Hi All, Just pulled this image in from SUAS News (Thank you Gary) to illustrate a few really good concepts that it incorporates and talk about better Multicopter design a bit.
This copter has a lot of things right and is really a study in design excellence.
1. Most obvious is a sliding ball full enclosure camera Gimbal, very pro and really something we should be striving for.
2. The motors are on the bottom under the arms: More aerodynamically efficient with no prop wash interference and very little intake interference. Noticeably increased flight times and greater lift capability and much quieter.
3. Large slow high efficiency props and pancake motors: These are way more efficient than faster motors with smaller diameter more conventional props.
4. Carbon fiber aerodynamic frame arms: Again more aerodynamically efficient, light and strong.
5. Fully enclosed framework and a simple spring loaded landing gear that provides as little interference with the prop wash as possible.
Basically this quad incorporates the best design features I have seen so far and definitely provides food for thought.
I thought it might be worth soliciting comments and other thoughts about optimal multicopter design techniques.
Best Regards,
Gary
Comments
I remember that when they experimented with counter rotating props on full size aircraft that the losses created upon the lower/ aft most blades could be negated by increasing the prop size of pitch by the corresponding amount. Back then, it was mechanically intensive to service this type of propulsion but now with electric,maybe a simple increase in pitch and redirection of the rotating airflow could pick this inefficiency up again? I love the X8 configuration too much to throw the concept away as inefficient:)
(the 3DR APM also puts a ratio between the top and lower blades, I think)
@Stephen
3DR themselves say the same thing(5%-10% is lost) with the upside down props.
The Gryphon arms vibrate? Huh. Well, I have heard the that "If the arms fold, then they vibrate." And I guess that extends to disassembly.
Although, if I had to guess, I'd say the problem with the Gryphon design is that the motors can twist the base arm when doing a yaw correction.
One thing that really surprises me about the Neo, is they put so much into the frame, and it's like the legs were an afterthought. Just another Meccano carbon fiber plate assembly.
Kopterworx will be selling the Neo. Quad.us is selling the Gyrphon.
Bet it's not as good as a 6 dollar hoola-hoop, and i am being serious ;-)
PS: I'm planning on a hex this year...if you're giving away frames, I'll give it a good home ;-)
And a bargain at €3850, frame kit only! Ouch...and then there's the extra grand for the legs...
However, it does actually have quite a few of the feature I'm expecting to see in the next gen airframes; environment proofing, removeable arms etc.
We think more marketing BS!
http://vimeo.com/84350416
We can't give it away, we tried to sell it on our Facebook page.
For half what it cost us.
It's too heavy, too big and it has huge vibrating arm problems.
Other than that it looks good :-)
...and reassuringly expensive too I see!
Some nice looking stuff there RL...
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