Frame Fundamentals
This is the backbone of the drone, typically made from lightweight carbon fiber or plastic.
What is the frame?
These must be balanced and come in matched pairs: clockwise and counterclockwise
What is the propeller?
These provide high efficiency, speed, and torque without brushes, common in modern drones.
What are brushless motors?
This is the central circuit board that processes sensor data for stability and pilot commands.
What is the flight controller?
This captures aerial footage or photos on photography drones.
What is the camera?
The most common drone type with four arms, known for stability and agility in hobby use.
What is a quadcopter?
A versatile type that provides efficient lift at moderate speeds on most drones.
What is a standard propeller?
Found in micro or toy drones, these cheaper motors use brushes and often don't need an ESC.
What are brushed motors?
The energy source, typically lithium-polymer, with capacity determining 10-30 minute flight times.
What is the Battery?
It stabilizes the camera against vibrations using motors for 2- or 3-axis rotation.
What is gimbal?
A six-armed frame type that offers more redundancy for heavy payloads and smoother flight.
What is a hexacopter?
This type is mounted to push air rearward, common in fixed-wing or hybrid drones.
What is a pusher propeller?
This component regulates power to each motor, converting DC to AC with overload protection.
What is an ESC (Electronic Speed Controller)?
This distributes battery power to motors, ESCs, and other components, often with voltage regulators.
What is the PDB (Power Distribution Board)?
Mounted underneath or frontally, this combo provides high-res imaging with vibration-free stability.
What is the camera gimbal?
An eight-armed frame providing maximum stability, often used in professional cinematography.
What is an octocopter?
Propeller size is denoted like "5043"—the first two digits are diameter in inches, the last two are this (blade angle)
What is Pitch?
One of these is needed per motor, often mounted nearby for short wiring and better heat dissipation.
What is an ESC?
It provides satellite-based location data for features like return-to-home or waypoint navigation.
What is the GPS module?
On advanced drones, this module locks onto satellites away from interference for precise autonomous modes like auto-return.
What is the GPS (module)?
This secures the motor to the frame arm, ensuring a sturdy fit during high-speed rotations.
What is the Motor Mount?
Propeller size is denoted like "5043"—the first two digits are diameter in inches, the last two are this (blade angle).
What is pitch?
Brushless motors dominate hobby drones because they offer longer life and higher power-to-weight compared to this older type.
What is Brushed motors?
Mounted centrally for balance, this uses gyros, accelerometers, and algorithms to auto-level the drone.
What is the flight controller?