Design principles of large quadrotors for practical applications

Virtually all quadrotors used in research weigh less than 2 kg, and carry payload measured in hundreds of grams. To be useful platforms for expanded operations, these vehicles must be capable of carrying greater weight. Several obstacles in aerodynamics, design and control must be overcome to enable the construction of larger craft with payloads in excess of 1 kg. We report the key design considerations essential for the construction of heavy quadrotor MAVs and demonstrate a 4 kg quadrotor with 1 kg payload.