Hey folks, I need some advice. I'm working on building a recon drone, but I'm starting to have second doubts about my choice in hex configuration. I can't see my payload ever being over 5lbs. I will have 1-2 FPV cameras, and a gopro on a gimbal. I'm really after an agile and fast copter, with as close to an hour of flight time. I was thinking the quad could carry 4x 5AH batteries, or the hex with 6 of them. Should I stick with the hexa? Can the hexa be as agile? Can someone tell me how to calculate thrust based on prop size and pitch. I haven't spec-ed a quad but this is what I had in mind for a hex:Vulcan 900mm frameTurnigy 2217 16turn 1050kv 23A motorscarbon fiber 11x4.7 propsTurnigy 20A ESC--an even number of 5Ah lipos to achieve 1hr flight time, not to exceed 6.APM will be on its own 2200mAh battery with a 3A UBEC (will be used for video TX as well)
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I'm able to lift over 16,000 mAh of 3S LiPo batteries with my hexacopter and it still has some performance to give, but I certainly wouldn't call it "agile" in that configuration. Also an hour is probably longer than you'll be able to achieve with current battery technology and three cameras onboard (plus a gimbal). It sounds to me like a hexacopter is more fitting of your expectations but realistically you'll have to lower your expectations no matter what you go with.
thanks to that calculator I seem to have found the real world goal of 20-30 minutes of active flight time. different motors were in order, now looking at using Turnigy 2836/11 750kv pushing those 11x4.7 props, and running 3x 3s 6000mAh batteries, that equates according to this as 15minutes at full power. As far as my plans, imaging recon and screwing around so maybe a slightly larger than normal quad is what I should be after. Switching to 10x5 props will net me another 4 minutes of full power flight time, hmm. Thanks for the interaction, I was starting to think this site was a dud.
Like... agile with 4x 5Ah LiPos hanging from the frame ?
Something doesn't fit =)
I'm flying 1/2 h on my quad, but agile or even maneuvrable is an overstatement. It's big and flimsy, with 360 Kv motors swinging 16 inch props, and it handles like a truck. Can lift a caseless GoPro and get 1 min. less flight time. A 600 mW video TX will eat another 3 min. of flight.
The best time I got is 32 min with a 6600 mAh. 2x5800 mAh in paralel will yeld only 28 min. It can lift a 3rd, but what maneuvrability it has is shot to hell, and I bet I'll get even shorter time.
An this is one of my six multicopters. The other five that are either built for aerobatics or stabilised video fly in the ballpark of 12 to 15 min.
My advice, after a few grands sunken in this hobby: start with a small, diy frame, out of stuff readily available at your local hardware store, like aluminium square tubes and G10 plates, some cheap $10 motors and plenty of spares, motors and shafts alike - hint: if you get motors with 3mm shafts, not 3.17, there's pairs of good quality steel rods in old CD-ROM units from which to cut spares - a dozen each CW and CCW props and a very sturdy plastic food container to protect your FC and electronics.
Wobbles of death during PID tuning, lack of experience and bad luck will all gang against you during the learning period, and any small proprietary thinghie you don't have a replacement readily available for will leave you grounded and frustrated. You can straighten up an alu tube on your knees, replace the broken prop and try that flip again. But you can't straighten up a bent carbon fiber tube, because it broke.
If I could just see someone flying a hex and doing more than going up and taking photos it would be great. I swear the only hexacopters I see on youtube are the most boring videos ever posted. I want to see if a hex can do this:
I'm currently setting up my hex on a F550 frame with 6 750kv motors. Its not as agile as a quad and with 1 4000mah Lipo I get about 6minutes of flight time. I'm not using any FPV gear and I run from 4.2v down to 3.8 which I believe is the cut off. A quad may get 10mins. What I've learned from this board is with multirotors long flight times are not possible even if you pile on batteries because you're adding weight. I would suggest you check out a FPV plane like the Penguin.
Replies
I'm able to lift over 16,000 mAh of 3S LiPo batteries with my hexacopter and it still has some performance to give, but I certainly wouldn't call it "agile" in that configuration. Also an hour is probably longer than you'll be able to achieve with current battery technology and three cameras onboard (plus a gimbal). It sounds to me like a hexacopter is more fitting of your expectations but realistically you'll have to lower your expectations no matter what you go with.
I converted my quad to a hexa just this summer.
pro:
Much better flight performance. Way more power and a lot more stable (but this could be because of the newer firmware).
Flight time is about the same, because I need less Power on the throttle
Can lift more weight
contra:
bigger. About +50%
Slower in response (inertia of the mass)
Not as easy to transport
You have to buy 2 more props
after a crash you have to repair two more arms
more expensive (+2 ESC , +2 Motors)
When you plan on just having fun and speed...build a quad!
More stable, bigger, able to lift more and in case of proploss the ability to safely land...build a hex.
Agile, fast and 1h flight time ?
Like... agile with 4x 5Ah LiPos hanging from the frame ?
Something doesn't fit =)
I'm flying 1/2 h on my quad, but agile or even maneuvrable is an overstatement. It's big and flimsy, with 360 Kv motors swinging 16 inch props, and it handles like a truck. Can lift a caseless GoPro and get 1 min. less flight time. A 600 mW video TX will eat another 3 min. of flight.
The best time I got is 32 min with a 6600 mAh. 2x5800 mAh in paralel will yeld only 28 min. It can lift a 3rd, but what maneuvrability it has is shot to hell, and I bet I'll get even shorter time.
An this is one of my six multicopters. The other five that are either built for aerobatics or stabilised video fly in the ballpark of 12 to 15 min.
My advice, after a few grands sunken in this hobby: start with a small, diy frame, out of stuff readily available at your local hardware store, like aluminium square tubes and G10 plates, some cheap $10 motors and plenty of spares, motors and shafts alike - hint: if you get motors with 3mm shafts, not 3.17, there's pairs of good quality steel rods in old CD-ROM units from which to cut spares - a dozen each CW and CCW props and a very sturdy plastic food container to protect your FC and electronics.
Wobbles of death during PID tuning, lack of experience and bad luck will all gang against you during the learning period, and any small proprietary thinghie you don't have a replacement readily available for will leave you grounded and frustrated. You can straighten up an alu tube on your knees, replace the broken prop and try that flip again. But you can't straighten up a bent carbon fiber tube, because it broke.
http://youtu.be/cHuF-uN8kmE
I'm currently setting up my hex on a F550 frame with 6 750kv motors. Its not as agile as a quad and with 1 4000mah Lipo I get about 6minutes of flight time. I'm not using any FPV gear and I run from 4.2v down to 3.8 which I believe is the cut off. A quad may get 10mins. What I've learned from this board is with multirotors long flight times are not possible even if you pile on batteries because you're adding weight. I would suggest you check out a FPV plane like the Penguin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyq3cGG1RC4
I don't pretend to understand how to use it, but here's a Prop Calculator.
If you figure out how to use it, please share.
An hour is going to be tough. You will need a lot of battery capacity and that means weight, which the hex will lift better than a quad.