Modder Builds World’s Smallest FPV Drone, Easily Slips Into a Pringles Can

Sam, aka the Hoarder Sam, enjoys disassembling and rebuilding things to make them better or smaller. His most recent effort is a 22mm first-person view (FPV) quadcopter that started off as a BetaFPV Air65, a tiny drone measuring 65mm from motor to motor. However, he preferred something significantly smaller. The end result is a drone so tiny that it fits in a Pringles can but flies with the same confidence as its larger counterpart.

Sam’s idea started with a concept from a few years back called the “bone drone”, a design where propellers overlap to shrink the frame. These drones shaped like a dog bone prioritise narrowness to navigate tight spaces. He took this idea and ran with it, compressing the Air65 layout to the extreme. By overlapping all four propellers he reduced the motor to motor distance to just 22mm – a third of the original size.

Sam utilized SolidWorks to model every component of this drone, including the motors, flying controller, camera, and frame, so he didn’t waste time guessing. The frame was 3D printed in red PLA on a Bambu Mini with a layer height of 0.12mm. The flight controller is sandwiched between two plates, and the motors are bolted to offset mounting plates to allow propeller overlap. There are no overhangs or supports—just clear printable geometry that anyone with a basic 3D printer can copy. The battery is a Lava 300 or the shorter Lava 260, and it fits diagonally into a friction fit holder. A small cutout enables access to the flight controller’s USB connector for tweaking. The entire setup, including the camera, weighs 25 g.


Sam disassembled the Air65 and carefully placed the tiny screws in an aluminum tray. Motors were removed from the original frame, and propellers were gently twisted off to prevent bending. The drone’s heart, the flight controller, was aligned with the new frame’s USB cutout and secured with custom-trimmed M2 rubber standoffs. Motors were installed at exact angles, with wiring and antennas routed to minimize snags. Some holes had to be hand drilled with a 1.2mm bit to guarantee that screws went in neatly; Sam’s Bambu Mini wasn’t exactly calibrated, but he was patient. The camera was a repurposed Air65 module mounted on a tiny arm on the new frame. Every step required tweezers, calm hands, and a willingness to do delicate labor.


Flying this drone is where things get wild. The propellers are crammed in on top of each other, leaving no room for guards, making takeoff and landing a nerve-racking experience. Sam opted to try hand-launching, which is a nerve-racking maneuver that requires a delicate touch to keep the throttle under control. However, initial tests revealed a little issue: the motors were spinning in the incorrect direction, and the flight controller was simply not reading the correct orientation – by 45 degrees, no less. A brief look in Betaflight Configurator corrected the motor order and increased the yaw to 315 degrees, indicating that the drone was flying in the correct direction. After this change, it flew surprisingly well – pitch and roll seemed firm enough, but yaw was all over the place, implying that some PID tuning was in order. In terms of flight time, the Lava 300 typically lasted 2 to 3 minutes, which is only 30 seconds shorter than the normal Air65. The Lava 260, in comparison, reduced the drone’s flying time to roughly 1 minute 40 seconds, which is a price to pay for such a small size.


Sam’s got you covered if you want to do this yourself, as the 3D models are free to download from MakerWorld. What you’ll really need is a steady hand, a 3D printer that won’t play up on you, and a willingness to wrestle with Betaflight.
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