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VTOL motor power draw is high, especially under headwind
One soln solution is what Carleton did with its raised/triangle rear stabilizer on their craft, “Apogee“, decreasing wind effects and making the line centre of mass angled. The rear motor did not have to do as much.
It looked similar to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOFbiU-alnI&ab_channel=Viewpro
Note that Carleton’s craft was really lightfragile compared to what they did with it. Don’t turn with too small a radius at high speed or the craft will be ripped apart in mid-air.
Side note: Guy from Lockheed mentioned that winged mode flight requires a forward center of mass to prevent pitching backwards
Example Lift + Cruise or tilt rotor concepts and Electrical Archs
Idea 1
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the horizontal motor draws a lot of power, and we can minimize its current draw and stress on the system by using a 12S.
Seen as it wont stress the system as much, maybe step down from a single 12S (option 2 in diagram) is viable? Definitely need to look into this
6S are used with the vertical motors to save weight. They don’t need as high a power output and are mainly only needed during takeoff and landing
Some kind of encoder or hall effect sensor + controller (on or apart from the ESC) will set the position of the vertical motors when transitioning into cruise mode
I’m thinking two rudders on the square/triangle shaped tail of the craft.
Not sure whether we need elevators on the tail because I don’t know how necessary pitch control is for a VTOL.
Maybe the rear 2 6S motors can provide needed pitch?
Maybe the rudders can be angled to somewhat control pitch?
Topologies that use 2 or 3 vertical motors instead of 4 are yet to be considered…
Other Ideas (list, arch tbd). Implementation difficulty be damned, a later problem.
come up with some mech soon that allows the horizontal prop to need lower rpm, some kind of cone or something
Have only 4 props, but the front 2 are angled back and the rear 2 are angled forward. The 2 rear props operate on their own when in cruise mode. - likewise, could also only be 3 props total.
4 or 3 prop tilt rotor. Rear props only tilt.
4 prop tilt rotor. All props tilt.
2 prop tilt rotor, short fuselage
2 prop tilt rotor, long fuselage
Folding wings
Some sci-fi inspiration
StarCraft Viking and its folding wings
Halo Hornet, Wasp, Pelican (all tilt-rotor)
