I spent the summer in my basement building Slade Technologies’ subscale Specter UAV.

Using a manufacturing process I’ve been developing over the past few years, I’m producing aeronautical carbon fiber structures at a fraction of the traditional cost. 

I started by developing the CAD into sectional molds to be printed on my X1Cs, assembled the pieces into a full negative mold, went through various stages of surface prep, vacuum infusion and constructing the internal frame, designed assembly fixturing, and completed the final airframe.

Then I did it all again to validate repeatability with a second identical airframe. 

I’ve independently sourced all of my materials and equipment, tested various material and chemical compatibilities, refined my tooling processes, and gradually developed a repeatable end-to-end manufacturing workflow.

The final material cost for the project came in under $1,000.

Please see below for full build process and photo gallary!