Tricopter Flight Time Question

[water1js]

I have a FT Bat Bone Tricopter that is set up with the recommended setup from Altitude Hobbies, I have found that I am only getting just over 6 minutes of flight time out of my set up and I feel like I should be getting more. Do I need to get a larger prop or is there any way I can extend my flight times? Any input would be appreciated.

Tricopter:
• Motor: 3x Suppo 2208/14 1450kv Brushless Outrunners
• ESCs: 3x iPeaka 22A Brushless ESC w/ SimonK firmware
• Servo: 1x Suppo SP-MG90S micro metal-gear servo
• Props: 2x pairs 8045 multicopter props (CW & CCW)

I am running a kk2.1.5 board and have a Spektrum AR6210 receiver. I run the Tri on a 2100 mamp venom 20 battery

I also have the FT camera plate mounted on bottom and have the immersion RC 600 mw transmitter, mobius, and an 420N NTSC CCD Camera, however I run a second 500 mamp battery for the FPV gear,

 

[stay-fun]

I think you have a neat setup and it's doing just fine! I think 6 minutes is to be accepted. I guess you could fly longer with a battery that has a higher capacity, but that'll also increase the weight, power consumption and 'feel' of the tricopter.

If I were you I'd just enjoy the tricopter as it is now

 

[Guis]

I have the exact setup on my tricopter. I also purchased my electronics from Altitude Hobbies and it flies great. I get about six minutes too. I just swap batteries when I land and I am ready to go again.

Guis

 

[SkinnyDave]

Have you checked out eCalc yet (http://www.ecalc.ch)? It's been pretty accurate for me to figure out prop/motor/battery combos. My guess is you could get away with some bigger props and battery, maybe gain 3-4 minutes depending on how you fly it. eCalc is great for basic information, but you need to know the details of your motors, batteries, etc....sometimes that info is hard to find or not in their pre-made charts! If you don't find your particular gear in there, you can often find a clone/copy of whatever it is...for example, I have eMax 935kv motors...not listed there, but they are just Multistar rebrands...so i use that to help figure it out.

 

[joshuabardwell]

What is your all-up weight? My quad comes in right at 1 kg. I get about 10-12 minutes of leisurely flight time on 3S with SunnySky 960kv motors and 10x5.5" props. This is flying the battery down to about 10.7 volts using telemetry to monitor it. I got much shorter flight times when I was quitting around 11 volts. The SunnySky motors give about 800 grams of thrust at 11.1 volts, which is more than the approximately 600 grams you're getting from your existing setup, so you could fly at a little lower throttle too.

The 8045 props you are using are what is recommended by the manufacturer for 3S batteries, so they are probably the most efficient you are going to get. I found one table comparing an 8045 prop to a 7050, and the 8045 gave 54 grams per amp of thrust, while the 7050 gave around 40 grams per amp. So the 8045 wins there.

In theory, a bigger prop is more efficient, but only if combined with a lower kv motor. With a fixed kv motor, going to a larger prop will give you more thrust for less efficiency and increased amp draw, which is not what you want.

Bottom line: if you want longer flight times, I think you have to try to lighten your craft, use larger batteries, and/or consider different motors.

 

[Ironzey]

I get about 12 mins out of mine.
3000 Mah 3S
SunnySky 2216 900Kv
10x4.5 props
As pictured ready for flight it weighs just a tad over 1kg. (1.012kg to be exact)

The FPV camera is inop so it's just dead weight, I can also save some weight by switching to carbon fiber booms also get rid of some of the extraneous wires by switching to a smaller RX and using PPM. I can probably live without the top plate. I wonder if going with shorter booms would be ok. If I where really trimming back the weight I could ditch the camera tray.

 

[Andrea]

With my i got 5 minutes with lights on, 9 minutes with the camera, 11 minutes without the camera.
Motor : DT 750
Frame :wood+alluminium booms
Esc :F20A hobbyking with simonK
Prop: 10*4,5
Battery: 2200 mah 35 C

 

[cranialrectosis]

6 minutes for those motors, rotors and weight is about right. To increase flight time, you will have to sacrifice performance (larger battery or motors and rotors) or weight (lighten the copter).

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

My Bat Bone has the same electronics you're using from Altitude. I get 6-8 minutes on a 2200 mAh 25C battery. If I take off the clean plate and mobius, I get 8-10 minutes. I fly until I hit about 3.6 V per cell.

 

[water1js]

Thanks for the feedback guys, after spending the weekend at FPV Fest, I switched out the kk board for the Naze32, I have found that it works better and is more stable then the kk board, also I was talking to some of the guys there I think I might try running a couple batteries in parallel as see if I get more flight time or if the added weight will make it even out.