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

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.