What Type Of Multicopter Should You Build?

Are you making and flying you own multi-rotor? It feels so much better when you’ve made it yourself. The first step in DIY building is deciding the frame type; below are the four main types of multi-rotors you should know about and consider for your construction project.

Tricopter

This type has three propellers and motors. They are more agile compared to normal quadcopters. The main advantage of building Tri-copter is that it is very cheap since you only need 3 motors. It has a unique servo on the rear prop to allow for fast turning and although it can be cheaper then quads it has awesome racing potential. Some say you will get less flight time because the motors used usually work very hard but if  you design is tuned and properly constructed you can achieve more efficiency then other types of rotor craft.

Quadcopter

This is the basic multi-rotor. It consists of four propellers and motors and are the most commonly purchased. Quads have better lifting capacity then  Tricopters and that extra lift can be used to carry things such as extra batteries and DSLR’s. Quadcopters are also more stable compared to tricopters.

Hexacopter

This type comprises of six different propellers and motors. They are similar to those of quadcopters just with more motors. However, it is a bit expensive to build them since you will have to buy two extra ESC’s, cables and motors. The benefit here is it has improved lift and safety than the quad copter. If one of the propellers fails in Mid-Air, you will lose the yaw control but you can still land it.

 Octocopter

It has eight propellers and motors. They are the most expensive to build compared to the other types. They are mainly used due to the fact that if one of the propellers fails, it can still keep flying effectively and is relatively unaffected. However, at the price of two quadcopters unless you are a professional or have a solid budget an octo is unnecessary. With an octo you have not only a great lifting capacity but also a safe lifting capacity, the reason pros use hexa and octo copters is because often you are using a camera wirth more then the quad, so you want something that can handle motor failure and not destroy your camera or injure anyone.

 Deciding what Multicopter to make

If you are just starting out on your journey of construction use the info above for a quick insight into the differences but you also need to consider more then features, consider your own use and goal for making.

• Budget – Consider how much you are willing to spend, and potentially loose if crashed, the more motors you buy the more expensive the build gets.
• Purpose of build – If you need something for videos the more rotors the better, for racing; quads and even Tri’s can be made fast and manoeuvrable.
•  Build Experience – Tricopters maybe a bit more complex then the others but only marginally, an Octocopter is generally no more difficult then a Quadcopter, you just need to connect more motors.

The above are the four types of multi-rotors and properties. Consider your intentions for building and then start your journey into DIY Multicopter building. If you are still nervous there is a huge array of forums and guides online and if you need some parts be sure to make us part of your supplier search.