NP-SNAIL-550 Quadrotor Platform
UAV development inevitably involves a great deal of flight testing, which calls for a handy airframe platform: easy to assemble, convenient to store, with plenty of mounting space, complete spare parts and easy to disassemble and swap. We have bought many airframes and were never quite satisfied. Although structural design is not our profession, we wanted to build a UAV airframe for developers with our own hands!
The NP-SNAIL-550 airframe is a quadrotor "X" configuration. The main body uses a stacked carbon plate structure with vias left in the plates for convenient cable routing. The spatial layout is well designed and accommodates the vast majority of flight controllers. The arms fold inward for easy storage. It is compatible with the mounting dimensions of mainstream propulsion systems (motors and ESCs), satisfying any combination requirement.
All spare parts are standard, mature, off-the-shelf products with reliable and stable supply, which greatly simplifies repair and avoids the high cost of replacing the whole airframe over minor damage. The payload mounting plate supports stacked expansion, doubling the mounting space!
Specifications
Dimensions
584 mm diagonal wheelbase, 402 mm left-right wheelbase, 422 mm front-rear wheelbase, supporting propellers up to 15 inch.
Weight
Airframe platform weight approximately 500 g.
Assembly
- Full assembly as shown below
- Foldable arms
- Pre-drilled vias on the plates
- Stackable payload board
- Flight controller installed
Bill of Materials
Carbon fiber parts include:
| Material | Unit | Qty | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper fuselage plate | pcs | 1 | For mounting the flight controller and other devices |
| Lower fuselage plate | pcs | 1 | For mounting the 4-in-1 ESC and other devices |
| Battery mount plate | pcs | 1 | Underslung battery |
| Payload expansion plate | pcs | 1 | Supports multi-layer stacking |
| Arm tube | pcs | 4 | Length 21 cm |
| Landing gear tube | pcs | 4 | Length 15 cm |
Other structural parts (all standard off-the-shelf products) include:
| Material | Unit | Qty | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor mount (red) | pcs | 2 | Motor mounting |
| Motor mount (black) | pcs | 2 | Motor mounting |
| Tarot folding clamp (red) | pcs | 2 | Clamps 16 mm carbon tube, with stepped screw (M2.5 TL2778-01) |
| Tarot folding clamp (black) | pcs | 2 | Clamps 16 mm carbon tube, with stepped screw (M2.5 TL2778-01) |
| Red hexagonal aluminum standoff | pcs | 16 | M3x21 mm, connects upper and lower carbon plates |
| Double-hole aluminum standoff | pcs | 4 | M3x12 mm, black, for fixing the ESC |
| Double-hole aluminum standoff | pcs | 4 | M3x50 mm long, black, connects payload plate to airframe |
| Round head screw | pcs | 32 | M3*6 |
| Round head screw | pcs | 4 | M3*10 |
| Screw | pcs | 20 | M2.5*6 |
| Battery strap | pcs | 2 | 2 cm wide, 30 cm long |
| Arm carbon tube sleeve | pcs | 4 | Outer diameter 14 mm, protects the arm tubes |
| Silicone cap sleeve | pcs | 4 | Protects the landing gear |
| Landing gear tee connector | pcs | 4 | 16 mm to 16 mm, plastic |
| Power connector holder | pcs | 1 | XT60 connector holder |