Anyone have a semi detailed or an opinion on how the length of the Arms affects lift, thrust, etc.?
I would from a physics standpoint only assume that the longer the arms, the more surface area exposed for gravity to exert forces thus possibly decreasing thrust. I am in the air-frame design phase of my hexacopter; i've created arms about 600mm long, they seem to be long enough to clear a 200mm prop at a 45 degree angle. Do i want to shoot for longer , shorter ?
All suggestions welcome.
Replies
bigger = better damping
I went with arms as short as a I could for my hexacopter while still allowing clearance for the props but not for reasons related to performance or handling but simply to have a smaller footprint when transporting it. Shorter is also lighter as you have said, also less wire which can add up to a lot of weight. Not sure how the length affects the handling but I'd think smaller is better because the mass of all the motors is closer to the center.