Multirotor Explained

A multirotor^[1] or multicopter is a rotorcraft with more than two lift-generating rotors. An advantage of multirotor aircraft is the simpler rotor mechanics required for flight control. Unlike single- and double-rotor helicopters which use complex variable pitch rotors whose pitch varies as the blade rotates for flight stability and control, multirotors often use fixed-pitch blades. They control vehicle motion by varying the relative speed of each rotor to change the thrust and torque produced by each. Some control the pitch of each rotor instead.^[2]

Due to their ease of both construction and control, multirotor aircraft are frequently used in radio control aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) projects^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]} in which the names tricopter, quadcopter, hexacopter and octocopter are frequently used to refer to 3-, 4-, 6- and 8-rotor rotorcraft, respectively.^[9] There is also the X8 (also called octo-quad) configuration that is similar to the quadracopter design, except that it has eight rotors; the lower of which have a reversed rotation direction.^[10]

In order to allow more power and stability at reduced weight, coaxial rotors can be employed, in which each arm has two motors, running in opposite directions which cancels out rotational torque (one facing up and one facing down).^[11] Also possible is the addition of horizontal propellers.^{[12] [13] [14]} These types of rotorcraft (which have just 4 vertical propellers) are called quadplanes.^[15] It can also be possible by adding additional nonhorizontal wings, which are called lifting-wing multicopters.^{[16] [17] [18]}

Most multirotors are small, with first-person view and battery power which limits their range, endurance, and payload.

Rotor configurations

• Coaxial rotors
• Cyclorotor
• Intermeshing rotors
• Tail rotor
• Tandem rotors
• Transverse rotors

Examples

• de Bothezat helicopter - an American four-rotor helicopter that first flew on December 18, 1922 and was used for militairy evaulation of things
• Cierva Air Horse - a British three-rotor "heavy lift" helicopter first flying in 1948. Three rotors were used to give a large lift without compromising rotor strength.^[19]
• Volocopter designs - a series of German prototype electric multicopters with 18 rotors, the first electric multicopter in the world to achieve crewed flight.^{[20] [21]} The large number of low-cost motors make it economical, quiet and provide redundancy with ability to maintain control with up to four failed motors.^[22]

Notes and References

1. Early in helicopter development,"multi-rotor" was used to refer to helicopters with two rotor assemblies
2. Web site: HeliQuads (Variable Pitch Multicopters) — Copter documentation . 2026-02-23 . ardupilot.org.
3. Web site: AeroQuad - The Open Source Quadcopter. 2012-01-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20120103092559/http://aeroquad.com/. 2012-01-03. dead.
4. Web site: Multicopter Table. multicopter.org. 30 June 2015. 6 November 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111106071900/http://multicopter.org/wiki/Multicopter_Table. dead.
5. Web site: FrontPage - UAVP-NG - The Open Source Next Generation Multicopter. uavp.ch. 30 June 2015.
6. Web site: FrontPage - UAVP-NG - The Open Source Next Generation Multicopter. uavp.ch. 30 June 2015.
7. Web site: DIY Drones. diydrones.com. 30 June 2015.
8. http://www.openpilot.org/ OpenPilot
9. Web site: How to Pick The Best Multirotor Frame. My First Drone. 30 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20140403153424/http://myfirstdrone.com/tutorials/best-multirotor-frame/. 3 April 2014.
10. Web site: Octo Quad. ardupilot.org. 30 December 2019.
11. Web site: Multirotor Frame Configurations. Coptercraft. 23 December 2015.
12. Web site: Hybrid VTOL Fixed Wing UAV - DeltaQuad Autonomous VTOL Drone. unmannedsystemstechnology.com.
13. Web site: QuadRanger VTOL . 2018-04-29 . 2018-11-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181106145016/http://px4.io/portfolio/quadranger-vtol/ . dead .
14. Web site: SkyProwler combines a quadcopter and a fixed-wing airplane in one device. Ben. Coxworth. February 19, 2015. New Atlas.
15. Web site: QuadPlane Overview — Plane documentation. ardupilot.org.
16. Book: Xiao . Kun . Meng . Yao . Dai . Xunhua . Zhang . Haotian . Quan . Quan . A Lifting Wing Fixed on Multirotor UAVs for Long Flight Ranges . 2021-06-15 . 2021 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS) . https://doi.org/10.1109/icuas51884.2021.9476859 . IEEE . 1605–1610 . 10.1109/icuas51884.2021.9476859. 2006.15579 . 978-1-6654-1535-4 .
17. Zhang . Haotian . Tan . Shaochang . Song . Ziming . Quan . Quan . June 2022 . Performance Evaluation and Design Method of Lifting-Wing Multicopters . IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics . 27 . 3 . 1606–1616 . 10.1109/tmech.2021.3090667 . 1083-4435. subscription .
18. Quan . Quan . Wang . Shuai . Gao . Wenhan . March 2025 . Lifting-Wing Quadcopter Modeling and Unified Control . Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics . 48 . 3 . 689–699 . 10.2514/1.g008134 . 2301.00730 . 2025JGCD...48..689Q . 0731-5090.
19. Flight 14 April 1949 p427
20. Web site: German multicopter makes first manned flight. 1 November 2011. sUAS news. 3 Nov 2011.
21. Web site: Volocopter: 18-propeller electric helicopter takes flight. 27 November 2013. CNN news. 2 Dec 2013.
22. Sport Aviation. New Aircraft Arises from Germany. January 2012. 14.