3 ms·

The swashplate mechanism is more complex than a tilting mechanism, be it 4x tilting mechanisms.

• Retric 10y ago
  You can get into a lot of different trade-offs. EX: There are some options that don't involve a swashplate. (ZX-35041) considering it's 20$ it's probably junk. But, notice how the tail blade is pointing up. You could build a tilting quad copter with 4 engines, but that's significantly more complex. You can also use one engine and get power out to the 4 blades but that also get's complicated. Still the point still stands, Quadcopter's need to get more complicated as you scale them and things like vibration make everything worse.
  • RealityVoid 10y ago
    The example you posted has far more things in common with a multirotor than with a helicopter. What amazes me at those little things is how little side-to-side drift they have, considering that's all depending on the CG being well centered. A nice variable pitch quad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy5Ky50eGJs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy5Ky50eGJs
    • Retric 10y ago
      That's a nice find with the variable pitch quad, though it looks like it has serious issues with vibration. Thrust vectoring is another option, as is using 3 blades at 90 degrees from each other. Autogyro's are another design which might work. However, in the end people have tried a lot of man sized flying designs and for vertical takeoff and hovering helicopters really are about as simple as it get's.
      • RealityVoid 10y ago
        > though it looks like it has serious issues with vibration Yeap, nailed it, apparently, vibrations are its biggest issue.