Questions tagged [performance]
Use in questions asking about the physical capabilities or limitations of a drone/model aircraft.
22
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How does the Switchblade 300 drone maneuver?
I was wondering how the Switchblade 300 drone (https://www.avinc.com/tms/switchblade) is able to maneuver? On all photos I can find, there is no sign of any ailerons - so does it wiggle the wings at ...
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How to calculate lift for multiple rotors?
So I know that $L = \frac{1}{2}ρv^2AC_L$, but if I want to find the lift for a three-blade helicopter, do I just multiply by 3 or what? Let's say I have a 700mm rotor at 61mm wide, would it be:
$L = ...
- 31
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2
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The Effect of Pitching Moment on Aircraft Stability
I'm designing a small RC plane and I'm currently at the first iteration of airfoil selection. I have converged to Clark-Y, NACA-2412, NACA-2415, and S-8036.
In comparing the four, I noticed that all ...
- 51
4
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1
answer
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If AUW is 90 grams, will 4500Kv motors be better than 7500Kv?
I have a build that is 90 grams and runs great with 7600Kv motors. My question is, if everything stays the same and I put on 1204 4500Kv motors on it, would I get more flight time? More power or ...
- 41
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1
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303
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How to determine the minimum thrust to weight ratio for a fixed-wing aircraft?
I am considering building a fixed-wing aircraft with foam board, and I'm unsure what the necessary thrust to weight ratio is. With quads, it's easy to determine the necessary thrust. Just find a motor/...
- 5,510
7
votes
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141
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How can I run 2207 2450Kv motors on 4S with 7” props?
I’m looking to use some spare motors I have to build a 7” rig.
The problem is that they are 2450Kv, and I don’t want to burn out my other components. As I understand it, if I set a motor output limit ...
- 4,402
3
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2
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Do propellers at different angles work the same? And do intersecting flows of air work the same?
Say a propeller pushing thrust downwards generates 70 lbs of force. If you tilted the angle of the system to 45 degrees would it generate the same thrust?
If you had each rotor angled inwards of a ...
- 459
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2
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260
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How to reduce propeller tip losses?
I have heard that tip losses in propellers can occur when a propeller is highly loaded (when there is a much higher pressure under the prop blade than above it). This can happen with drones that fly ...
- 5,510
4
votes
1
answer
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Does the sharpness of a propeller blade affect efficiency?
Some of the propellers I have used on drones have sharp edges (sharp enough that they have cut me) and others have comparatively dull edges. Does the sharpness of the leading edge of a propeller ...
- 5,510
17
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Why are quadcopters inherently unstable?
I have heard it mentioned that quadcopters are inherently unstable and only become stable due to control. What does inherently unstable mean in this context, and why are quadcopters inherently ...
- 5,510
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Is there an advantage to having more LiPo cells in a low-power drone?
A major reason that high performance racing or freestyle drones use LiPo batteries with high cell count (6s rather that 3s or 4s) is so that the voltage won't sag as much. This allows high performance ...
- 5,510
2
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1
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381
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How do ducted fans impact drone performance?
There are many drones available which use ducted fans as opposed to open propellers. How does a ducted fan quadcopter differ in performance from an open-prop quadcopter?
Note: the other question ...
- 5,510
4
votes
1
answer
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How does the center of gravity affect a quadcopter?
I have heard a lot about center of gravity for fixed wings, but very little about the CG in quadcopters. How does moving the CG forward or backward impact the flight characteristics of a quadcopter? ...
- 5,510
6
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For custom multirotors, what is the most useful method of collecting flight data?
When it is desirable to know exactly what is happening on a multirotor, such as when flight testing a new multirotor concept or design, what measurement equipment and circuit designs are most useful ...
- 405
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How does frame stiffness affect a quadcopter?
When choosing a frame for a drone, something I hear mentioned occasionally is how flexible the carbon fiber is. It seems that the general opinion is: more flex in a frame is worse. How would having a ...
- 5,510
3
votes
5
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261
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How to determine the largest LiPo I can use in a quadcopter?
Multirotors can usually operate with a larger battery than recommended for longer flight times but slightly less performance. However, there is a point of diminishing returns at which increasing the ...
- 5,510
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What is the performance difference between a brushless motor with a wider vs taller stator?
In the drone motor industry, there are a lot of variations in the stator sizes of brushless motors. There are several motors that have similar stator volume but one is wider and the other is taller. ...
- 5,510
4
votes
2
answers
558
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What is the difference between a patch and helical antenna?
I have seen both patch and helical antenna when shopping for video receiver antennae. All I know is that they are both directional antennae. Do these types of antennae have any inherent performance ...
- 5,510
7
votes
3
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203
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What is antenna gain?
As I understand it, generally, a higher gain antenna will result in a longer range and better reception for FPV flying. What is antenna gain? What makes a low-gain patch antenna different that a high-...
- 5,510
3
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169
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How does a propeller with more blades create more "grip"
I have heard that the more blades a prop has, the more "grip" it has in the air at the expense of speed.
How do more blades create more grip but lose top speed?
- 5,510
3
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2
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Does the performance of a brushless motor decrease over time?
The brushes wear out in brushed motors and their performance decreases until they stop working, but brushless motors have fewer parts in contact and thus don't wear out nearly as fast.
Does the ...
- 5,510
3
votes
1
answer
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Effect of Deadcat frame on performance?
I've seen a lot of new frames with a Deadcat style because it keeps the props out of view for cinematic videos and such. Does the Deadcat shape of frame have any effects on flight performance?
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