Shrediquette - the award-winning multirotors by William Thielicke

Why future racing copters really should look different. by Dr. William Thielicke aka Willa aka Shrediquette ABSTRACT In this article I try to demonstrate why FPV racing multirotors need to look different. Some small modifications to the frame would (in theory…!) result in 70 % higher top speed! All that needs to be done is to align the arms parallel to the propeller flow, and to tilt the main body of the copter by about 40 degrees. I am presenting a very simple and robust racing copter design that incorporates these ideas. Furthermore, I am calculating the aerodynamic drag of different copter concepts using basic equations. The aim of this article is to make you realize the importance of aerodynamics and to stimulate people to design more innovative racing frames. INTRODUCTION Until recently, multirotors were mainly used as a “hovering device” and the top speed of these copters did hardly matter. Now, multirotor racing has become popular and all competitors are seeking ...

All carbon parts are milled, the 3D printed parts are ordered, and motors + ESCs arrived. I can start to assemble soon :-D. One thing that is new (except for the aerodynamic concept) are the airbrakes. I don't know yet how good they'll work and if they might introduce too much moments around some axis. But I think that they might be advantageous in racing tracks with a lot of tight turns. They'll be extended if the throttle is quickly reduced (hence reacting to the derivative of throttle). Here are some renderings of the latest iteration:       DERBE airbrakes

Here are some more renderings of my latest project. I'll write an article on multirotor racing aerodynamics soon, then you'll hopefully agree that this design makes sense ;-D