This project is inspired by the Micro Long Range project, by First Person View (FPV) pilot Dave_C. His open source project can be found here. With Dave's work as a starting point, I sought to improve his design for my personal use. I manipulated his frame design to accomodate the flight electronics and custom GoPro I planned on using. I first 3D printed the frame to ensure proper tolerances and spacing, then had the parts CNC milled from carbon fiber sheets.

I then designed and 3D printed custom flexible mounting solutions for various components. The standout 3D print was a custom backplate for the GoPro Hero 6 that I disassembled. I designed this part to precisely align with the existing screw holes in the metal front plate. Taking apart GoPros is useful for lightweight drones as it removes the battery, waterproof housing, and other arbitray electronics while maintaining the same high quality video. 

With a custom Lithium-Ion battery solution and fine tuned video downlink, this drone can fly for nearly 30 minutes while shooting 4K video, with a maximum range of over 1.5 miles. With a smaller battery, this drone can avoid the FAA Remote ID regulations.