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
Some very serious multicopters Emin,
The carbon one from DEX is a very clean design.
And the others look like excellent platforms for larger photo / video operation.
Design varies so much according to size and application.
Basically the big photo platforms favor erector set collapsible or dismantle-able construction using stock carbon fiber tube with custom aluminum and carbon fiber flat frame parts and structural u bracket style motor mounts.
Like Photo higher above, a few of them are making their own 3D carbon parts as well.
Except for cheap Chinese clones, these copters and their associated camera gimbals are expensive. ($5000.00 +)
Smaller copters seem to be moving in the direction of a more integrated design like the DEX above.
It is probably significant that the cameras and video equipment are getting smaller and better meaning that smaller multicopters will be satisfactory even for this use in the future.
http://www.flyfreak.net/multirotor/da-li-da-ga-poletim-ili-po/
This bird all look very nice but also fragile and expensive as hell
http://www.photohigher.co.nz/products/halo-multi-rotor-frames/halo-...
http://www.photohigher.co.nz/products/brushless-av200-idd-kits/comp...
http://www.photohigher.co.nz/products/brushless-av200-idd-kits/comp...
...or even better ZERO-UAV equivalent
http://www.zerouav.com/en/Product/YSxiliezijiayikongzhixitong/467.html
http://www.zerouav.com/en/news/news/411.html
or some sort of smaller brother
http://www.zerouav.com/en/news/news/686.html
Hm...USD8855 for complete ZERO-E1100 Ready To Fly System with double FC/gps,foldable antivibration frame and excellent Z2000（5D）Brushless Gimbal (controlled from included FC)http://www.zerouav.com/en/Product/COMMERCIAL_GIMBAL_SERIES/465.html
and safty parachute....
http://aerialmediapros.com/store/home/484-dji-s1000-octocopter-for-...
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)
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 ;-)
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