Design and Development of 3KGF Thrust Stand

Abstract

This paper presents the design and development of a cost-effective, modular thrust stand capable of measuring up to 3 kgf of static thrust, tailored for testing electric propulsion systems in UAVs and drones. Utilizing accessible components like a 3 kg load cell, HX711 amplifier, 30A Hall effect sensor, and ESP8266 microcontroller, the system enables real-time wireless data acquisition for thrust, current, and power metrics. Ideal for academic and small-scale aerospace setups, the stand supports live monitoring, is easily modifiable, and lays the groundwork for advanced future testing such as torque, temperature, and multi-axis force analysis