FAQ

Do I need to know how to build drones?

No. Describe what you want in plain language and DRONA handles the engineering: part selection, compatibility, wiring, and a step-by-step build guide. Knowing the basics helps you steer, but it isn’t required, and every compatibility rule has a plain-English Why so you learn as you go.

Are the parts real and buyable?

Yes. Every part comes from a live catalog with vendor links and pricing. The bill of materials gives you a real buy link per line. See Parts and Order the parts.

What kinds of aircraft can DRONA design?

Multirotors (quad, hex, octo, in X or Plus layouts), fixed-wing, and helicopters. You can ask for anything from a tiny indoor whoop to a heavy-lift cargo octocopter.

What does a build actually cost to make?

DRONA targets the budget you give it and shows the total delivered cost, all-up weight, and thrust-to-weight before you order anything. Consumables and “required separately” gear (radio, goggles, charger) are listed in their own sections so the number is honest.

Can I edit a design after it’s built?

Yes. Ask for changes in chat (“make it lighter,” “swap to analog”) and DRONA re-validates the whole build after each change. You can also swap specific parts yourself in the Parts browser.

A part shows “NO MATCH” in the BOM. What now?

It means we couldn’t find a current listing for that exact part. The choice is still valid engineering-wise, you just source that one line yourself. Everything marked LIVE has a working buy link.

Can I save and come back later?

Yes. Save a build as a .vdx file (File, Save .vdx) and reopen it any time (File, Open .vdx). It’s plain TOML, so you can read or version-control it. See Exports.

Can I test how it flies?

DRONA includes a Fly it mode to get a feel for the design’s flight characteristics before you build. Look for it in the top header once you have a design.

What are the keyboard shortcuts?

The essentials: Cmd/Ctrl + K focus chat, Cmd/Ctrl + 2 3D viewer, Cmd/Ctrl + 3 parts, Cmd/Ctrl + E exploded view, Esc to cancel. Press Cmd/Ctrl + / in the app for the full list. The complete table is on the Designing in Chat page.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes. The workspace adapts to a phone with tabs for Chat, 3D, Parts, Build, and History, so you can review or tweak a build on the go.

The chat seems stuck. What do I do?

Press Esc to cancel the current reply, then send again. After a refresh, DRONA shows a “that message didn’t get a reply, send again” banner when it detects a stranded message, so nothing silently hangs.

Something looks wrong or I found a bug

Use the support widget in the app (bottom-right) to send a report, you can include a screenshot and we’ll reply in-app and by email. We read every one.