Chapter 5: Assembly
ParaDrone is an open source, community driven project. I do not sell ParaDrones. The design is
intended to be easy to build for any maker.
Many of the components can be substituted with no problem. The battery and motors can be
changed as long as there is enough power to pull the toggles. I found experimentally that uxcell
200 rpm motors worked best for the forces seen in typical canopies under full weight load.
Battery considerations:
Any battery that is roughly 12v and can supply at least 4 amps of power will do. However, most
LiPo batteries have fire risk if punctured or shorted. Do you want a lithium ion battery fire on
your lap? No? Then use a LiFePO4 battery. We use four AA-sized LiFePO4 batteries, intended
for solar lamps but work well for this purpose.
Warning: you must either: 1) Use LiFePO4 fire safe batteries; or 2) include a cutaway system for
ParaDrone in case of fire!
The length of the fishing line used for the toggle attachment depends on the glider being used.
Typical control stroke lengths are in the range 70-120cm. Length also depends where the
device is mounted on the glider. Creativity is required for how to mount on your gear.
9
