Find Multirotor Drone manufacturers and suppliers of multicopters, quadcopters, heavy lift & hybrid multi rotor UAV & UAS for professional applications
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Technology Editor Last updated: October 20th, 2023
What is a multirotor drone?
Multirotors are UAVs that use more than two rotors with fixed-pitch spinning blades that generate lift. By changing the speed of the rotors so that the thrust generated is greater than, equal to or less than the forces of gravity and drag acting on the aircraft, the drone can be made to ascend, hover or descend. By varying the speeds of particular rotors, it is also possible to make the drone turn or move in a horizontal direction.
Multicopter configurations and sizes
Multirotor UAVs are typically found with three, four, six or eight rotors, and aircraft with these configurations are typically known respectively as tricopters, quadcopters, hexacopters and octocopters. Quadcopters are the most common design, having a less complex stabilising mechanism than tricopters and fewer parts (and therefore less manufacturing cost) than hexacopters or octocopters.
The more rotors a multirotor drone has, the more thrust it can generate and thus the greater a payload it can lift. Heavy lift multirotor drones that lift very heavy industrial cameras or delivery payloads will often be hexacopters or octocopters. Drones with more than four rotors also have a degree of redundancy, allowing them to still make a gradual descent in the case of an individual rotor failure.
The tradeoff is that a greater number of rotors requires a higher current draw, and therefore hexacopters and octocopters will need to carry a greater weight in batteries to achieve the same flight endurance as a quadcopter of similar size. Larger multicopter drones may have the ability to carry hydrogen fuel cells, which can provide a greater energy output to mass ratio than conventional battery technology.
Acecore Industrial Neo Heavy Lift Drone
Multirotor drones versus fixed-wing drones
Multirotor UAVs, due to their VTOL operation, can operate in a wider variety of environments than fixed-wing drones, as they do not require any extra space to take off and land. Their ability to hover in place makes them ideal for surveillance missions and certain imaging applications.
Most multicopters, especially smaller ones, are limited to batteries as a power source, which puts limits on their flight endurance. While fuel cells can be fitted to some multirotors to improve their flight times, internal combustion engines are too bulky, as well as too unresponsive for multicopter drone operation, which relies on very fast adjustments to rotor speeds.
Ultra-Lightweight, Rapidly-Deployable UAV for Tactical and Field Operations
Ultra-Lightweight, Rapidly-Deployable UAV for Tactical and Field Operations
The Helius UAV is an ultra-lightweight, high-performance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for... ...ms, the Helius UAV delivers a powerful combination of speed, endurance, and cutting-edge imaging,...
...ce photography drone designed specifically for the demands of the cinema and film production... ...lift cinematic drone, engineered specifically for high-end film production and professional...
Modular coaxial drone with compact cylindrical airframe
Modular coaxial drone with compact cylindrical airframe
... the versatile drone can be carried in a backpack and quickly and easily deployed for a wide variety... ... bottom of the drone. This allows the UAS to be configured for a range of missions with versatility...
Certified Blue UAS and NDAA compliant heavy lift drone
Certified Blue UAS and NDAA compliant heavy lift drone
...rkhorse of the drone industry, offering a safe and reliable platform for various tools needed to... ... features SAFE drone capability, allowing it to maintain safe and controlled flights even in the...
Portable quadcopter for industry professionals, enterprise users, and first responders
Portable quadcopter for industry professionals, enterprise users, and first responders
...... enterprise users, and first responders, the IF800 TOMCAT sets a new standard in drone... ...I’s M300 drones. Its state-of-the-art technology and steadfast commitment to national security...
Versatile hybrid power heavy-payload drone for industrial & public safety applications
Versatile hybrid power heavy-payload drone for industrial & public safety applications
... is a powerful multirotordrone that delivers a flight endurance of over 2.5 hours and payload... ...ged industrial UAV platform is engineered for high performance under highly challenging conditions,...
NDAA-compliant autonomous quadcopter UAV with powerful AI & ML capabilities
NDAA-compliant autonomous quadcopter UAV with powerful AI & ML capabilities
...ile quadcopter drone developed and assembled in the United States with a fully NDAA-compliant supply... ...e areas on the drone. It can be equipped with a wide variety of payloads for true multi-mission...
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