Vehicle Types Supported by ArduPilot

Overview

ArduPilot is capable of controlling many vehicles.

This document attempts to enumerate these options. It is a work in progress and is nowhere near complete.

Supported Vehicles

Note

R/W is “Real World”

QuadCopter (X, Plus, H, V)

Desc

Four fixed equidistant motors

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

HexaCopter

Desc

Six fixed equidistant motors

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

Dodeca-HexaCopter

Desc

Six fixed equidistant pairs of coaxial motors

Sim

Yes

R/W

Code

Copter

Info

OctaCopter

Desc

Eight fixed equidistant motors

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

QuadX8

Desc

4 fixed equidistant pairs of coaxial motors

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

Y6

Desc

3 fixed pairs of coaxial motors arranged in a Y, tail of the Y rear-wards; yaw via diff. thrust

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

TriCopter

Desc

3 lift motors in a Y, rear-wards motor tilting to provide yaw

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

Petrol-Boosted TriCopter

Desc

3 lift motors in a Y, rear-wards motor tilting to provide yaw, petrol motor providing lift

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

Bicopter

Desc

Dual, thrust vectored motors

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

SingleCopter

Desc

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

CoaxCopter

Desc

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

CoaxCopter - Thrust-Vectored

Desc

Pitch and roll control by independent thrust vectoring of the coaxial props

Sim

No

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

https://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/design-and-build-of-a-coaxial-drone/55521

6-DOF Multicopter

Desc

Full 6-Degrees of Freedom via 6 specially-angled motors

Sim

Yes: Realflight

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter/Scripting

Info

https://hackaday.com/2021/01/09/six-degrees-of-freedom-omnicopter-with-ardupilot/

HeliQuad

Desc

Four variable pitch propellors with a single throttle value

Sim

No

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

https://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/collective-pitch-quad-support/21678

Helicopter

Desc

Traditional Helicopter

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

Tandem Helicopter

Desc

Two counter-rotating rotors instead of one main rotor and one tail rotor

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

Synchropter

Desc

Dual-disk helicopter with inter-meshing blades

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Copter

Info

AETR Plane - Tractor

Desc

Traditional Aeleron/Elevator/Throttle/Rudder Tractor

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

Plank Flying Wing

Desc

Flying Plank, differential thrust for yaw

Sim

No

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

AETR Plane - Pusher

Desc

Traditional Aeleron/Elevator/Throttle/Rudder Pusher

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

ETR Plane - Tractor

Desc

Elevator/Throttle/Rudder (“Rudder-only”)

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

QuadPlane X4 Elevon Pusher

Desc

Four fixed lifting motors; elevon+rudder control surfaces

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

Tilt-tricopter-vectored-yaw-QuadPlane

Desc

Pulling, tilting motors used for lift, thrust and yaw

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

QuadPlane

Desc

Four lifting motors, lifting an elevator/ailieron/rudder plane

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

Tri-Tilt-Wing QuadPlane

Desc

Multiple motors fixed to wings which pivot;single rear motor for stability. Ail/Rud/Elev

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

QuadPlane X8

Desc

Four pairs of coaxial lifting motors, lifting an elevator/ailieron/rudder plane

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

QuadPlane Delta Y6

Desc

3 pairs of coaxial motors in Y6 arrangement lifting an elevon plane, fronts tilting for fwd flight

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

e.g. FireFly Y6

QuadPlane Delta Y3

Desc

3 motors in Y3 arrangement lifting an elevon plane, all motors tilting for fwd flight

Sim

No

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

Elevon Tail-Sitter

Desc

Fixed fwd thrust with elevon surfaces providing attitude control in both copter and plane modes

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

Thrust-Vectored Tail-Sitter

Desc

Two pulling, tilting motors on a wing, copter/plane mode transitions

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

Thrust-Vectored belly-Sitter

Desc

Two pulling, tilting motors on a wing, copter/plane mode transitions

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

Quad Motor Tailsitter

Desc

Four motors on a wing, copter/plane mode transitions

Sim

Yes

  • X frame biwing

  • X frame biwing QACRO demo

  • Plus frame

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

Tri/Hex/Octo also supported

GyroCopter

Desc

Unpowered main rotor disc (tilts laterally), pusher prop, rudder and elevator

Sim

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

Ornithopter

Desc

Ornithopter - flapping wings +rudder

Sim

No

R/W

Yes

Code

Plane

Info

Ackerman Steering Rover

Desc

Pivotting steering wheels

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Rover

Info

Skid-Steer Rover

Desc

Tank-tread driven

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Rover

Info

Skid-Steer Legged Rover

Desc

Strandbeast

Sim

No

R/W

Yes

Code

Rover

Info

Skid-Steer Boat

Desc

Two fixed props

Sim

Yes: Gazebo

R/W

Yes

Code

Rover

Info

Air-Boat

Desc

Vectored thrust fan

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Rover

Info

Fan-Car

Desc

Vectored thrust painting dolly

Sim

Yes: Gazebo

R/W

Yes

Code

Rover

Info

https://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/fan-car-a-vectored-thrust-rover/70036

Boat

Desc

Single-prop thrust, rudder for yaw

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Rover

Info

Sailboat

Desc

Boat with rudder and sail controlled via main sheet

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Rover

Info

Balance Bot

Desc

Fundamentally unstable wheeled platform actively kept balanced by the autopilot

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Rover

Info

Vectored Sub

Desc

Thrusters with 6-DOF

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Sub

Info

AntennaTracker

Desc

Pan/Tilt PWM-driven continuous actuators

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Tracker

Info

Blimp (flapping fin)

Desc

Flapping Fin Blimps

Sim

Yes

R/W

Yes

Code

Blimp

Info