Ball-Drone V2 Takes Off with Just One Propeller!

So-called drones are normally better classified as multi-rotor aircraft. Most often this means four propellers, but other configurations with six and eight rotors are also quite common. These multiple props/motors allow the aerial vehicles to vary thrust individually, in order to move left and right, and turn on command. Benjamin Prescher, however, decided on a totally different design using only a single STORM TL2306 brushless motor, along with four air vanes that vector the thrust for control using servos for his Ball-Drone MK II.

This is, of course, the sequel to his original Ball-Drone, and in this iteration Prescher has raised the center of gravity for the device for better thrust leverage. This “Drone Pendulum Fallacy” is explained by Tom Stanton in an earlier video, which shows that putting the center of mass lower on a drone doesn’t make it more stable, and that placing the center of mass above thrust vectoring surfaces can actually result in enhanced control.

The build uses a Diatone MAMBA F405 MK2 flight controller with a Flysky FS-A8S v2 receiver, and printed parts are available on Thingiverse. There’s also a WS2812B strip for a more “illuminating” experience. The project looks like a great way to get into single-rotor drone experimentation, and perhaps we’ll see more of this type of craft in the future!