Perhaps you have noticed some gorgeous flying vehicles in the sky. Maybe you are wondering what they are. Well, these UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) are becoming a norm today. You can easily get into this hobby if you want.
With so many models and brands available, it can be hard to decide which quadcopter to go after. When it comes to vehicles in the multirotor family, there are a number of variations. The quadcopter, such as the DJI Phantom is the most common one.
The reason why it is called a quadcopter is because it requires 4 motors and propellers to operate. Compared to a traditional helicopter, the quadcopter has a less complicated mechanical requirement.
A traditional helicopter needs a tail rotor in order to counteract the angular torque generated by the main rotor. Comparatively, the design of a quadcopter is a lot simpler since the main rotor doesn’t have to rely on collective pitch and other complicated mechanism.
The pitch is fixed for a quadcopter. By changing the RPM (revolutions per minute), the vehicle can fly through the sky.
In order to fly forward, the two motors at the back must spin faster while the two motors at the front becomes slower. As a result, the aircraft will be able to cut through the air as it tilts forward. For rolling, the same principles will be applied except that it is now on the lateral sides.
If you are trying to yaw, you need to have a sound knowledge about angular torque. You should at least be aware that the torque of a spinning object is proportional to its spinning speed. This explains why we often see a main rotor and a tail rotor on a traditional helicopter.
When the main rotor is spinning at a clockwise direction, the helicopter will spin in the counter clockwise direction for the conservation of angular momentum. Therefore, it is a must to have the tail rotor. It provides the thrust needed to balance the forces generated by the angular momentum.
As far as a quadcopter is concerned, each motor is designed to cancel the force generated by one of the others. For example, when you are trying to yaw (turning left or right), the 2 motors across each other diagonally will rotate slower while the other 2 motors will rotate faster. This helps to generate the lift required for the aircraft to fly at the same height. At the same time, the quadcopter receives the angular torque needed for turning.
Of course, it is not possible for a human being to determine the exact change in RPM required by each motor. Therefore, the calculations are taken care of by a flight control board. More often than not, these boards are usually equipped with pyrometers and even accelerometers at times. Obviously, it is the software that issues commands to the motors depending on the aircraft position and the signals from transmitter.
Hopefully you are not drenched in cold sweat from hearing all these complicated stuff. Don’t worry! They are all handled by the flight control board. You only need to know how to use the remote control. This is just like driving a car. You don’t have to understand how a car works in order to drive it.
Right now, you are probably interested to know what is the best quadcopter for beginners. Well, you should definitely consider Syma X1. Not only is it affordable, it has good aerial ability. It is also accompanied by a 2.4 Ghz transmitter, which means you can fly the vehicle outdoor with a very decent range.
Another great choice for beginners is the Blade mQX. A side benefit of Blade mQX is that it is compatible with the other radios. This gives you a lot of flexibility. Both quadcopters are built to last. Therefore, you will get to enjoy yourself for many hours to come.