Multicopter Types

Multirotor

There're a bunch of types available for building a multicopter. here are a few tips :

• More engines means more power, more lift,more time in the air. the downside is "more batteries" required.
• Brushless electrics like to run slow (lower RPMs), so bigger means more efficient.
• if efficiency is your goal, coaxial = evil.

Bicopter

• Cheapest
• least stable and hard to tune
• least robust
• less lifting power
• No engine out capability.

Dualcopter

• Cheap
• least stable and hard to tune
• least robust
• less lifting power
• No engine out capability.
• Dualcopter YouTube

Tricopter

• Cheap, easy to build
• least stable
• not as robust (tail servo and mechanics)
• low lifting power and flight time (because the motors have to run faster to hold it all in the air)
• No engine out capability.

Y4, Quad +, Quad X

• Mechanically simpler than tris
• While they weigh almost the same they have about 1/3 more lift than tris
• they are usually more stable (no servo issues) and are capable of staying airborne for a little while longer (they can either lift larger batteries or fly more economically because the weight is spread across 4 motors and not just 3).
• Still no engine out capability. If it fails, it goes down.
• less yaw authority than tris

VTAIL

• is a mix between a quad and a tri
• the front motors are at 120° and the two rear motors are an V tail
• same as quad and y4
• with more yaw authority

Y6, HEX6 Plus, HEX6 X

• All the good things that quads have, plus more power and more lifting capability.
• As a bonus they add limited engine out capability
  • a hexacopter can lose any single engine and still land (it will lose yaw control though),
  • if it loses one or both engines on the neutral torque bar it could even continue flying unaffected.
• Downside is that they are larger and a little pricier.

OCTO8 X, OCTO flat +, OCTO flat X

The octocopter is what you fly if you need horsepower and reliability in one package

• All the good things from hexacopters
• Loses any single one and still flies fine : true engine out ability.
• Downside heavy craft are really power hungry

Stabilisation

Gimbal

when associated with an accelerometer, MultiWii is able to drive 2 servos for PITCH and ROLL gimbal system adjustment the gimbal can also be ajdusted via 2 RC channels in PassThrough mode

Helicopter

Supports Helicopters with 120 & 90 swash.

http://fotoflygarn.blogspot.com/2012/04/multiwii-helicopter.html

Plane

Airplane

http://fotoflygarn.blogspot.fr/2012/03/how-to-setup-multiwii-airplane-same.html

Airplane supports three modes:

• PassThrough
• Acro
• Level

Flying Wing

useful for either FLying Wing or delta kind of plane or for partial control surface support on typical aircraft.

Supports control for :

• one motor (throttle signal is passed through)
• two servos for control surfaces acting as elevons.

Flying Wing supports three modes:

• PassThrough
• Acro
• Level