Handling Qualities Based Assessment of Scalability for Variable-RPM Electric Multi-Rotor Aircraft

Abstract

An examination is conducted into the effects of increasing rotor diameter on the handling qualities of a quadcopter with fixed-pitch, variable-RPM rotors. Five aircraft are simulated, with rotors ranging from 1 to 8 feet in diameter. The flight characteristics of the aircraft are quantified using Froude-scaled handling qualities metrics. Several scaled ADS-33E-PRF handling qualities metrics are evaluated, including response to a collective controller, disturbance rejection, and bandwidth in roll, pitch, and yaw. It is concluded that aircraft performance is limited by disturbance rejection requirements in yaw as well as actuator saturation limitations that are present in other control channels, and a quadcopter with rotors over 2 feet in diameter will need greater installed power than what is currently estimated in order to meet handling qualities metrics without violating actuator constraints.