Quadcopter
The most popular drones are quadcopter with four props or blades. People like to fly, but this is not the main attraction. The biggest temptation of a quadcopter is to take photos and videos from above. They have interesting features, such as follow me mode, which is very interesting.
Quadcopters became famous quickly because they provided a relatively easy-to-fly platform and the platform was very stable. It is well known that quadcopter has four different motors in square shape, and by controlling parameters such as speed and angle of these rotor blades, many interesting things can happen.
Racing quads in First Person view(FPV) are related to flying skills. FPV is an immersive experience where pilots can see what the drone camera sees. They can do this by looking at the screen, but the ultimate experience is wearing FPV goggles.
Here are the appeals for drones, especially quadcopters:
*Easy to fly even at entry level
*Ideal for aerial photography and film-quality video
*More stable and more suitable for carrying payloads
*Most popular drone parts are easy to repair or replace
*Affordable prices and multiple options
*Aerobatic stunts and tricks are easy to perform
*Owners of RC helicopters are passionate about flying, and many have experience with drones. Drone enthusiasts pay more attention to photos and videos, and are less likely to choose helicopters.
Helicopter
RC helicopters have loyal followers, especially at the hobby level. They are far less popular than drones, especially quadcopters. Most people think that drones are helicopters plus something, which is a misunderstanding.
Some reasons to consider using a RC helicopter on a drone are as follows:
1.Flight under windy conditions
Compared to multiple helicopters, helicopters are much more stable in windy conditions. The reason is that the angle of attack of the blades of the helicopter is constantly changing, which can immediately adapt to environmental conditions, compensate for any external forces and keep the heli completely balanced.
2.More payloads
Unlike multi-rotor drones, helicopter drones can carry heavier payloads and stay in the air for a long time, while multi-rotor drones can carry light loads with reduced flight time.
This capability, combined with fast cruising speed and hovering capabilities, makes helicopter drones a one-way option for performing demanding tasks such as search and rescue.
3.Higher cruising speed
Due to the constantly changing angle of attack of the helicopter blades, the helicopter can fly at higher cruising speeds while saving energy compared to multi-axis helicopters that spend more for fast flight.
So even if a helicopter and a multi-copter have the same flight time as the helicopter, you can travel longer distances, cover more areas and complete tasks in less time or perform more tasks simultaneously.
4.Accurate flight plan
Helicopter drones are more accurate and efficient flight paths than airplane drones, even if the flight path includes a square, triangle, or any polygonal path. This enables fast and accurate task execution with minimal energy consumption.
5.Falling speed is as fast as rising speed
Another benefit of helicopters is that they can descend at the same rate as ascent by changing the pitch of the blades. For multiple helicopters, this is not possible because they use fixed-pitch propellers, and the only way to reduce speed is to reduce the speed. Doing so reduces stability and can only decrease at a very slow rate.
6.Easy to transport and deploy
When considering a universal drone solution that is easy to transport and store, you will come to the following conclusion: Helicopters require less transport or storage space than corresponding multi-helicopter or aircraft drones. In addition, the deployment process of the helicopter drone is very simple and fast. There is no need to assemble wings or propellers. You only need to install the main blades, and the helicopter drone can perform the next mission.
From the information above, the remote-controlled helicopter attracts people who love flying. This is a skill that takes longer than a drone. Many autonomous modes can guide drones and are suitable for most people. Lightweight helicopters also provide better flight times than drones. One of the main disadvantages of remote-controlled helicopters is that they are very fragile and cannot withstand crashes well. It is usually cheaper to replace a damaged helicopter than to repair it.
Comparison:
Let’s compare Heli and quad from several aspects.
1.Stability
The higher the stability, the easier it is to fly. Quadcopters became famous quickly because they provided a relatively easy-to-fly platform and the platform was very stable. It is well known that quadcopter has four different motors in a square shape, and by controlling parameters such as the speed and angle of these rotor blades, many interesting things can happen.
The main challenge is controlling the rotor blades so that you can perform a variety of aerobatics and tricks. In most cases, quadcopters tend to be more stable than helicopters, which is why they are used for aerial photography and video shooting. When we talk about stability, it means that the drone is able to execute and continue to execute the instructions issued by the remote control until other instructions are sent. The Quad seems to do better than the RC helicopter.
This is mainly because the flight controller is getting better and better, and it is surprising how well it works. In essence, this leads to misunderstandings that quadcopters are more stable than helicopters.
In reality, a quadcopter has a bunch of electronics to control the signal from the transmitter and then convert it into an electric motor for best results. You must know that a quadcopter is a complex system that requires electronics and programs to provide ultra-stable performance.
In addition to the electronic speed controller, this depends largely on the inertia of the propeller. As you can imagine, in general, the bigger and heavier the prop, the harder it is to slow down or accelerate. As a result, this results in agility and slow response times for large quadcopters. And some of the simplest helicopters can be quite stable without this advanced system. Even though this may be considered a shortcoming of the quadrangle, the fact is the opposite, because these systems are very effective. They bring a very stable flying tool to the world . Another benefit is that with the miniaturization of electronics, quads can now be found at very affordable prices without sacrificing performance.
2.Efficiency
When the quadcopter moves, the speed of the propeller and motor needs to be changed. A helicopter’s pitch propeller mechanism is a more efficient solution because decelerating / accelerating the propeller requires more energy than maintaining the motor and propeller at a constant speed.
Basically, to be more controllable and stable, the frequency with which the motor changes speed is higher, so the efficiency is lower. That’s why pilots usually don’t get much flight time on a quadcopter.
Finally, the larger the rotor disk, the less energy wasted in moving air. You will also not be disturbed by the airflow of adjacent rotors / propellers in the helicopter. This is why long flight time quads tend to use large propellers. (But again, they are not so agile)
3.Security
A quadcopter or any multi-rotor configuration is only implemented in small / micro drones. As mentioned before: With such size, mass and volume, the configuration of the helicopter is too complicated and difficult to implement.
Unlike civilian users who use unsafe helicopters with a single giant rotor, multiple rotors can be made safer, easier to use, and can be set up to accommodate strong / uneven wind and load conditions, all of which are considering a complete electric Flying platform, the only moving part of which is the electric motor. Therefore, comparing a purely electromechanical system with another system with an internal combustion engine is not exactly the same.
4.Battery selection
In terms of batteries, the quadcopter will have competition, so the C-rating requirements for lipo batteries will be higher. Because they need to draw more current in a short time to fly faster, which will also require higher pass for the current plug, some require the use of a smart battery. Helicopter is more hobbies, so the C-rating requirements are lower.
But the same, according to different sizes, they will require batteries of different capacities and sizes.
Taking ovonic lipo battery as an example, small Helicopter generally uses 1500mAh 2S 50C, 50C 7.4V 2S 450mAh, and large size can use 50C 3S 4500mAh, 50C 4S 6000mAh and other larger size, capacity and voltage batteries.
For FPV quadcopters, tiny whoop quads below 110mm uses 450mah 1s 3.8v 80c, 45C 380mah 2S 7.4v, for 90-150mm, 3s / 4s 650mah 80C, for 150-210mm, 850mah 4s xt30 and 3s 850mah xt30 can be selected, for 210- 285mm, has 1300mah / 1550mah 3s / 4s / 5s / 6s with different C-rating etc.