What is a quadcopter?

Mark Ben
Mark Ben
Jul 21, 2017 · 3 min read

So, you may find yourself watching a video of or hearing about these miniature flying helicopter-like things… and you may ask, what is a quadcopter?

A quadcopter is a multi rotor copter like JJRC H37 with four arms, each of which has a motor and a propeller at their ends. Quadcopters are similar to helicopters in some ways, though their lift and thrust come from four propellers, rather than just one. Also, helicopters have a “pitch” or tail rotor that helps stabilize the craft, whereas quadcopters do not. In a quad copter, two of the propellers spin in one direction (clockwise) and the other two spin the opposite direction (counterclockwise) and this enables the machine to hover in a stable formation.

Quadcopters are a great interim craft that sits in between airplanes and helicopters regarding difficulty, and they are getting easier to fly all the time. Aside from true 3D flight, such as inverted flight, quads are also getting more acrobatic giving experience flyers more fun and excitement. If you are looking for an aircraft that offers a great balance between cost, capability, and performance, then a quadcopter may be the right aircraft for you.

Thanks to advances in processors, batteries, and general innovation, quadcopters are now available in ready to fly consumer kits for under $40! In the last few years, their capabilities have increased dramatically, and pretty much anyone can pick up a quadcopter and have it flying with a good degree of control in 5–10 minutes. There is a wide range of quadcopters out there — from the $40 mini or micro-quadcopters to moderately priced models with integrated HD video capabilities, to multi-thousand dollar professional rigs.

RC Quadcopters often are referred to by different names, including quadrocopter, quadrotor, quad copter, quad-copter, quadrocopter, UAV, UAS, or drone. There are also tri copters (three blades), hexacopters (six blades), and octocopters (eight blades!). The multirotor with a high number of blades are typically larger and designed to carry a heavier payload. For example, Amazon’s recent announcement about using unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver packages shows the company utilizing octocopters, given their increased range, stability, and ability to carry moderate amounts of weight.

Quadcopters are great fun for folks of all ages, from kids playing around to adults utilizing them for photography and video filming. Additionally, quad copters and multi rotors have been utilized in disaster management and recovery efforts, police operations, military engagements, and agricultural applications.

As technology has advanced and costs have come down, many industries are finding that quadcopters can offer innovative solutions to their problems and help them reduce costs as well!

Hope that this helped answer your question what is a quadcopter! Here at QuadcopterHQ, we offer information and resources on quad copters and multi rotors — reviews, specifications, and news. Explore the site, and if there’s anything that we’re missing, please drop us a line via our Contact page. Happy flying!

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Mark Ben

Mark Ben

Mark is the Co-Founder and CEO of TweakBiz.com and Digital Marketing Expert. TweakBiz is a community dedicated towards entrepreneurs, small businesses owners an

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