4 ms·

Just guessing (in addition to what others already mentioned - btw. I was wondering the same thing hehe): maybe one big part involves the landing & takeoff: fo

Just guessing (in addition to what others already mentioned - btw. I was wondering the same thing hehe): maybe one big part involves the landing & takeoff: for plane-like drones both are a lot more dangerous (therefore more difficult to be automated) and need a lot more space than quadcopters (and the likes). Saying this because I remember that, when I was a kid, my RC-plane (which took weeks and $$ to build) crashed 1.8 seconds after the first take-off attempt (damn, I got so angry & depressed...). I guess that soon or later we'll see mixed designs that can take off & land like a quadcopter but which can increase their range/efficiency by "transforming" in mid-air into an airplane-like form? (something similar to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey or maybe just a passive design that works by changing the fixed orientation of the whole drone from horizontal to almost vertical, or the opposite depending on the form of the drone?) In any case complexity would increase, therefore more specific demand for long-range capability is probably needed to go towards developing something in this area?

primitivesuave 6y ago
I remember how depressed I was when I crashed my RC plane on its maiden flight. Took a turn that was too sharp and didn't have the piloting skills to avert the subsequent nosedive. I crashed my first Phantom drone as well since I didn't know you have to warm up the batteries in cold weather. Live and learn I guess :)
meheleventyone 6y ago
Hybrids already exist in a variety of forms and it’s not beyond hobbiests to crank them out: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj3Bh6Krv9CXC8L8c3bPgonU7mtuRoIIa https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj3Bh6Krv9CXC8L8c3bPg... Most commercial versions opt for simplicity and use a separate set of propellers for quad and forward flight configurations.
- zepearl 6y ago
  Thx - maybe there are some additional complexities related to the payload/cargo (center of gravity, can the payload be rotated yes/no and if not then how to keep it level without increasing too much the weight, etc...)?
  - jlcortex 6y ago
    The problem with that is that, in the end, you are carrying a multirotor on your plane. It is not so efficient as a fix-wing or plane and it does not perform like a multirotor, because it lacks hovering endurance. That convertible concept does make sense for some specific applications, but they are not the perfect-for-all solution either.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
vanderZwan 6y ago
> Saying this because I remember that, when I was a kid, my RC-plane (which took weeks and $$ to build) crashed 1.8 seconds after the first take-off attempt This made me wonder if a drone gyrocopter might be a useful compromise, since they're inherently very stable. They do seem to exist but are rare[0][1]. According to the few discussions I could find on the topic, gyros are also less efficient than helicopters, so I guess that doesn't really make it a useful compromise in the context of drone range[2]. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPbQlRm_lvI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPbQlRm_lvI [1] https://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-autogyros.html https://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-autogyros.html [2] https://www.rotaryforum.com/threads/gyro-vs-helicopter-cruise-efficiency.17018/ https://www.rotaryforum.com/threads/gyro-vs-helicopter-cruis...

primitivesuave 6y ago

I remember how depressed I was when I crashed my RC plane on its maiden flight. Took a turn that was too sharp and didn't have the piloting skills to avert the subsequent nosedive. I crashed my first Phantom drone as well since I didn't know you have to warm up the batteries in cold weather. Live and learn I guess :)

meheleventyone 6y ago

Hybrids already exist in a variety of forms and it’s not beyond hobbiests to crank them out: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj3Bh6Krv9CXC8L8c3bPgonU7mtuRoIIa https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj3Bh6Krv9CXC8L8c3bPg... Most commercial versions opt for simplicity and use a separate set of propellers for quad and forward flight configurations.

zepearl 6y ago
Thx - maybe there are some additional complexities related to the payload/cargo (center of gravity, can the payload be rotated yes/no and if not then how to keep it level without increasing too much the weight, etc...)?
- jlcortex 6y ago
  The problem with that is that, in the end, you are carrying a multirotor on your plane. It is not so efficient as a fix-wing or plane and it does not perform like a multirotor, because it lacks hovering endurance. That convertible concept does make sense for some specific applications, but they are not the perfect-for-all solution either.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]

vanderZwan 6y ago

> Saying this because I remember that, when I was a kid, my RC-plane (which took weeks and $$ to build) crashed 1.8 seconds after the first take-off attempt This made me wonder if a drone gyrocopter might be a useful compromise, since they're inherently very stable. They do seem to exist but are rare[0][1]. According to the few discussions I could find on the topic, gyros are also less efficient than helicopters, so I guess that doesn't really make it a useful compromise in the context of drone range[2]. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPbQlRm_lvI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPbQlRm_lvI [1] https://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-autogyros.html https://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-autogyros.html [2] https://www.rotaryforum.com/threads/gyro-vs-helicopter-cruise-efficiency.17018/ https://www.rotaryforum.com/threads/gyro-vs-helicopter-cruis...