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DJI F450 Quadcopter Flyaway (NAZA)
The story of building a DJI F450 quadcopter for an independent study project — which unexpectedly flew away on its third flight due to a control lockup. The drone was never found.
My independent study project came to an unexpected end. The goal was to build a DJI F450 quadcopter from scratch — frame assembly, motor wiring, ESC calibration, NAZA flight controller configuration — and fly it. After troubleshooting several flips and getting the motor directions sorted, it was finally airworthy.
On the third flight, the controls locked up completely. The drone climbed fast, kept climbing, and disappeared. The video below captures the moment — you can hear the realization that control had been lost as it ascends out of frame.
The drone was never found.