their top surfaces to match the shape of the wing section they are embedded into. Fit the locks into place and glue them into the wings. Right after that, it's time to test the locks by attaching the wings to the fuselage. Take the carbon tubes cut to correct lenghts, which serve as the main spars, and slide the wings onto them. As you can see, the wings can be attached and detached from the fuselage with a single motion.
The springs ensure continuous pressure on the lock, securing the connection. Now, let’s move on to attaching the tail to the fuselage. This process is just as quick and simple. As mentioned at the beginning, the mounting element features a guide, ensuring proper alignment with the fuselage. The thread is divided into two sections, and tightening the knob firmly secures the tail in place.
A few more steps remain. Start by gluing the control horns onto both the tail and wings. Next, install the aileron servos. The servo cover has a dedicated mounting point, so simply screw it in place. Then, connect a servo extension and route the cable through the slot into the fuselage. Each servo cover is secured with four M3 screws.
Now for the motors. This build uses T-Motor F60 1750KV motors. Here, the motor is already mounted onto the motor mount, with threaded inserts installed on both sides. Mounting the motors in the wings is quick—secure them with two M3 screws from the top and bottom.
The motor wires are already extended and fitted with gold connectors. Insert them into the designated opening and route them through the slot into the fuselage. Next, connect the servos to the control surfaces using pushrods. There are many ways to do this,
but in this build, M2 threaded rods with metal snap links were used. First, measure the length from the servo arm to the control horn in a neutral position, cut the rod with a slight excess. One end is bent into a Z-shape, while the other is fitted with a snap Finally, install the LED lights on the wing tips. 2812 LEDs were used here,
attached with double-sided foam tape in the designated spots. Cover them with printed covers made from transparent PLA or another transparent material. The wires run inside the wing and into the fuselage through an internal channel. You can also print a version without LEDs if you don’t plan to use them. The nose section still needs to be installed. There are two default options—one for a standard 19x19mm FPV camera with an internally mounted VTX, and another for a GM3 gimbal from Caddx. This build uses Walksnail FPV gear, but other systems can also be used without issue. The nose files are available in STEP format,
just like several other frequently modified components for different cameras, sensors, or antennas. This allows you to customize your own nose variant for custom equipment. Replacing the nose is as simple as unscrewing four M3 screws. The aircraft is now complete, but the final step is, of course, configuring the electronics. We're using the SpeedyBee F405 Wing flight controller, Matek M10Q GPS, and an ELRS RC link. This video doesn't focus on that part of the build, but I’ll dedicate an entire episode to electronics, where I'll cover the necessary soldering and wiring, software installation, and final setup of the aircraft in ArduPilot. If you're interested in building this or another model from our collection and need additional help with the electronics, simple wiring diagrams are available. These show the
recommended equipment layout, connections, and servo/motor channel assignments. Additionally, our Discord server has a free files channel where I share various free resources. There, you'll find a param file for ArduPilot and the SpeedyBee F405 Wing, serving as a great foundation for further tuning. Most importantly, it comes with a fully documented breakdown of
the configured parameters and explanations of how they work, which I hope will be a valuable resource for those starting with ArduPilot. We’re already working on new projects and videos that we'll be sharing with you soon. As mentioned at the beginning, the Stallion is also available in a VTOL version. Flight videos are already on our channel, and in the near future, we’ll be releasing a video on the VTOL conversion build, along with more footage of the Stallion in action. If you enjoyed the video, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the upcoming content. See you next time!
2025-03-04 19:28
