Vision Aerial Loves Tri-rotor Drones
Producing a tri-rotor drone was not just a way to be different in an industry dominated by quadcopters. From the very beginning, Vision Aerial’s engineers took a totally objective look at what makes a great drone. After exhaustive research, multiple prototypes, and much experimentation, the conclusion was that a tri-rotor design was best.
When Vision Aerial initially launched the SwitchBlade tricopter, it was an extraordinarily capable aircraft that was substantially different from industry standards. Since the initial launch, Vision Aerial has continued to iterate on the design and make improvements. The resulting SwitchBlade-Elite 2.0 is a culmination of all of the knowledge and innovations to create the best unmanned aerial vehicle on the market.
Here are the primary reasons why Vision Aerial believes a tri-rotor drone is superior to a quadcopter:
Natural Flight Dynamics
Tri-rotor drones closely mirror the flight of a fixed-wing aircraft. They can make banked turns and are able to fly forward rapidly. Acceleration and deceleration is also very intuitive for the pilot. On the other hand, quadcopters are less intuitive to fly. This is because they are operated more like a helicopter with a single-rotor. The SwitchBlade-Elite also features a unique pivoting tail yaw mechanism. This means the SwitchBlade-Elite has all the advantages of both styles of aircraft – natural forward flight and intuitive hover, take-off, and landing.
Tri-Rotor Drones Feature Easy Aircraft Orientation
Current FAA regulations require commercial operators to fly within line-of-sight. In a quad-rotor configuration, it can be difficult to tell which is the front of the aircraft because of the symmetrical design. This problem increases over distance. Even with the help of LED lights, operators can become confused. On the other hand, tricopters are easy to determine orientation, even over long distances.
Why is this important? If you’re inspecting a wind-turbine blade that costs over $150,000, knowing the orientation of your drone with absolute certainty is paramount. Flying forward when you mean to fly backward could be a very costly mistake.
Superior Yaw Authority
Yaw is the rotation of an aircraft around its vertical axis. Yaw is what allows the drone to change the direction it’s pointed. In a quad-rotor aircraft, yaw is accomplished through the modulation of torque at the various motors. Slowing one rotor down and speeding up another causes the aircraft to rotate.
SwitchBlade-Elite drones, feature a pivoting rear yaw mechanism that allows the rear rotor to rotate along the longitudinal axis. This forces the aircraft to rotate through applying force to the vertical axis. It does not require torque vectoring which requires one or more prop to slow down. That means that all props can be operating at maximum capacity and the rear prop can still turn the aircraft.
The result is amazingly smooth motion. In addition, maintaining orientation in windy conditions is dramatically easier and more efficient. Simply turn the rear prop into the wind to counteract its force. SwitchBlade-Elite drones can easily operate in conditions that a similar-sized quadcopter would have difficulty flying in.
Larger Props Increase Efficiency
Because a SwitchBlade-Elite uses three props, rather than four, the space between them is larger. A larger space allows larger, more efficient props to be used. Larger props can rotate at a slower speed which results in more efficient flight and hover capabilities. For example, many quadcopter designs use props that are around 15″ while the SwitchBlade-Elite uses up to 18.5″ props. This is an increase of 35% in the disc size. The load on each prop is substantially smaller, so they don’t have to work as hard to keep the craft aloft. The use of larger props directly translates to better battery utilization and longer flight times.
Faster and Easier Collapse for Transport
Believe it or now, drones spend the vast majority of their time on the ground. Vision Aerial understands the importance of compact, convenient transportation. When compared to similar most quadcopters, our tri-rotor drone is less awkward to travel with. The SwitchBlade-Elite’s is designed to quickly and easily collapse for transport. It’s also easy to set up. You can go from case to flight in less than 2 minutes.
Please click here if you’d like to learn more about the SwitchBlade-Elite Tricopter drone.
If you have any questions about the tri-rotor design, please contact us.
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