Bi-copter, tri copter, quadcopter, hexacopter, and octocopter

For multi-rotor drones, there are many forms, from bi-copter to tri-copter, quadcopter, hexacopter, and otcopter

So what are the advantages of each of them? Let us think about this question carefully.

Bicopter

This means there are only two axes in a drone, It has higher flight time efficiency and longer battery life and would definitely exceed the other drones due to its lighter weight. At the same time, the axial space is larger and a variety of equipment can be arranged. This bi-copter structure makes flight more flexible and faster. The disadvantages are high efficiency, poor stability, and greater reliance on control algorithms. It is more susceptible to the effects of weather. The dual rotor can only fly in two directions facing the motor.

Tricopter

The tricopter as its name suggests, is made up of three rotors to generate buoyancy and is used for movement and control. And the arm distance is usually 120 degrees, at the meantime, it's typically in a “Y” shape and sometimes in a "T" shape. The advantages of a tricopter are its light size, low cost, and flexibility, as it only requires three rotors, which is a relatively inexpensive configuration. At the same time, it also has lower lifting power because of the motor numbers.

Quadcopter

Quadcopters are a common type of multicopter the most popular being the "X " and "H" shapes. Four motors are mounted on a symmetrical frame, and each arm is usually 90 degrees apart in an X4 configuration. Two of the motors rotate CW(clockwise) and the other two rotate CCW(counterclockwise) to generate opposite forces to keep balance. It achieves perfect performance for price, stability, and flight time.

Hexacopter

The hexacopter is mounted on a symmetrical frame, and each arm is usually 60 degrees. Compared to the quadrotor, the hexadecopter has more motors to increase power and stability. Meantime, it also improves redundancy so that even if a motor fails during flight, it can still work properly in the air and land safely. However, motors will have more power consumption, so the flight time will be reduced. It is also similar to a quadcopter, three of the motors rotate CW (clockwise), and the other three rotate CCW (counterclockwise) to generate opposite forces to keep balance.

Octocopter

The octocopter usually has eight rotors, so it has strong stability and power, which is able to take greater payload and has stronger wind resistance. It looks more like an upgraded quadrotor and hexadecopter. Octocopters are often used for film or professional purposes which can be mounted with heavier cameras and lenses. But because of the increase in the number of motors, its energy consumption is fast and the drone frame size is large.