I have already explored the possibility of making a VTOL drone. However, I realize I had some unrealistic goals for carrying loads and such. So, I would like to maybe use a similar design, but scale the power down a bit for cost and practicality reasons.
Here are my goals for the end result:
-good VTOL, so quadcopter or plane-like operation
-allows for future additions like more sensors, cameras, etc
-good range and wireless control
-streaming at at least 720p and recording at at least 1080p60 (ideally with a zoom feature too)
-at least an hour of battery life assuming it's flying like a plane most of the time and at a reasonable speed
While I may want to scale down the power from the previous design, I was reading some articles, and "bigger is better". They said that smaller props are less efficient and large props push more area and have other advantages. Looking at the efficiencies of different motors, it seems to be much better with 10-15 inch props than 4-5 inch ones, which matches up with the articles. So the end result may end up being pretty large.
This means I would need help designing a good frame. It can't be too heavy but would need to be very sturdy, according to what others have said, meaning custom carbon fiber seems like the best option. I have minimal cad experience.
Also, I know the software would be difficult to get good, but I'm sure they're APIs and such I could use.
Also, this is a rough sketch of my previous design. The props would be 11-15 inches, and I'd use a frame with maybe a much thinner plastic for the parts that don't need reinforcement.
I'm thinking I could use servos to turn the motors, and have two back to back for more efficiency and canceling gyroscopic forces. I would also have it be fairly long and with good supports so it can turn it well. I would try to keep the batteries where it would allow for the center of mass to be in the center of the 4 motors.
Does anyone have any recommendations for what I could change with my design?
Here are my goals for the end result:
-good VTOL, so quadcopter or plane-like operation
-allows for future additions like more sensors, cameras, etc
-good range and wireless control
-streaming at at least 720p and recording at at least 1080p60 (ideally with a zoom feature too)
-at least an hour of battery life assuming it's flying like a plane most of the time and at a reasonable speed
While I may want to scale down the power from the previous design, I was reading some articles, and "bigger is better". They said that smaller props are less efficient and large props push more area and have other advantages. Looking at the efficiencies of different motors, it seems to be much better with 10-15 inch props than 4-5 inch ones, which matches up with the articles. So the end result may end up being pretty large.
This means I would need help designing a good frame. It can't be too heavy but would need to be very sturdy, according to what others have said, meaning custom carbon fiber seems like the best option. I have minimal cad experience.
Also, I know the software would be difficult to get good, but I'm sure they're APIs and such I could use.
Also, this is a rough sketch of my previous design. The props would be 11-15 inches, and I'd use a frame with maybe a much thinner plastic for the parts that don't need reinforcement.
I'm thinking I could use servos to turn the motors, and have two back to back for more efficiency and canceling gyroscopic forces. I would also have it be fairly long and with good supports so it can turn it well. I would try to keep the batteries where it would allow for the center of mass to be in the center of the 4 motors.
Does anyone have any recommendations for what I could change with my design?