I am embarking on an arduino based quadcopter project and am an absolute newbie.After reading the discussion groups for a couple of weeks, I have some questions to help me get started. Thanks in advance for any help.1) What kind of props are being used for the copters?Are helicopter blades or regular props used?2) Regardless of which kind of props are used, which size and manufacturers are recommended?3) Which types/kinds of brushless motors and ESCs are recommended?The motors/ESCs seem to be the most expensive part of the project and as I will be ordering four I don't want to make the wrong choice.Thanks in advance,James
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1) By far the most popular props are EPP1045. They are cheap, available everywhere, and they already come in matched pusher/puller variants. A quad will need two pushers and two pullers. They are however easy to break (but then again they're cheap to replace too) and usually need balancing before use (otherwise they vibrate a little).
A better but more expensive propeller is the carbon-fiber Graupner (left, right). Stronger, lighter, better machining.
An extreme would be the German Microdrone prop - huge, light, strong and costs about $150 a piece :-)
2) The bigger the prop, the more thrust it produces at a given speed. The lower the (rotational) speed of the prop, the less noise and vibrations you get and, depending on the motor, the better mileage you get. The pitch is also important - for a quad you want to use a low-pitch prop (called "slow fly" in stores). The lower the pitch, the finer the control you get per change in RPM. Prop sizes are in the name: EPP1045 means 10" prop with 4.5" pitch.
3) You want a motor that's light (because you don't wanna lug a pound of cast iron around). Its kV number (RPMs per volt) should be low, around 900, because the ESC's voltage control granularity is fixed and therefore the lower the kV, the finer control over the RPMs you get. Also lower kV means more torque, which is needed to drive large props. This motor is a good winner.
The ESC is chosen with three factors: ability to deliver enough power to the motors (watch for lipo cell counts/voltage and current), its control interface (Arduino can do both PWM and I2C; PWM ESCs are everywhere, I2C ESCs are pricy) and its update rate (the faster you can update the RPMs, the better you can control your rig). This one is a reasonable start.
And by the way, (at about 150 bucks for the above selection) the motors/ESCs are by far the cheapest parts :-) you'll kill the most of your cash in radio and inertial measurement gear (although this might save you a buck or two).
(btw, the prop/motor/ESC selection is based on a sub-1kg 640mm quad)
Quadcopters typically use regular props - except that they use 2 designed for clockwise rotation and 2 for counterclockwise rotation.
Size of props and size of motors depends on the size of the quadcopter. You may find quadcopter airframe info easier at one of the quadcopter threads on rcgroups.
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A better but more expensive propeller is the carbon-fiber Graupner (left, right). Stronger, lighter, better machining.
An extreme would be the German Microdrone prop - huge, light, strong and costs about $150 a piece :-)
2) The bigger the prop, the more thrust it produces at a given speed. The lower the (rotational) speed of the prop, the less noise and vibrations you get and, depending on the motor, the better mileage you get. The pitch is also important - for a quad you want to use a low-pitch prop (called "slow fly" in stores). The lower the pitch, the finer the control you get per change in RPM. Prop sizes are in the name: EPP1045 means 10" prop with 4.5" pitch.
3) You want a motor that's light (because you don't wanna lug a pound of cast iron around). Its kV number (RPMs per volt) should be low, around 900, because the ESC's voltage control granularity is fixed and therefore the lower the kV, the finer control over the RPMs you get. Also lower kV means more torque, which is needed to drive large props. This motor is a good winner.
The ESC is chosen with three factors: ability to deliver enough power to the motors (watch for lipo cell counts/voltage and current), its control interface (Arduino can do both PWM and I2C; PWM ESCs are everywhere, I2C ESCs are pricy) and its update rate (the faster you can update the RPMs, the better you can control your rig). This one is a reasonable start.
And by the way, (at about 150 bucks for the above selection) the motors/ESCs are by far the cheapest parts :-) you'll kill the most of your cash in radio and inertial measurement gear (although this might save you a buck or two).
(btw, the prop/motor/ESC selection is based on a sub-1kg 640mm quad)
Size of props and size of motors depends on the size of the quadcopter. You may find quadcopter airframe info easier at one of the quadcopter threads on rcgroups.