Tricopter - Rotor Bones - New Build

[CHSFlite]

This is my first tri-copter and actually first anything RC related. I'm slowly piecing everything together and am enjoying the journey. I'm attaching the motors, props, etc and wanted to post a picture of the current state so I can confirm that I'm on the right path. I have two questions:

1. Should the motor mounts have gone on the bottom of the wood boom instead of the top...does it matter?

2. Should the prop savers lay flush with the motor or be slightly above it (not touching)?

Pictures attached

 

[kah00na]

Since you are zip-tying the motors down, I'd suggest you put a piece of double-sided foam tape between the front motors and the arms - not the rear motor. That will help reduce the vibration from the motors a little. If you do that make sure you leave some space in the middle so the motor shaft doesn't rub on it. I used the prop savers for a while and I had them pushed all the way down touching the motor. I figured since the whole thing spins anyway, what could it hurt?

I'm anxious to see how your anycopter frame turns out!

I assume you've watched David's videos about his tricopter, but in addition to those, I'd suggest watching this one by Hall Studio. I incorporated a lot of his ideas into my tricopters.

Building The Simple Tricopter from www.simplecopter.com

 

[Craftydan]

Hey CHSF! Welcome to the Forum!

I wouldn't let this stop you from getting in the air, but . . .

You'll *want* to replace those prop adaptors with collet adaptors pretty soon. I'm a *BIG* fan of prop-savers on low wattage fixed wing, but you don't want them on a multirotor.

On a fixed wing that prop is only your thrust. On a Multirotor, it's your thrust *and* your control surfaces. How well your multirotor reaponds will depend on how quickly the prop can change speed, up or down, and there's just a hint of slop in the propsaver where the rubber band can strech and the prop will lag. It's fine for now, but as you improve as a pilot and you further tune any slop or vibe or allignment or . . . to dial your multirotor in, this is something you'll want to replace.


In the mean time *DON'T* use the rubber o-rings they provide if it goes on easy -- If the prop is easy to remove, it's easy for the adaptor to throw the band . . . leaving you shy one working motor. If it's nor hard to put on, pick up some rubber exercise tubing or silicon tubing and cut little bands from that.

 

[DDSFlyer]

Another note, I think that when Chad build his in the build video he put the hub under the motor mount and then put the motor through to the mount and screwed it in. BUT I also think that was just his preference...

 

[Cyberdactyl]

I'd suggest you put a piece of double-sided foam tape between the front motors and the arms - not the rear motor. That will help reduce the vibration from the motors a little.[/URL]

As a first build multirotor, that probably wouldn't hurt, for shock absorption during a crash to assist nylon ties.

However, as has been said similarly with prop-savers, adding movement between lift surfaces and the frame only adds slop to control. Just as a flexible props adds vibration when forced out-of-plane. Vibration damping or frequency lowering mediums should be out of the control equation completely, if possible, unless it's necessary for structural integrity and/or damping physical interfering frequencies to the FCB.