4+1 QuadPlane

Five motors, two flight modes, zero runways.

How It Works

QuadPlane combines a fixed-wing aircraft with a quadcopter. Four vertical lift motors handle takeoff and landing. One rear pusher motor handles cruise. ArduPilot manages the transition between modes automatically.

The result is an aircraft that takes off like a drone, flies like a plane, and lands like a drone — with the range and efficiency of a fixed wing and the operational flexibility of a multirotor.

Flight Phases

VTOL Takeoff

Phase 1

Four lift motors spin up simultaneously, lifting the aircraft vertically from any flat surface. No runway, no launcher, no catapult — just straight up.

~300 W hover power4× T-Motor F9060 sec climbGPS position hold

Transition

Phase 2

The pusher motor engages as the aircraft pitches forward. Airspeed builds over the wings until they generate enough lift to sustain flight. Quad motors gradually spin down.

30 sec transition~200 W averageAutomated blendingAirspeed-triggered

Fixed-Wing Cruise

Phase 3

In cruise, only the rear pusher motor is active. The Selig S3021 wing carries all the weight. Power drops to 80–110 W — roughly a third of hover — and range stretches to 100+ km.

80–110 W cruise54–60 km/h100+ km rangeSingle motor only

Return Transition

Phase 4

Approaching the destination, the quad motors restart and airspeed is bled off. The aircraft returns to full hover capability for precise positioning.

30 sec transitionAutomated blendingGPS waypoint targetSpeed reduction

VTOL Landing

Phase 5

Controlled vertical descent to the exact GPS coordinates. The aircraft lands precisely where it took off — or any designated point — without a runway or recovery equipment.

~300 W hover60 sec descentGPS precision landingAutonomous touchdown

Why 4+1?

The 4+1 layout dedicates each motor to what it does best. The four quad motors are optimized for high-thrust, low-duration vertical flight. The pusher motor is optimized for sustained, efficient cruise.

This separation means no motor is ever running outside its efficiency band — unlike tilt-rotor designs where the same motor must compromise between hover and cruise performance.

Redundancy & Safety

If a quad motor fails during hover, ArduPilot compensates with the remaining three motors and transitions to forward flight as quickly as possible, where the wing provides lift independent of the quad system.

In cruise, the quad motors are idle — a pusher motor failure triggers an immediate RTL (Return to Launch) using the quad system for a controlled landing at any point along the route.

Fly Anywhere. Land Anywhere.

No runway. No launcher. No recovery net. Just vertical up, cruise out, and vertical down.

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