Multirotor landing gear! Simple, light, Cheap! DIY

by galaxy engineer | September 28, 2014 | (11) Posted in How To

Hey folks, it has been a while but I think have built the simplest and most effective landing gear that could be adapted to any size of multirotor.  My name is Brett Hays and i will tell you how I did it.......

Check out this short drop test video to see how effective the gear is.  I droped my large Tri-copter from 5 feet to test its ability to absorb the shock without breaking or bouncing the tri-copter over on its back.

 

So..........

The gear I am making in this article is for a 450 to 550-ish sized.  I put them on my Flitetest DIY Tricopter and they have been working great!  With different sized Zip Ties it could be adapted to just about any sized multirotor.

They are shock absorbing, durable and super cheap and super easy to make!

 

These are the materials you will need to build one landing gear.

1.  One heavy duty cable Zip tie 18 inches long.

2.  Four smaller zip ties about 4 to 6 inches long (the tiney ones you would use to zip tie servo wires together)

3.  Small 2-56 to 3-48 screw with a lock nut and a couple of washers to fit.

4.  A large servo cross arm or disk.  I prefer the disk.  If you dont have these a fmall plastic jar lid or similer would work.  Or......I suppose you could even omit these entirley (espically if you fly mostly off of hard surfaces.

5.  A drill and small drill bit (that will dril a hole just big enough for the 2-56/3-48 screw to fit through)

6.  Might as well grab a screw driver, pair of needle nose and something to cut/trim the small Zip Ties.

Here is the Large Zip Ties I used!

 

Okay..........

Now that we got all the parts together.  Take the large Zip Tie and loop it twice plus about an inch like so.....

 

Then use the four small Zip Ties to bind it in this shape..........

 

Now you have created a small leaf spring out of the large Zip Tie.  The "Top" of the leaf spring will be where the "zip" part of the large Zip tie is or actuallt slight to one side.  You could probably cut the ''Zip" lug off but I prefer to leave it on to help keep the whole assembly from slipping apart.  If you leave it on it will have to be off to one side when installed on the arm of the multi copter so it sits flat...........Study how I have it installed in the picture below to see what I mean.

 

Now that you have chose the ''Top" of the leaf spring, drill a small hole for the screw you have chosen 180 degrees the other side of the circle for the foot plate..........If you have chosen not to add foot plates then ignore the next few pictures and instructons and at this point, just trim the small zip ties, install and go fly!!

 

Install the selected foot plate........

 

Shown with an optional foot plate.......I thought about even cutting out some 1/8 inch plywood foot plates and making them look like little feet or something else creative.  These servo disk are just readily availble and makes the build stupid quick.

 

So now......trim up the small zip ties

 

And your done.......make as many more as you need and install.  I usually use electrical tape to install mine with a few wraps.  Zip ties can also be used of course.  

COMMENTS

Scotttu on September 28, 2014
That looks great!
Good lookin' bird too! ;)
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galaxy engineer on September 28, 2014
Yup.......The one I got from you was wayyyyyy better looking than mine so it got the job as ''landing gear model''.........LOL!
Thanks Scotttu
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Airtruksrus on September 28, 2014
Should make it bounce on landing, hope to see you fly it next time over there.
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gmskidjit on September 29, 2014
Nice mod!
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galaxy engineer on September 29, 2014
Thank you.......They preform really well and never have failed yet. I'm really happy with them!
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CMS_1961 on September 30, 2014
galaxy engineer,

Looks good! I have been using small swimming pool noodles split open and then zipped tied on my wood FT H quad but there is a lot of bounce off hard surfaces but great in grass! I will have to give your idea a try,

BTW-- I was a C-5 USAF Jet Eng Mech from 1980 to 1989 at Dover!!! Miss the old C-5!!! I worked on the old A's and the first B model at Dover.
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galaxy engineer on September 30, 2014
Hey thanks for checking out my article. I think you will really like the landing gear. I used to use pool noodles also but they are soooooo ugly......LOL
Hahaha Dover Jet mech......."Thrust you can Trust"!! I was in 436 OMS at Dover in 88 thru 95 then crossed trained and went to the 3rd. Then I transfered to Travis and was in the 21st. I wonder if our paths have crossed before?? LOL. I spent a lot of my career at Dover.
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CMS_1961 on October 5, 2014
Yeah I was in the 436 FMS! I left Dover in Oct 89 to work on the C-17 at Edwards AFB-- I was the first jet engine mech on it--Special Duty Assignment. I worked on the first C-17 (T-1 --87-0025) that is now in the USAF museum!! You know you are getting old when the planes you worked on are now in museums!! I also worked on the C-141A #775 that's at the Dover AFB museum. It was flying active here at Edwards in the 90's. I actually launched it out of Edwards for its "finny" flight to Dover for the museum!! I am sure we probably crossed paths---small world!! LOL
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JACKFIRE on October 3, 2014
This is so Flite Test, cheap sinple & effective,
great job!!
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galaxy engineer on October 4, 2014
Thanks man!
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msemenas on February 6, 2015
Thanks! I've been trying to come up with something sturdier and taller than the landing gear that come with David's tricopter kit. Everything I came up with was over engineered and difficult to manufacture. This is perfect! I'm planning on using 24" zip ties and if my math is correct the gear should be about 3.75" tall compared to the 2.5" tall stock ones. I'm hoping that will add some protection from some of the controlled crashes I'm sure I'm going to subject it to.. :)
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galaxy engineer on February 6, 2015
Glad I could help out! Let me know how the 24" gear turn out! These gear have been perfect for what I needed in gear and really do absorb my landing thumps. Good luck with your build
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Multirotor landing gear! Simple, light, Cheap! DIY