Quadcopter Basics
Quadcopter Basics
Image: Drone shadow in snow.
Embedded Files
Forces on an aircraft
Forces on an aircraft
There are four fundamental forces at play: Lift & weight; thurst & drag. Wings produce lift; gravity & mass produce weight; engines produce thrust; the physical aircraft produces drag.
There are four fundamental forces at play: Lift & weight; thurst & drag. Wings produce lift; gravity & mass produce weight; engines produce thrust; the physical aircraft produces drag.
This is oversimplified, but ... If lift is great than weight, the aircraft climbs. If lift is less than weight, it descends. Equal? Level flight.
This is oversimplified, but ... If lift is great than weight, the aircraft climbs. If lift is less than weight, it descends. Equal? Level flight.
Same idea with thurst and drag. Thrust must be greater than drag to keep the aircraft moving forward.
Same idea with thurst and drag. Thrust must be greater than drag to keep the aircraft moving forward.
(Diagram for the FAA Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5)
How do quadcopters work?
How do quadcopters work?
It's all physics - especially Newton's Third Law of Motion - the bit about equal and opposite reactions.
It's all physics - especially Newton's Third Law of Motion - the bit about equal and opposite reactions.
Basically, two propellors rotate clockwise and two counter-clockwise. Clever, physics-based combinations of the speed at which they rotate are used to control the aircraft's motion.
Basically, two propellors rotate clockwise and two counter-clockwise. Clever, physics-based combinations of the speed at which they rotate are used to control the aircraft's motion.
DroneZone has a great webpage describing this, including the two videos below. ExtremeFliers and DronetechPlanet also have explanations. Between all of that, you should get the idea.
DroneZone has a great webpage describing this, including the two videos below. ExtremeFliers and DronetechPlanet also have explanations. Between all of that, you should get the idea.
Page updated
Report abuse