Loading the 3D experience
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From a single tow.
Loading the 3D experience
Scroll or skip to read the technical guide.
From a single tow.
The right drone tube balances weight, rigidity, mounting requirements, and vibration behavior. Reaction Composites filament wound carbon fiber tubes are designed primarily for stiffness along their length, making them candidates for drone arms, wing spars, tail booms, landing structures, and payload supports.
Begin with the geometry of the aircraft: arm or spar length, motor and propeller arrangement, payload, mounting dimensions, and any required internal wiring clearance. Then evaluate the loads and the amount of deflection the aircraft can tolerate.
Consider diameter and wall thickness together. Increasing tube diameter can improve bending stiffness efficiently, while increasing wall thickness adds material to carry loads and support connections. A thicker wall also adds weight, so the best choice depends on the complete assembly. Clamps and motor mounts must distribute their loads without locally crushing the tube.
Evaluate resonance in the assembled aircraft. Natural frequencies depend on stiffness, mass, unsupported length, and connection conditions. Motors, propellers, mounts, and payloads all influence that response. Changing the tube can shift a natural frequency, but greater stiffness alone does not guarantee freedom from vibration. Evaluate structural modes against motor rotational frequencies, blade-passing frequencies, and relevant harmonics throughout the operating range.
Why it matters. Amplified arm motion can disturb motor alignment and camera stability. Vibration reaching the flight controller can degrade the position estimate.
What to change. Tune diameter, wall, unsupported span, mounts, and motor mass together. Check the assembled aircraft across its operating RPM range, including blade-passing harmonics.
Our stock laminate combines axial reinforcement with an outer ±45° layer for off-axis support and wall stability. Where the aircraft needs a different balance of bending stiffness, torsion, weight, or dimensions, we can discuss a custom winding configuration.
Compare stock carbon fiber tube sizes
Share your aircraft dimensions and loading requirements with Reaction Composites.