In many sources, it is called a frame instead of a drone body. Frame is an English word which means the basic structure of a building or vehicle that other parts are added onto. Changes are seen in the body structure according to the purposes and duties of the drones, which are a type of unmanned aerial vehicle that is very common for use in hobby and industrial areas. The choice of drone body is very important for the drone to serve the desired purpose. In this article, we will talk about the body types of drones and their characteristic features.
We Can Examine the Bodies of Drones Under 6 Headings
1-)Tricopter
2-)Quadcopter
3-)Hexacopter
4-)H6
5-)Octocopter
6-)X8
1)Tricopter Drone Frame
Tricopters consist of 3 motors. All three turn in the same direction. It is controlled by the servo motor located at the back, which allows the drone to turn right and left. The YAW control servo located in the rear tail section creates quadcopter power losses during turns. Tricopter drones have 2 motors on the front. Due to this feature, it is easy to find the front of the drone during the flight.
What are the Differences Between Tricopters and Quadcopters According to Drone Body Types?
- Quadcopters fly more stably, as they have 4 engines.
- Since the tricopters have 3 motors, the thrust is less than other types of drones.
- As a result of its unique flight dynamics structure, it cannot continue to fly in any way in case of engine failure and is decimated in the air.
Tricopters are divided into 2 as Y and T bodies, and the only difference is the angles between the engines. The distance between all arms in the Y tricopter drone body is 120 degrees, the T tricopter drone T body is 180 degrees.
2)Quadcopter Drone Frame
It is the most widely used type of drone. 2 motors move clockwise and the other 2 motors move counterclockwise. In this way, the angular momentum of the drone is zero.
Quadcopters have 3 different models
A) X Drone Frame
Probably, it is the most widely used Drone Frame type. It is easier to make as DIY compared to other frame types. Their arms are longer due to the fact that the body size is smaller compared to other types of quadcopter. In many X-type body drone videos, we see the camera pulling the drone’s feet. To prevent this, the drone’s landing gear must be longer. This way, the propellers are not in the field of view of the camera.
B) H Drone Frame
As the name suggests, the H body consists of extended arms that form the shape of the letter H. Among the quadcopters, it is the drone type with the most body area. Thanks to this excess space, the battery, image transmission equipment, communication systems, flight computer and camera are included. The most important advantage of the H body: it allows the camera to be directly on the middle body, not on the landing gear. This advantage allows it to land on almost many H-core quadcopter models without the need for a sturdy landing gear or without landing gear on some Quadcopters. Due to the fact that the middle body area is more than quadcopter types, H body quadcopters are heavier than other models.
C)Hybrid X Drone Frame
Adjusting the arms to 60 degrees allows the body to be shortened by 60% compared to the H body. Assuming both are made of the same material, it has a body that is 60% lighter than H. Compared to an X body of the same size, its arms are 16% shorter. The camera is located inside the H body.
3) Hexacopter (6 motors) Drone Frame
Compared to other types of drone bodies, the thrust force is higher, so that their external weight lifting capacity is higher. There are 60 degree angles between the arms and it has 6 motors. Since it has an engine’s thrust at every 60 degrees, it has a more stable flight feature than quadcopters.
If we want to achieve an efficient and long flight due to the energy consumed by 6 engines, it is necessary to use high capacity (Mah) LiPo batteries.
4)Octocopter (8 motor) Drone Frame
As the name suggests, they have 8 arms. There is a 45-degree angle between the arms. 4 of them rotate clockwise and 4 of them rotate counterclockwise. As a result of the supply of 1 or 2 engines in the air, the drone can continue to fly as a result of the flight control card on it coordinating the engines appropriately.
Since the energy consumed by 8 motors will be more than other models, it needs expensive LiPo batteries.
5) Y4 Body (4 motors) Drone Frame
It is identical to the Y3 body, but has another engine in the tail section. In this way, it has a thrust force capacity more than Y3. 3 of the 4 engines rotate in the same direction and 1 of the tail motor rotates in different direction, thus ensuring the stability of the drone in the air.
6) Y6(6 motor) Drone Frame
The biggest difference from the Y3 Drone body is that there are 2 motors on each arm. The upper and lower motors on each arm move in the opposite direction. It has the same lifting capacity as the hexacopter, but the hexacopter has more stable flight.
7) X8(8 engine) Drone Frame
The body structure with quadcopters is very similar, but X8 drones have 8 propellers. On the same arm there are 2 motors and they rotate in the opposite direction. A high-capacity battery is needed.
