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Joseph P SalcikJoseph P SalcikJoseph P SalcikJoseph P SalcikJoseph P SalcikJoseph P Salcik
Glue lock mounts into foamGlue on the adapters onto the tail finsGlue in motor mounts (be careful as not to shift the foam as this needs to be as accurate as possible)Glue on tail fin adapter on half of fuselage that does not have lock mounts on itGlue wings togetherGlue servos into wingsGlue plywood pieces on inside of fuselage where the carbon spars go throughGlue on servo mount for parachute bayGlue on screw bases for nacelle coversGlue on one of the wing adapters (other will be glued on after fuselage is glued together)Glue fuselage halves togetherInstall carbon tubes into inside of fuselageGlue on second wing adapterGlue on landing cushions Glue in the battery plateInstall clocking hooksInstall control horns on all control surfacesInstall tail servos (Install them towards the front of the fuselage)Install circular servo discAssemble push rods and installInstall aileron servos Install cover on aileron servosInstall motorsSecure electronics inside airframeInstall power connectorsInstall motor cover
Lab 05 - Believer Familiarization
Overview
This lab introduces students to the Believer air-frame and its key components. This includes a catalog of all of the parts. I also analyzed an external build guide and compared it to the parts we will be using.
Resources
Airframe Components
This table shows all of the parts of the airframe that came in the Believer box and what they are used for
Airframe Components Table 2
Row
Component
Function
Picture
Left and Right Wing
Creates lift and allows the aircraft to fly
Left and Right Empennage
Allow the aircraft to yaw and pitch
Left and Right half of Fuselage
Provides room to house the payload, and all wiring and circuitry
Wing Covering Plate
Cover the motors giving easy access to the internals without damaging the aircraft
Cabin Cover(s)
Removable top sections of the fuselage that allow you to access different electrical components and swap batteries.
Fuselage supporting carbon tubes
Structurally reinforces the believer, and provides additional support through the connecting point between the wing and fuselage
Wing Inserting Carbon Tube
Provide structural integrity to the wing and fuselage connection
Wing Connecting Parts
Allows the wing to connect to the fuselage
Empannages connecting parts
allows the empannages to connect to the fuselage
Servo Fixing Parts
Help fix the servo’s and help protect the servos
Helmangle
Servo horns. They go on the control surface and the servo linkage wire connects them to the servo
Battery Fixing Boards
Provides a place to fix the battery securely in the airframe
Antenna Fixing Board
Helps fix the antenna
Not in box
Cabin Cover Fixing Board
Helps fix the cabin cover to the fuselage
Not in box
Electric Regulating Cover.
Covers some of the electric components and lets hot air escape
Stud
Provides more stability to the screws.
Cabin Cover Locking Nail
Locks top plate covers to fuselage
Chuck
Goes on top of servo and protects it
Latching Hook
Latch stuff down
Fuselage reinforcing plate x2
Tail reinforcing plate x2
Autopilot locating board
Basement Parachut Servo
Wooden plate of parachute hatch cover
Stiffer of parachute hatch cover
Motor installing base
All of these parts allow for the reinforcing of components to the fuselage. They also provide places to put electric components in the fuselage
Skid plates
Plates that the plane skids on when it lands so it doesn’t damage the fuselage
There are no rows in this table
Picture of all of the airframe parts
Electronics
This table shows the components that we are going to be using for our version of the believer and shows their function along with the equivalent that someone else used (shown in blog equivalent). We also talk about the difference in what the person in the blog used compared to what we decided to use.
Electronics Table 2
Row
Component
Function
Blog equivalent
Similarities differences to blog
People
T-Motor AT3520 Long Shaft 550 KV
Propeller motors
T-Motor MN3110 KV780
Blog equivalent has a shorter shaft, and a higher KV, at 780. Meaning that our component wis more efficient at 550KV
Mason Cole Cramer
Erik Russell Krellner
T-Motor AT 55A – Fixed wing ESC with 5V/5A UBEC
Propeller Motor Throttle Control
Hobbywing Platinum 30A Pro 2-6S ESC OPTO For RC Model
Blog equivalent is only for 30A, whereas our ESC is for 55A
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
EMAX ES3054 17g Digital Servo with Bearing
Moves a servo arm which in turn moves the control surfaces
Bluebird BMS-393DMH
Bluebird servos are bigger and heavier
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
Erik Russell Krellner
Aero-naut CAMcarbon Light 126L CW
Propeller pulls air to propel airplane forward
APC B10x7EP
Smaller diameter but bigger pitch, both two bladed
Erik Russell Krellner
Hongsik Kim
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Trigg Alexander Strawhorn
Mason Cole Cramer
Aero-naut CAMcarbon Light 126R CCW
Propeller pulls air to propel airplane forward
APC B10x7EP
Smaller diameter but bigger pitch, both two bladed
Hongsik Kim
Erik Russell Krellner
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Trigg Alexander Strawhorn
Mason Cole Cramer
UltraPower - UP1200+ 8CH Charger 2-6s 25A
LiPo battery charger
N/A
N/A
Erik Russell Krellner
Hongsik Kim
Mason Cole Cramer
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Trigg Alexander Strawhorn
TBS Tracer Micro TX Starter Set
Radio link for RC control
We have a 2.4GHz system vs a 900MHz
Erik Russell Krellner
Taranis X9D Plus SE 2019
Transmits control signals from the pilot to the drone, enabling remote operation and command input.
FrSky Taranis X9D system
They use an older model of the radio
Hongsik Kim
XT90H - 5 Pairs
Power adapter for connecting the LiPo to the ESCs
XT60
His are rated for less amps, smaller size
Erik Russell Krellner
083 - 2-6s backup BEC for Pixhawk 2
Regulates the voltage of the battery
Turnigy Multistar Twin Output 5v/12v SBEC
Provides stable regulated voltage from the main battery to power the flight controller and onboard electronics. secondary power supply in case the main power supply fails.
Hongsik Kim
Digital Airspeed Sensor MS4525DO
Pitot tube, measures airspeed
N/A
N/A
Hongsik Kim
Erik Russell Krellner
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
Trigg Alexander Strawhorn
Here 3+ with iStand
GPS unit that gets a GPS location and sends it to the flight controller
Radiolink SE100 M8N GPS unit
Both use GNSS, we have a 0.025m precision vs his 0.1m precision
Hongsik Kim
Erik Russell Krellner
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
Trigg Alexander Strawhorn
RFDesign - PIXHAWK 2 to RFD900/868 Telemetry Cable
Connect radio modem to the flight controller
N/A
This cable comes preattached to his telemetry module
Hongsik Kim
Erik Russell Krellner
Mason Cole Cramer
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Trigg Alexander Strawhorn
RFD 900x-US V2 Modem (FCC approved) - Bundle
Radio Modem
CUAV Hack Link HD video system /w telemetry
Our radio modem uses large antennas to communicate with our GCS over longer distances than the blog’s
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
Cube ID-CAN
Remote ID module
N/A
N/A
Trigg Alexander Strawhorn
Hongsik Kim
The Cube Blue H7
processing sensor data, stabilizing the aircraft, and executing navigation.
CUAV Pixhawk Nano flight controller
Ours has much more computing power and ability to run more complicated GCS softwares
Hongsik Kim
Trigg Alexander Strawhorn
ADS-B Carrier Board -Only for The Cube
Omnibus F3 Pro board
Ours has more ports and is able to be tied into a greater number of outside systems
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
Gens Ace G Tech Tattu HV 17000mAh 15C
Provides power to the plane
MultiStar High Capacity 12000mah 6S 10C XT90
Ours has 500mah more capacity and 5C more discharge rate
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
AM1021B-M
Connector for servos
Futaba Style servo connector set
same function, different brand
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
AM1021B-F
Connector for servos
Futaba Style servo connector set
same function, different brand
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
Ruko R111 FAA Compliant Remote ID Module for Drone, RC Airplane GPS Tracker, 5 Hours Battery Time, Light Weight RID Module for FAA Regulation, Spare Accessories for FPV Drones & RC plane & Helicopter
Broadcasts Remote ID
N/A
N/A
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
VELCRO Brand Heavy Duty Tape with Adhesive | 15 Ft x 2 In | Holds 10 lbs, Black | Industrial Strength Roll, Cut Strips to Length | Strong Hold for Indoor or Outdoor Use, 15ft x 2in
Holds electronics to frame
Polyester Velcro Peel-n-stick
Both heavy duty velcro
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
Tripp Lite Heavy Duty Computer Power Cord, 15A, 14AWG (NEMA 5-15P to IEC-320-C13), 10-ft. (P007-010) , Black
Used for connecting flight controller to GCS
N/A
N/A
Ryan Andrew Shurtleff
Mason Cole Cramer
There are no rows in this table
Build Instructions
Frame Assembly
Take the time to test fit the wings and tail, ensuring that they do not wobble.
Servos, tail, and motor assembly:
Electronics
Individual Reflection
Overview of Lab
In this lab, our group became familiar with the Believer airframe and its major components. We unpacked the kit, identified each structural part, and created a catalog describing the function of every piece. We also reviewed the external build guide and compared it to the hardware in our kit, which helped us understand how the published instructions align with the actual aircraft we will be building.
Procedures Completed
As a group, we started by carefully unpacking the Believer kit and laying out all of the parts on the table. Together we checked each component—wings, fuselage halves, empennage, carbon tubes, servo mounts, covers, and small hardware—and matched them to the airframe components table. I helped with handling the parts, reading the labels and descriptions, and confirming that the photos in our table accurately represented each piece.
We then moved on to the electronics and began building the BOM. Working side by side, we compared the parts in our kit to the external blog and noted any differences in components, quantities, or connectors. I contributed by checking items such as servos, ESCs, power distribution, connectors, and mounting hardware, and I helped record these in the shared table. Throughout the process, our group double-checked each other’s entries so that the documentation reflected what we actually had in the box rather than just what the blog showed.
Connection to Lab Questions and Objectives
This lab directly supported the questions and learning objectives about airframe structure and system integration. By physically handling each part and documenting its function, I was able to answer questions about where different subsystems—such as control surfaces, power, avionics, and payload—will be located in the Believer. Comparing our kit to the external build guide also helped me understand why the lab asks us to identify mismatches between documentation and reality.
Working through the catalog and BOM as a group made it clearer how small pieces like servo mounts, reinforcing plates, and covers contribute to overall structural integrity and maintainability. When future labs refer to specific locations on the aircraft, I will be able to connect those references to a concrete mental image instead of just a diagram.
Reflection on the Lab
Before this lab, the Believer was mostly an abstract airframe that I had only seen in pictures. After unpacking the kit and completing the tables with my teammates, I have a much clearer understanding of how the aircraft is laid out and how all of the components come together. I realized how important it is to be systematic when unpacking and documenting parts. If we mislabel or lose track of items at this stage, assembly and troubleshooting later can become confusing and time-consuming.
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