TriCopter Question

DumbAce

Junior Member
Does Anyone have suggestions for Motor's/Battery's for a 30min Flite???

Im new to RC, I just started flying last month with a Bixler, I love the concept of the tricoptor and am looking to get into areal photography, filming moving Race cars. I would like to build a Tricoptor large enough for a gopro + FPV + return to home/gps setup. Also, I want it to stay flying for at least 30 minutes. My question, is does anyone have suggestions on Motor, Prop's, and Battery mah I should get in order to make the 30min thing happen with this much wait and or would I be better off with the Bixler (keep in mind I want to film pit stops as well as moving race cars).

PS Ill start small with simply line of site, but want the coptor to be built on/around the 30min flight concept (which is a must).
 
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x3mperformance

New member
30 min flight, is a awfull long time for a tricopter or multirotor.
Consider that there's 3 or more motors spinnin at the same battery.
So i would think a 10 min flight time is possible.
I uses a setup with NTM Propdrive 28 - 36 750 kv motors, F20 amps ESC's, and turnigy Nano tech 2200 3S lipo's, where i am gettin about 8 - 10 min flights. Depending at the weather, Wind, how agressive i fly, hov much gear i have loaded, FPV and/or/only Gopro

So 30 min... I would consider that out of reach...

Rene'
 

johanjonker

New member
That's where planes come in much better and that's flight time. both setups got its pro's and con's.

I do believe 30min on a multicopter is possible, but that's for advance multicopter guys to show and tell.. I have a simple tricopter with 3 24g motors and beteween a 3S 1600mah I get about 3min more on a 3S 4000mah cause its just so much more weight to carry around.

and I must add, if you can fly a bixler, it doesnt mean you can fly RC well, cause flying my Bixler V2 its so easy, it feels like I'm cheating
 
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Carbon

Elemental Madness
30min on a quadcopter? Yeah, I don't know about that. Not if you are lifting a camera. Even without one that is very difficult.
If you want to aerial photography a multirotor is the way to go. You will have to settle for a max of 15min though!
 

Tritium

Amateur Extra Class K5TWM
Actually the world has forgotten about the positive aspects of tethered balloons as aerial observation and camera platforms.

Kites too!

With todays RC technology it would be VERY easy to create a tethered but steerable platform. Unfortunately Helium has gotten ridiculous in price due to the Government shutting down some major wells. Hydrogen would work and is cheap and easy but also dangerous.

Thurmond
 

5 oclock charlie

Junior Member
i would start by looking for low kv hi efficiency motor to start with- http://www.buddyrc.com/motor/sunnysky-v-series.html the red v series motors there have the highest g/w ratio ive seen- im sure theres higher but i havent seen any. i use the 2216-800kv on my rcexplorer style tri, 1100g with 2200mah 3s and 11.47 props i get just over 12 minutes of flight time with my camera loaded flight time could be easily extended another third by battery alone. this isnt high speed flying of course but just hovering around the yard- but still flying around a bit not sittin still.
your 30 min time is easily attainable with the right equipment. theres a guy on youtube who does a 95 min flight time with a quad.
he probably started with the same attitude you have.
go for it.
 

MultiFreak

Junior Member
i would start by looking for low kv hi efficiency motor to start with- http://www.buddyrc.com/motor/sunnysky-v-series.html the red v series motors there have the highest g/w ratio ive seen- im sure theres higher but i havent seen any. i use the 2216-800kv on my rcexplorer style tri, 1100g with 2200mah 3s and 11.47 props i get just over 12 minutes of flight time with my camera loaded flight time could be easily extended another third by battery alone. this isnt high speed flying of course but just hovering around the yard- but still flying around a bit not sittin still.
your 30 min time is easily attainable with the right equipment. theres a guy on youtube who does a 95 min flight time with a quad.
he probably started with the same attitude you have.
go for it.

Thanks for the info about the motors!
can you confirm you are getting 12 minutes flight time with 1100g ?
Just punched in the number in ecalc.ch and it tells me 3.9 mins...
Just want to be sure before ordering the same motors and props :-]
Cheers
 

Justin

Senior Member
It is very possible to get what you want unless you have a 1,500 dollar budget. I would run powerful motors with several packs in parallel (gives you longer flight time). I would recommend the APM 2.6 for your GPS control board (around $300). This is your copter, choose what you want on board.