I designed a drone in Python

Parametric CAD becomes an executable description of geometry and mass.

Read the companion now. The recording is forthcoming; “Free” identifies its planned release track.

A code-defined frame exposes the choices that a finished render hides: arm length, hole spacing, material thickness, propeller clearance and battery position. Each change can regenerate the assembly and its printable exports, keeping revisions visible in Git.

Place real component envelopes first, then design the structure around assembly and servicing. Use slicer-reported printed masses and weighed electronics to estimate center of mass and inertia. A lower mass does not automatically mean an easier aircraft to control if the frame also becomes flexible.

The episode’s central artifact is the path from CAD manifest to simulator Params. Change a battery position and show how the center of mass and inertia change, then run the classical hover controller on the new model. Validate Bolt and ESC compatibility and draw the wiring plan before converting the design into an order.

Take this into your next build

The CAD model earns its place in the control stack when it exports a traceable physics estimate.

Put the idea to work

Design the frame in CAD

Design around real components, not a silhouette. A parametric frame, a mass budget and an inertia estimate connect the printed vehicle to the simulator.

Build module 06