econfly
Member
It looks like KDE will be offering their own props soon. I'm planning on using DJI 1552 props in a build with the KDE prop adaptors (same prop as on the DJI S1000/S900 -- very good prop, well priced).
The Future of Propeller Technology
- Thread starter KDE Direct
- Start date
It looks like KDE will be offering their own props soon. I'm planning on using DJI 1552 props in a build with the KDE prop adaptors (same prop as on the DJI S1000/S900 -- very good prop, well priced).
Mactadpole
Member
How do these perform in wind? I did a test flight with 16 x5.4 beechwood props and really didn't see much of a difference from the 15x5.5 CF I have been flying. Hoping I would get about the same out of a set of these.
Edit: found reports elsewhere that the triple-props show better stability in wind compared to larger props.
Edit: found reports elsewhere that the triple-props show better stability in wind compared to larger props.
Last edited by a moderator:
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
tried it and it was very unstable due to the very different weights of the props....the weight is what basically determines yaw balance, when the props all weight the same it's easy for the fc to balance yaw
maxwelltub
Member
Is this true even if you have the "two quads" method. I don't know the right term but basically the motor mixing is laid out to have two quads stacked, rather then the DJI method which has all the tops rotating counter and all the bottoms going clockwise.
If you want to understand helicopter aerodynamics pick up a book by Prouty. He has written highly technical textbooks and used to do a monthly article for Rotor and Wing.
My. 02 lead lag is useless in a multirotor. Eventually someone will give us flapping hinges and we will see a new level of smoothness.
My. 02 lead lag is useless in a multirotor. Eventually someone will give us flapping hinges and we will see a new level of smoothness.
Mactadpole
Member
I just wanted to report back on my experience with the KDE triple prop adapters. I am absolutely blown away by the quality and performance! I was skeptical but reading about them and seeing who is using them I couldn't resist the urge. I thought I would be losing a little bit of flight time but to my surprise I am actually flying at slightly lower amps and throttle position which equates to increased flight time. I am using them with the DJI 1552's, compared to the cheap CF 15x5.5 and 16x5.4 beechwood props I was using. They are much smoother as others have reported, and only having to weigh and match up blades was a dream!
Very happy customer and I can't wait to see the new props to go along with them!
Very happy customer and I can't wait to see the new props to go along with them!
Vermiform
Member
I just wanted to report back on my experience with the KDE triple prop adapters. I am absolutely blown away by the quality and performance! I was skeptical but reading about them and seeing who is using them I couldn't resist the urge. I thought I would be losing a little bit of flight time but to my surprise I am actually flying at slightly lower amps and throttle position which equates to increased flight time. I am using them with the DJI 1552's, compared to the cheap CF 15x5.5 and 16x5.4 beechwood props I was using. They are much smoother as others have reported, and only having to weigh and match up blades was a dream!
Very happy customer and I can't wait to see the new props to go along with them!
What rig are you running these on?
Mactadpole
Member
Mactadpole
Member
I am using the DJI 15x5.2 - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1079990-REG/dji_cp_sb_000221_premium_propeller_pack_for.html
I don't know that everyones experience will equal mine. Especially after spend a bunch of time reading about them and most people saying 4-7% efficiency loss but increase thrust. I guess my cheap props were so bad that something with some QC improved the situation.
KDE Direct
KDE Direct, LLC.
Production is in full swing, and we are building up inventory for the official release, looking to occur within 2-3 weeks or potentially sooner. Our goal was late May, and we missed this by a month, but I am not willing to release the product until fully-qualified and enough inventory to meet the market demand, so we're almost there. Here's a sneak-peak of the 15.5" x 5.3 editions, and the 18.5" x 6.3 and 27.5" x 8.9 will be made available at the same time.
View attachment 24984
View attachment 24984
Attachments
Motopreserve
Drone Enthusiast
Wow. Very unique looking. Can't wait to hear feedback when these make it into pilots hands.
KDE Direct
KDE Direct, LLC.
Hey Everyone,
The production of high-quality propellers took longer than expected, but all good things come to those who wait, right?
The first production has arrived, with further stock coming in mid-this-week - demand has been very high, so we are pushing production to keep up and maintain inventory at our warehouse now here in Bend, Oregon. The propellers are provided in three sizes:
15.5" x 5.3
18.5" x 6.3
27.5" x 8.9
Additional sizes will soon follow, and all sizes are offered in a dual- and triple-propeller format. What's the benefit of a triple-propeller format? The primary answer for you is thrust and balancing - with the same rotor diameter, a gain of ~22% thrust is achieved and also, improved further improve dynamic balancing due to the physics of the 120° offset. What's the negative of a triple-propeller format? A slight decrease in efficiency across the board and added costs (three versus two blades), so there are pros and cons to either format and a wide-variety to suit your application.
We will be updated the website all week with new images, test and performance charts, design presentations, etc. and thank you to everyone for your patience. It's been a long road establishing a manufacturing facility capability of this level of quality, but we're there and excited to bring these to market.
http://www.kdedirect.com/collections/multi-rotor-propeller-blades
http://www.kdedirect.com/collections/multi-rotor-propeller-blade-adapters
View attachment 25655 View attachment 25656 View attachment 25657 View attachment 25658 View attachment 25659
The production of high-quality propellers took longer than expected, but all good things come to those who wait, right?
The first production has arrived, with further stock coming in mid-this-week - demand has been very high, so we are pushing production to keep up and maintain inventory at our warehouse now here in Bend, Oregon. The propellers are provided in three sizes:15.5" x 5.3
18.5" x 6.3
27.5" x 8.9
Additional sizes will soon follow, and all sizes are offered in a dual- and triple-propeller format. What's the benefit of a triple-propeller format? The primary answer for you is thrust and balancing - with the same rotor diameter, a gain of ~22% thrust is achieved and also, improved further improve dynamic balancing due to the physics of the 120° offset. What's the negative of a triple-propeller format? A slight decrease in efficiency across the board and added costs (three versus two blades), so there are pros and cons to either format and a wide-variety to suit your application.
We will be updated the website all week with new images, test and performance charts, design presentations, etc. and thank you to everyone for your patience. It's been a long road establishing a manufacturing facility capability of this level of quality, but we're there and excited to bring these to market.
http://www.kdedirect.com/collections/multi-rotor-propeller-blades
http://www.kdedirect.com/collections/multi-rotor-propeller-blade-adapters
View attachment 25655 View attachment 25656 View attachment 25657 View attachment 25658 View attachment 25659
Attachments
crayfellow
Member
Congrats! looking forward to giving them a try.
maxwelltub
Member
Looks great! As you move forward in the future it would be awesome if companies would make sets for coax set ups. Such as 18" and 17" or various pitches in 18". Probably too niche of a request but just throwing it out there.
KDE Direct
KDE Direct, LLC.
What is becoming popular, is the concept of using the dual-propeller on the upper-disc of the coaxial design, and the triple-propeller on the lower-disc. In this regards, you maintain the same rotor-disc diameter, but have the advantages of the higher-lift capacity of the lower-disc. Such as our 15.5" x 5.3 series, in the triple-format, it produces thrust equivalent to a comparable 17" standard propeller. In the 18.5" x 6.3 category, the triple-format is comparable to a 20" standard propeller.
maxwelltub
Member
Oh sweet I wasn't sure if this would work, I may have to try it and see how it flies. Do you know of specific examples of this being tested?
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
I've tried that as there are NASA papers documenting dissimilar prop formats to help reduce vibration signatures in coaxial fixed wing propeller designs. problem as i see it is the mass is different enough between a two and three blade prop so if the tops are all two-blade and the bottoms are all three-blade, for example, the difference in total spinning mass makes yaw control very hard. so you'd have to have two on the bottom spinning in one direction and the other two on the bottom spinning in the other direction, and vice versa on top, to make it all work.
I've got my coaxial quads set up now to spin, on top, the right two motors spin clockwise and the left two motors spin counter clockwise, everything is opposite on the bottom. THis might work with two and three blades in combination on one airframe.
KDE Direct
KDE Direct, LLC.
Hey Bart -
Great explanation and absolutely agree, one of the best things to do is use a custom-mix on a X-8 system, to prevent the off-balance. Our Team has never been a fan of the standard DJI X-8 mix (all upper motors spin CCW, all lower motor spin CW) - sure it's easy from an installation standpoint and simplicity, but like you state, any off-balance will be experienced. In this regard, we always use custom-mixes of a standard X-4 on top and an opposite X-4 on bottom (meaning upper motors are CW-CCW-CW-CCW and the lower motors are CCW-CW-CCW-CW). Even if the propellers are all the same size class, it still seems to make a major improvement in flight stability, especially in windy conditions.
Great explanation and absolutely agree, one of the best things to do is use a custom-mix on a X-8 system, to prevent the off-balance. Our Team has never been a fan of the standard DJI X-8 mix (all upper motors spin CCW, all lower motor spin CW) - sure it's easy from an installation standpoint and simplicity, but like you state, any off-balance will be experienced. In this regard, we always use custom-mixes of a standard X-4 on top and an opposite X-4 on bottom (meaning upper motors are CW-CCW-CW-CCW and the lower motors are CCW-CW-CCW-CW). Even if the propellers are all the same size class, it still seems to make a major improvement in flight stability, especially in windy conditions.
Mediakopter.no
Member
I would like to see a comparison between your folding props and the fixed t-motor carbon props. Can they match the efficiency?