Kwad prop Question
- Thread starter BhamBrent
- Start date
Brent,
Are you asking about a 5x3" sized prop or 5", 3 bladed prop? (haven't seen a 6x2" prop manufactured, but a 2 bladed 6" prop is a common beast)
What prop will be "best" will depend directly on your motor and the battery voltage (cell count). It'll indirectly depend on your total weight, your airframe, and whether you're optimizing for lift, speed or flight time.
In the case of blade count, adding a third blade will increase your power but at a higher cost in efficiency. The three blade configuration tends make each blade eat more prop-wash from it's nearest neighbor so they run less efficiently, but it can still produce more power in the same thrust column. Where I've seen them used in multirotors was to generate more power on short booms at a premium cost to flight time -- avoid if you can, enjoy if you can't.
Give us a few more details about what you're thinking and we can go into greater detail.
BTW, Welcome to the forum!
Are you asking about a 5x3" sized prop or 5", 3 bladed prop? (haven't seen a 6x2" prop manufactured, but a 2 bladed 6" prop is a common beast)
What prop will be "best" will depend directly on your motor and the battery voltage (cell count). It'll indirectly depend on your total weight, your airframe, and whether you're optimizing for lift, speed or flight time.
In the case of blade count, adding a third blade will increase your power but at a higher cost in efficiency. The three blade configuration tends make each blade eat more prop-wash from it's nearest neighbor so they run less efficiently, but it can still produce more power in the same thrust column. Where I've seen them used in multirotors was to generate more power on short booms at a premium cost to flight time -- avoid if you can, enjoy if you can't.
Give us a few more details about what you're thinking and we can go into greater detail.
BTW, Welcome to the forum!
C0d3M0nk3y
Posted a thousand or more times
You might want to start off with 5 inch props. 6 inch props will be very powerful and the learning curve will be steeper.
It looks like you can order the Kwad with two different top plates -- one for 5 inch props and one for 6 inch. If you get the 6 inch version, you could still start with 5 inch props and move up to 6 inch props later. You'll likely be buying a lot of props, so you can always move up.
It looks like you can order the Kwad with two different top plates -- one for 5 inch props and one for 6 inch. If you get the 6 inch version, you could still start with 5 inch props and move up to 6 inch props later. You'll likely be buying a lot of props, so you can always move up.
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That will depend on your comfort with electronics and what you want out of your FPV experience.
if you're going more stable than agile in your flight:
- the Naza boards are right at the top, with a price to match. Their lite board isn't crazy expensive but really all it will do is fly -- it won't manage a gimbal for you at the same time. Setup require very little electronics knowledge.
- 3DR's boards (APM, Pixhawk) are next in line , at a lower price, but will take a bit more setup and electronics know-how to get them happy.
If you're going more agility than stability:
- The Naze (yeah, not Naza) is one of the most popular, and very affordable, but requires quite a bit of setup -- you will need to *at least* solder on pin headers, and there's a bit of config to do with the board plugged into a PC. There is a version that can auto-tune, but I'd call it a mature experimental version at this point. (it works, but I wouldn't recommend it to a new builder . . . yet)
- Mulitiwii boards, like the flip boards, are slightly lower performance, and if the shipped ROM was setup, it has a good chance they'll work passibly well right out of the box, but expect a little PC setup -- you'll need to at least get the transmitter throws set via a PC. Both can fly incredibly well, but will need to be tuned to get above mediocre, which tuning a full PID is an art in itself.
- The KK2's are becoming a fairly old board, but simple to setup and tune, and if you buy a reflashed board (RTFQ sells a clone with a good image) won't need to see a PC -- you could do all the setup on the field . . . if you don't you'll want to pick up a USBASP module and reflash it pretty soon -- hardest part of that is installing the USBASP's drivers. There is about 1/2 hr of stepping through the menus and testing to get everything right, but plenty of walkthroughs that make it dirt simple. Since it only has a PI controller it won't fly as precisely as a tuned multiwii/Naze board but it's cook-book simple to tune a PI . . . and will fly far better than any untuned board.
if you're going more stable than agile in your flight:
- the Naza boards are right at the top, with a price to match. Their lite board isn't crazy expensive but really all it will do is fly -- it won't manage a gimbal for you at the same time. Setup require very little electronics knowledge.
- 3DR's boards (APM, Pixhawk) are next in line , at a lower price, but will take a bit more setup and electronics know-how to get them happy.
If you're going more agility than stability:
- The Naze (yeah, not Naza) is one of the most popular, and very affordable, but requires quite a bit of setup -- you will need to *at least* solder on pin headers, and there's a bit of config to do with the board plugged into a PC. There is a version that can auto-tune, but I'd call it a mature experimental version at this point. (it works, but I wouldn't recommend it to a new builder . . . yet)
- Mulitiwii boards, like the flip boards, are slightly lower performance, and if the shipped ROM was setup, it has a good chance they'll work passibly well right out of the box, but expect a little PC setup -- you'll need to at least get the transmitter throws set via a PC. Both can fly incredibly well, but will need to be tuned to get above mediocre, which tuning a full PID is an art in itself.
- The KK2's are becoming a fairly old board, but simple to setup and tune, and if you buy a reflashed board (RTFQ sells a clone with a good image) won't need to see a PC -- you could do all the setup on the field . . . if you don't you'll want to pick up a USBASP module and reflash it pretty soon -- hardest part of that is installing the USBASP's drivers. There is about 1/2 hr of stepping through the menus and testing to get everything right, but plenty of walkthroughs that make it dirt simple. Since it only has a PI controller it won't fly as precisely as a tuned multiwii/Naze board but it's cook-book simple to tune a PI . . . and will fly far better than any untuned board.
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