The majority of mini and micro Quadcopter frames are cut from a carbon fiber sheet. Carbon fiber is a composite material, is made up of many layers of interwoven carbon fibers that have been rigidly cemented within a binding matrix of epoxy. The popularity of carbon fiber as a frame material is due to its low weight and high strength. It is important to note that carbon fiber is an electrically conductive material. The average 5” frame has arms milled from 4mm carbon fiber and other plates 1.5-2mm thick. Apart from carbon fiber, the next most popular frame material is high-density polyethylene or HDPE. HDPE is not as strong as carbon fiber, therefore designs that incorporate HDPE are typically heftier. HDPE frames are more flexible and forgiving than carbon fiber which allows improvement of overall durability.
