Drone Shala: build and fly a 3D quadcopter

Drone ShalaInteractive 3D Drone Builder & Flight Sim
Abacus Circuits Drone
0/3 Missions
Drag to Orbit 360° · Scroll to Zoom
Step 1 of 10

Meet the Drone

A quadcopter is four motors on a cross-shaped frame. It has no steering wheel or wings: to move in any direction, the computer inside speeds up some motors and slows down others.

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About Drone Shala

Build a quadcopter in 3D, learn how every part works, then fly it in a physics simulator.

All 10 build guides

How does a quadcopter fly?
A quadcopter has four motors. The computer speeds some motors up and slows others down to climb, tilt and turn. Two motors spin clockwise and two counter-clockwise so the drone does not spin.
Can I fly the drone on my phone?
Yes. Use the two touch sticks, or turn on Tilt to fly to steer by tilting your phone. On a computer, use W, A, S, D, the arrow keys and Space to arm the motors.
What will I learn in Drone Shala?
You build the drone in ten steps: frame, motors, propellers, motor drivers, an ESP32 brain, battery, wiring and firmware. Then you fly it in a physics simulator and complete missions.