Y6 versus Hexacopter....... Advantages one over the other? Chime in!!
- Thread starter PilotMan
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helloman1976
Ziptie Relocation Expert
I've had both and I prefer the Hexacopter myself. The Y6's lose efficiency because they have blades that down-wash into each other. I have MUCH more lifting power with a Hexa than I did with the Y6 and I'm using the EXACT same setup, all I did was transfer it from one to the other. Also I have found that a failing motor on a Hexa means a safe, but hard, landing whereas a failure on a Y6 means an immediate and uncontrollable crash at least with a Naza controller. The hexas are also easier to work on as they are not as compact and are more spread out. It just depends on what you want but for my money it's Hexas and nothing else. Quads are toys
jcmonty
Member
Personally, I prefer the Y6. Yes, you do lose a bit of efficiency, but you really need to change your prop combo to account for the bottom inflow velocity. If you do that the endurance loss seems to be a net change when you consider the lost weight from reducing boom count, etc. This has been my experience. I have wanted to do some tests for empirical data, but that's far down on the to-do list. I hover at about the same power as I did with my hex before I reconfigured it.
My experience is that the Y6 does have an advantage in the wind as well. But that again depends on your prop/motor combo as well as your flight controller.
Plus, the Y6 is easier to transport because it's a bit more compact and easier to fit in trunks
My experience is that the Y6 does have an advantage in the wind as well. But that again depends on your prop/motor combo as well as your flight controller.
Plus, the Y6 is easier to transport because it's a bit more compact and easier to fit in trunks
Droider
Drone Enthusiast
My thoughts are well known on the forum.. I have to see a hexa do what I do with a Y6. As far as redundancy is concerned a hexa WILL fall unless you are on a WKM and then its a very skilled pilot with all their whits about them that will land it safe, same with the Y6 so there is no argument there. IF you want to fly and fly in almost anything the Y6 is the fella. If you live into a part of the world where winds are seldom above 7 or 8 mph then go for a flat but here in the uK when a job NEEDS doing then there aint out to touch it... well IMO anyhow. Proof well just search my videos and check this out shot at the weekend.. take note on altitude and wind speed as shown by the clouds flying by. You can also check out my youtube channel for more examples.
Hope this helps but come back at us if we can be of further help.
Dave
Hope this helps but come back at us if we can be of further help.
Dave
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helloman1976
Ziptie Relocation Expert
I'll take that challenge anytime, show me something you can do with your Y6 that I can't do with my Hexa..game on
I've personally landed, and on video on YouTube, my Hexa with a failed engine. I crashed my Y6 the second a motor shutdown in my driveway. With the hexa I was up around 300 feet when I started to fall, I hit full throttle and it took from 300 feet to 100 feet to slow my fall. I could see and hear the motor turning on and off in front of my main camera and I barely made it, the hexa frog hopped off the ground and landed almost right next to me. The Y6 has some advantage, less wind moving it around etc etc...there are no weight advantages either way but the Hexa has the power and weight lifting power by about 10% or so I'd say just guessing from my testing. I see many people putting smaller props on the bottom or changing the pitch etc etc but who wants to play that game? Isn't there enough bugs to work out on these things as it is? So post them up friend, make a video with your Y6 and let's see what you can do that I cannot
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Efliernz
Pete
Very nice. I have been looking at building a foldable Y6 fpv / video platform and your video just makes sure my mind isn't on work (like it should be).
Your comments about a hexa vs Y6. I lost a motor on my diy hexa last year and it came down... ugly but it came down sideways but upright in a hurry with minor damage. I have seen a Y6 flown back to base with the comments as it got closer "hey... only 5 motors are spinning". Says it all really
I am suffering from project creep. While I want to make a diy folding Y6 (that will fit in my backpack with Gopro) with the 75gram motors I have spare off my old octo, I look at the DW VM tri-arm and my four spare 120g motors... I suppose I could build a DW-VM3 with the big motors and another diy folding machine. Then my VM-6 will sulk because I wont be flying it anymore
Pete
Your comments about a hexa vs Y6. I lost a motor on my diy hexa last year and it came down... ugly but it came down sideways but upright in a hurry with minor damage. I have seen a Y6 flown back to base with the comments as it got closer "hey... only 5 motors are spinning". Says it all really
I am suffering from project creep. While I want to make a diy folding Y6 (that will fit in my backpack with Gopro) with the 75gram motors I have spare off my old octo, I look at the DW VM tri-arm and my four spare 120g motors... I suppose I could build a DW-VM3 with the big motors and another diy folding machine. Then my VM-6 will sulk because I wont be flying it anymore
Pete
Jake Bullit
Fly,crash,glue,repeat!
And they look cool
IMO
Sent from my HTC HD2
IMO
Sent from my HTC HD2
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DucktileMedia
Drone Enthusiast
Y6:
no props in view
better in wind(my experiences
easier to load in car
lighter
great redundancy
hex:
advantage is lift/efficiency, thats it.
put your camera level and push forward hard, tell me you dont see props! This is why Bart makes the XY8! best of all worlds.
The efficiency thing is minimal. I personally dont need to fly for 10 minutes. I always ran 2814's and graupner 11's both top/bottom and got 6-7 minutes on 8000 4s lifting an av130 and nex5n. Dont need much more for this setup.
I'm sure the hex can fly in winds as well, I had mine in winds and it did ok. But the Y6 could handle that little extra. Not saying I could fly in storms but it didnt get tossed as much. I've stuck with this config every since for my single operator heli.
no props in view
better in wind(my experiences
easier to load in car
lighter
great redundancy
hex:
advantage is lift/efficiency, thats it.
put your camera level and push forward hard, tell me you dont see props! This is why Bart makes the XY8! best of all worlds.
The efficiency thing is minimal. I personally dont need to fly for 10 minutes. I always ran 2814's and graupner 11's both top/bottom and got 6-7 minutes on 8000 4s lifting an av130 and nex5n. Dont need much more for this setup.
I'm sure the hex can fly in winds as well, I had mine in winds and it did ok. But the Y6 could handle that little extra. Not saying I could fly in storms but it didnt get tossed as much. I've stuck with this config every since for my single operator heli.
Droider
Drone Enthusiast
I am to old and to long in the tooth to rise to challenges like that. I know what I know and for everything I need to do when I HAVE to do it there is no way a flat can do what I do with my Y6. I am sure in Hawaii when the wind blows you batten down the hatches coz u know what coming.. the rest of the time its bliss to fly in.
As far as redundancy goes then I dont even consider it. In my position I have enough other things to think about, if its going to fail it will fail, if I flew every flight I do thinking that was a possibility I would take up knitting.
I applaud your enthusiasm for the flat over the Y6 and you seem to know your craft so why even bother asking..
As far as prop testing is concerned then I have been there done it a long time ago.
I moved from the dark side of this art to a system that works for me and my requirements.. it works fine, in fact it works fookin brilliantly as far as I and my clients are concerned.
Please fee free to post your videos . mine are at
http://www.youtube.com/my_videos
Dave
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Benjamin Rowland
Member
Dave, good to see you back in the air! Video looks good. What flight controller are you running on that Y6? How does a Y6 compare to an X8 in your opinion? Thanks for sharing your hard earned knowledge! You're the man!
all the best,
Ben
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DucktileMedia
Drone Enthusiast
man, it's too bad this isnt a smaller world as it would be great to meet some of you guys in person some day. I've been talking to Bart for over a year and half now and I've never met the guy. I talk to him more than my own wife! Maybe its time to do an international fun fly. How's Hawaii sound
Efliernz
Pete
Aye Up
Just what I need to see while "at work..."! What length arms (on the copter)?
I suspect I'll order the DW VM3 but without the u/c. I prefer my diy u/c as it handles landing while drifting forwards better than the stock u/c:
I just need to finish 2 x quad builds that I'm doing for clubmates first...
Pete
Just what I need to see while "at work..."! What length arms (on the copter)?
I suspect I'll order the DW VM3 but without the u/c. I prefer my diy u/c as it handles landing while drifting forwards better than the stock u/c:
I just need to finish 2 x quad builds that I'm doing for clubmates first...
Pete
Droider
Drone Enthusiast
man, it's too bad this isnt a smaller world as it would be great to meet some of you guys in person some day. I've been talking to Bart for over a year and half now and I've never met the guy. I talk to him more than my own wife! Maybe its time to do an international fun fly. How's Hawaii sound
Ney Lad you need something more challenging like UK winds!
I think a global meet is inevitable. After all the support I have received over the last couple of weeks it has made me really want to meet more of you guys.. how about us starting to looka the possibility of maybe a east coast US meet up. OR where do we all consider a global central point?
Dave
Droider
Drone Enthusiast
BH Ben come on you the man with the cam!
If I could have got to one thing in my garage it would have been my Y6.. well the old one as the X4 and NEW Y6 where in the house THANK the LORD!
I have stated more than once on this forum my love of the Y6 FOR WHAT I DO and Love to do. Out else is.. well just hard work IMO. I fly WKM on EVERYTHING now.. it just works.. well for me. I have long passed the tinkering to death stage, now when I have to fly its the DW Y6 WKM, PH130, Radian roll, CX730 combo.. for the wedge it takes some beating and it will fly in anything, well almost. I guess I am just confident enough now with it why change. The X4 was a natural progression to lift more but you have to ask yourself what more than a 730/550/GH3 do I need to lift on a MR with out wearing a nappy!
I have a project to lift something almost twice as much in value as a Red Epic so thats why the SJLX4 has been built. Otherwise if its more than the Y6 can handle then off you go, find someone else who can fly and get the footage better than I can with what ever they claim can.
That sounds a bit obnoxious but I guess I know my place in the market, my comfort zone and the profit over investment to make it worth while..
Dave
Benjamin Rowland
Member
Dave, thanks for the feedback. Not "obnoxious" at all - you've got the background to confidently state what you know. I appreciate the info. So... what camera are you planning to lift with the SJLX4?
Breezemont
Member
I'm guessing LIDAR.