I couldn't decide where to put this.. Unusual RC? Radios? Engines?

Have a look: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...riplething.jpg

Anyway the question is simply, would a flying machine such as this be feasable? Each propeller has an engine, each engine has a servo controlling its throttle. They are connected to the radio the same way they would be connected to the swashplate on a 120 degree eCCPM heli. The tail rotor is constant drive, varaible pitch and connected to the rudder channel as usual.

How would it perform in forward flight? (assuming it would work at all)

There's already a four motor version around somewhere that does not need a tail rotor. Two of the motors spin the opposite way and have reverse pitch rotors. I've seen one of these fly and it does very well. Pitch and roll is handled by just throttleing pairs on one side or one end and yaw is handled by increasing power to the clockwise pair and reducing it to the anti clockwise pair or vice versa.

Your version may need a tail rotor since there's only three motors but there's no reason it can't perform the rest of the stuff using the correct mixing ratios to the throttles.

Ah yes... I thought maybe have 3 props in a triangle, 2 small and 1 large, with the large one rotating the opposite way, but got to thinking.. if the prop was developing the same lift as the other 2 corners, it would have about the same drag, and therefore torque, as each of the other 2 and be unable to counter their torque despite its larger diameter. (larger size means nothing)


Or.. maybe a square frame with 4 motors, in pairs rotation-wise on each side. The problem is, when you slowed one pair of them to yaw, it would reduce lift in that side (or corner on the tri-motor) and cause it to pitch.

Of course, just now when I realized you could put the pair of like-rotating props opposite each other diagonally. [&:]

That's exactly how the one I saw did it.