The principle of operation of the quadcopter is based on the rotation of the propellers in opposite directions. This principle of operation is the basis of how the copter flies - smoothly, stabilized, with good controllability. This is the main difference from helicopters - in contrast to them, stabilization of the quadcopter can be said to be perfect! Some models can even hover in the air, waiting for a command from the remote control, and with the management itself can cope even a novice. What cannot be said about helicopters...
Quadcopters, drones, and other drones are becoming increasingly popular. Surely some of the quadcopters have had to fly in thunderstorms as well. Popular video blogger and drone enthusiast Tom Scott decided to take some machines to a high-voltage lab at the University of Manchester, where lightning can be manually generated.
In the first experiment, a pulse of more than 1 million volts was sent through the DJI Phantom 3 quadcopter. The aircraft immediately collapsed to the ground, ceasing to operate. After a thorough inspection, experts did not find any visible damage on it, but all of the quadcopter's internal electronics were in disrepair.
In the second experiment, the team tried to protect another drone by creating a lightning rod using copper tape, stretching it around the perimeter of the machine. However, the second lightning did not pay any attention to the protection of the quadcopter, hitting it in one of the propellers, which due to the design features was the highest point. This time the device received both external and internal damage and again collapsed to the ground without a chance.
As a result of the experiment, it is clear that unlike aircraft, whose features allow them to withstand lightning strikes without any problems, drones and quadcopters remain extremely vulnerable to electrical discharges. This means that for the sake of preserving expensive equipment, we should refuse to use it during thunderstorms.
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