Pumpkinguy
Member
Does one have an advantage over the other considering all components are the same?
What is the difference between x8 and regular 8?
- Thread starter Pumpkinguy
- Start date
dazzab
Member
That's one of those religious wars type of questions. The X8 is smaller and easier to transport. Some say they are more stable in wind. I have one but have never flown a flat 8 so nothing to compare with. Some people fret about a coax arrangement being less efficient and will argue to eternity about how much 'less' is. The X8 is less complex having 4 less arms. You can't stand underneath an X8 and catch it like you can with a flat 8.
(I'm joking but I've seen crazy people do it).
kloner
Aerial DP
i've flown both and gained an opinion but like a holes, everybody has one. for me it was more stable in the wind, i had a harder time transporting it and not breaking props. liked handling characteristics, kinda slid around instead of locking up and turning on a rail like a flat will do but for me and my style, i got a lot of props in view since they hang down so far. I also like the flats ability to emergency land on things, we keep a windshield stand around in case anything happened to the landing gear theres an alternative, i've had to hit it once. Without that your catching it or landing on the gimbal, breaking a prop or a few, breaking motor races.
The big advantage and why you see so many now is the release of these really big, low kv motors and huge props.... all a sudden a rig in flat 8 limited to 15" can spin 18's no problem. Bigger if they needed it.... my resistance to giving that a go is the frames are already so flexy with 1 motor an arm i never trusted trying 2 referring to the skyjib. I've been around a few professionally that have done it and there impressive no doubt. More important than the layout to me is the power to weight ratio.... higher the better and if that took going x8 i'd be in.....
The big advantage and why you see so many now is the release of these really big, low kv motors and huge props.... all a sudden a rig in flat 8 limited to 15" can spin 18's no problem. Bigger if they needed it.... my resistance to giving that a go is the frames are already so flexy with 1 motor an arm i never trusted trying 2 referring to the skyjib. I've been around a few professionally that have done it and there impressive no doubt. More important than the layout to me is the power to weight ratio.... higher the better and if that took going x8 i'd be in.....
Pumpkinguy
Member
Pumpkinguy
Member
So are the pros gravitating towards this configuration (x8) or do the cons out weigh the pros? It seems to me most pros are using the regular 8.
Buzz_Roavr
Member
I have an X8. It's brilliant in the wind but sure creates plenty of its own!
turkeybird
Member
I'm a huge fan of X8. I set up a Vulcan frame as an XY, and it handles beautifully. The props in view did become an issue, but we've remedied that issue with all z arms. No issues with arm flex, but the bottom motor mounts must be shimmed to drop the props about 3/8 to 1/2" in order to avoid hitting the arms. I shimmed with the additional motor support plates that come with a Vulcan flat 8 frame kit to give berth for the props. After removing four of the arms, they became available for use. I'm much happier with this configuration over the flat set up. Kloner brought up an important point though, if you have a problem with your gear, and no bucket to set down on, you're screwed. Catching it isn't a very attractive option unless you like the idea of reaching into a giant food processor.
Old Man
Active Member
I prefer the X-8 config as well but not having the extensive experience Kloner and some of the others that opinion doesn't hold a lot of weight. Definitely more stable in the wind and can be heavier without as much size as a flat. The X-8 does make its share of wind for sure.
The efficiency debate will go on forever in all probability but most have only set an X-8 up in a manner that guarantees a loss of efficiency. There is a loss of efficiency if the motors are set up level with the arms, and that gets worse if you use the DJI motor rotation lay out.To work at maximum efficiency each motor pair has to work like a true quad in motor rotation.They cannot have all the tops spinning one way with the bottoms spinning the other. The motors all have to be canted a couple degrees clockwise to assure the bottom props are getting as much clean air as possible. You can see the results of this using a watt meter by comparing watts per motor in level and canted configs.
Is an X-8 more efficient than a flat? No, but you can use larger motors and props to generate a lot more thrust with a smaller copter in X-8 configuration. The downside of that is of course props in the video view if not planned for, but a Cinestar/Radian type of gimbal offsets that because the legs are always down. The X-8 config will still make it back if you lose a motor in flight. Experienced this once myself. I think the perfect configuration will always be in the eyes of the beholder and depend a lot on what its to be used for.
The efficiency debate will go on forever in all probability but most have only set an X-8 up in a manner that guarantees a loss of efficiency. There is a loss of efficiency if the motors are set up level with the arms, and that gets worse if you use the DJI motor rotation lay out.To work at maximum efficiency each motor pair has to work like a true quad in motor rotation.They cannot have all the tops spinning one way with the bottoms spinning the other. The motors all have to be canted a couple degrees clockwise to assure the bottom props are getting as much clean air as possible. You can see the results of this using a watt meter by comparing watts per motor in level and canted configs.
Is an X-8 more efficient than a flat? No, but you can use larger motors and props to generate a lot more thrust with a smaller copter in X-8 configuration. The downside of that is of course props in the video view if not planned for, but a Cinestar/Radian type of gimbal offsets that because the legs are always down. The X-8 config will still make it back if you lose a motor in flight. Experienced this once myself. I think the perfect configuration will always be in the eyes of the beholder and depend a lot on what its to be used for.