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) |
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Desc |
Four fixed equidistant motors |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
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HexaCopter |
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Desc |
Six fixed equidistant motors |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
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Dodeca-HexaCopter |
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Desc |
Six fixed equidistant pairs of coaxial motors |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
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Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
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OctaCopter |
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Desc |
Eight fixed equidistant motors |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
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QuadX8 |
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Desc |
4 fixed equidistant pairs of coaxial motors |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
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Y6 |
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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 |
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TriCopter |
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Desc |
3 lift motors in a Y, rear-wards motor tilting to provide yaw |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
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Petrol-Boosted TriCopter |
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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 |
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Bicopter |
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Desc |
Dual, thrust vectored motors |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
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SingleCopter |
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Desc |
||
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
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CoaxCopter |
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Desc |
||
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
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CoaxCopter - Thrust-Vectored |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Tandem Helicopter |
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Desc |
Two counter-rotating rotors instead of one main rotor and one tail rotor |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
||
Synchropter |
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Desc |
Dual-disk helicopter with inter-meshing blades |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Copter |
|
Info |
||
AETR Plane - Tractor |
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Desc |
Traditional Aeleron/Elevator/Throttle/Rudder Tractor |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
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Plank Flying Wing |
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Desc |
Flying Plank, differential thrust for yaw |
|
Sim |
No |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
||
AETR Plane - Pusher |
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Desc |
Traditional Aeleron/Elevator/Throttle/Rudder Pusher |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
||
ETR Plane - Tractor |
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Desc |
Elevator/Throttle/Rudder (“Rudder-only”) |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
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QuadPlane X4 Elevon Pusher |
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Desc |
Four fixed lifting motors; elevon+rudder control surfaces |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
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Tilt-tricopter-vectored-yaw-QuadPlane |
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Desc |
Pulling, tilting motors used for lift, thrust and yaw |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
||
QuadPlane |
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Desc |
Four lifting motors, lifting an elevator/ailieron/rudder plane |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
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Tri-Tilt-Wing QuadPlane |
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Desc |
Multiple motors fixed to wings which pivot;single rear motor for stability. Ail/Rud/Elev |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
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QuadPlane X8 |
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Desc |
Four pairs of coaxial lifting motors, lifting an elevator/ailieron/rudder plane |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
||
QuadPlane Delta Y6 |
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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 |
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Desc |
3 motors in Y3 arrangement lifting an elevon plane, all motors tilting for fwd flight |
|
Sim |
No |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
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Elevon Tail-Sitter |
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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 |
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Desc |
Two pulling, tilting motors on a wing, copter/plane mode transitions |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
||
Thrust-Vectored belly-Sitter |
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Desc |
Two pulling, tilting motors on a wing, copter/plane mode transitions |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
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Quad Motor Tailsitter |
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Desc |
Four motors on a wing, copter/plane mode transitions |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Plane |
|
Info |
Tri/Hex/Octo also supported |
|
GyroCopter |
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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 |
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Ackerman Steering Rover |
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Desc |
Pivotting steering wheels |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Rover |
|
Info |
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Skid-Steer Rover |
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Desc |
Tank-tread driven |
|
Sim |
Yes |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Rover |
|
Info |
||
Skid-Steer Legged Rover |
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Desc |
Strandbeast |
|
Sim |
No |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Rover |
|
Info |
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Skid-Steer Boat |
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Desc |
Two fixed props |
|
Sim |
Yes: Gazebo |
|
R/W |
Yes |
|
Code |
Rover |
|
Info |
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Air-Boat |
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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 |
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