From personal experience: How I assembled and tested a drone.

The fact that UAVs provide an advantage on the battlefield became evident at the beginning of the large-scale war. Since 2023, mass production of FPV drones has started in "kitchens." At least, this is what Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov has reported.

Can anyone really manufacture a drone almost in their own kitchen? The Economic Pravda decided to check this by visiting volunteers from the Social Drone community, who assemble, test, and deliver them to the military.

At Social Drone, they emphasize that anyone can assemble a drone. So after gaining experience working at McDonald’s, Glovo, "Ukrposhta", "Ukrzaliznytsia", a sex shop, and several other places, the Economic Pravda returns to the "From Personal Experience" section, but in a new reality. This time, I will assemble an FPV drone and see if it really is within anyone's reach.

How to Assemble a Drone

"The first thing to do is assemble the frame," says Social Drones volunteer Serhii. During the week, he assembles drones, tests them on weekends, and today he is teaching me.

I agree with the statement "assemble the frame" in every sense, as this task is perfect for a Sunday morning. Once the frame is assembled, motors, electronics, and other components are added.

Although this work is meditative (especially when trimming wires), unpacking the parts and other preparatory processes can take considerable time. Therefore, experienced craftsmen are used to either assembling several drones at once or collaborating with colleagues to perform different tasks in parallel: some are better at tightening screws, while others excel at soldering.

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Based on Serhii's feedback, I belong to the former group. I think this is due to the automatic screwdriver they gave me. It resembles a dental tool and sounds somewhat similar. Although it won't allow me to tighten everything completely, it significantly simplifies the task.

In my everyday life, I had just come to terms with the idea that a screwdriver can look like a single stick with multiple attachments. However, it turns out that everything is already automated and can turn itself.

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My relationship with soldering is less favorable. Initially, I am given a defective board to "get the hang of it" without ruining anything. However, according to Serhii, each subsequent "blob" of solder I make gets better. I think if I assemble about ten drones, I might achieve perfection. It may sound like a pun, but soldering is as relaxing as any other meditative process. However, this one also brings a lot of benefits.

During soldering, there are free spots left on the board, as modifying and improving the drone can be done endlessly, my teacher explains. For example, you can solder a GPS navigator, a "beeper" to make the drone easier to find, and even LED lighting or a fifth motor. However, we don't need that: to perform its function, the drone only requires a camera and the existing motors.

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The next step is to "flash" the drone. Even at the soldering stage, I understood why this task is usually handled by engineers and developers, but during the process of connecting the drone to the laptop and loading the software, it became even more evident. We check if the drone produces the correct sounds, if the motors spin in the right direction, and other nuances that Serhii explains. After this, we can finally attach the propellers.

Typically, it's recommended to allocate about five hours to assemble the first drone. We manage to do it in two, thanks to Serhii and all the applications that simplify the process, like the aforementioned screwdriver.

All instructions – both in text and video format – have already been created. If anyone has questions, they can ask them in the chat and receive answers. Instructions and access to the chat can be obtained after registering in the community and passing "face control." The entire set resembles Lego, but for very grown-ups. So it's no surprise that assembling a drone somewhat resembles childhood. Perhaps anyone can really handle this?

A basic tool kit for assembling a drone can be purchased for 5,000 UAH. After that, it can be endlessly upgraded. The components for the most common version – a 7-inch drone – cost around 7,000 UAH.

The Drone's Journey

If I were assembling this drone in my kitchen rather than at the Social Drone base, it would be sent for testing by mail. In my case, I brought it to the first floor myself. The journey of any other drone begins with a box, from which it is unpacked and sent to the first stage – "final adjustments".

Here, experienced craftsmen check if everything is soldered correctly, if all screws are tightened, if the motors spin in the right direction, and if everything is fine with the antenna. As the name suggests, adjustments are made as necessary. In other words, at this stage, the drone is prepared for a test flight.

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After this, the drones are taken to a special room, from where they are sent for the second stage – flights.

On a special site, there are two modes. The first is to check if the drone can fly at all. If everything is fine with that, the pilots switch to the mode of "testing the drone's limits." They explain that conditions at the front are very different, so their task is to see if the drone is ready for anything. The most common problems are related to engine settings, transmitters, or mistakes in soldering.

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On the test field, there are various gates that somewhat resemble a Quidditch pitch. However, I was assured that all pilots have a rule: testing drones is not a place for fun, but a place for work. So, no races or other entertainment activities are organized here.

Previously, testing even three drones over the weekend seemed like a challenging task, says Anna, a marketer by day and a Social Drone volunteer. Now, on Saturday and Sunday, they test 400-600 UAVs. Although there can be up to five pairs of pilots during the flights, with such volumes of work, there's no time for fun.

The only fun permitted here is R&D (Research and Development). At this stage, drones are being improved according to military requirements.

The main intrigue of my flight experience was whether my drone, which passed all previous stages, would fly. And it did! It's truly incredible to observe something that was just a set of parts moments ago now soaring through the air. And not just flying, but also carrying a "payload." In our case, it's a dumbbell, but on the battlefield, it will be something different.

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If everything is fine with the drone after the flight, it receives a green sticker indicating it has passed inspection and is sent to the third stage – the final room. From there, it is either sent to the person who assembled it and can now pass it on to their acquaintances, or to the teams that collaborate with Social Drone.

If there is something wrong with the drone, it receives a red sticker with the rather ambiguous phrase "what for" and is sent to the fourth stage –