Are you tired of your battery-powered drone? Do you want a new quad that you can fly with a gas?
If you say “yes” to any of the questions above, then you are probably looking for a gas powered drone. This type of drone isn’t as popular as battery-powered or electronic drones, but they do exist.
Not everyone is aware of this type of drone, but if you want to learn more, continue reading. I’ll be giving an overview about gas powered drones and I’ll be providing a list of my top pick quads in this category.
Best Gas Powered Drones
If you are looking for the best gas powered drone in the market, look no further because you will find it here. Check out my list of the models to buy if this is the type of drone you want! I have tried all the quads on my list and all of them worked really well.
1. Nitro Stingray
Specs
Type: Quadcopter
Key function: Fun flying/racing
Payload: Xxx lbs. N/A
Engine type: two-stroke Scorpion
Power: Not specified
Fuel: Two-stroke
Span: 490mm (diagonal rotor to rotor)
Blades: 110mm
Frameset: 85{ea2cf71a94ac0ec497812eb0b7c2bc33f9b74ebf28048bb730380b7f1d9c4acc} carbon and metal design
Nitro Stingray has a unique design. This actually has an electric-powered version. The gas powered model is designed with a two-stroke Scorpion motor.
The motor works together well with its 110mm blades on all angles. Its “variable pitch” increases its mobility allowing you to change directions quickly, smoothly and easily when needed.
Nitro Stingray is very popular for its stability. In fact, with this aircraft, you can maintain a constant position and keep the drone from falling or slipping. It can also withstand strong winds making it a good option for aerial photography where stability is very important to capture impressive footage.
You won’t get bored with this drone because just like the lighter electric drones, this can perform acrobatic movements like rolls and flips. This also supports 3D flight movements. You can fly up and down or do diagonal movements.
This comes with a specialized TC-Multi flight controller that gives the pilot full control over the drone. It is very easy to use and makes adjusting speed and direction very convenient. Though the flight controller is not open source but still can be customised.
The drone is very agile and responsive, so it is very easy to pilot. I’m very pleased with its performance because it offers a realistic flying experience.
I had fun flying this drone and its ability to perform flips and rolls make the experience all the more enjoyable. There is no dull moment piloting this aircraft.
However, I don’t recommend this for beginners because it is quite challenging to handle. Unlike electronic drones that you can toss to fly, you have to ignite the motor of this drone before it can fly. Also, it is a bit noisy.
Despite its flaws, Nitro Stingray remains one of the best gas powered drones in the market. So, I highly recommend this. And how can you miss the sound of two stroke scorpion motor.
PROS
- Agile
- Fast
- Unique fully aerobatic quad
- Stable in strong winds
- Has a dedicated controller
- Useful for photography
- Can perform 3D movements
- Offers a realistic flying experience
CONS
- Noisy
- Not for beginners
2. Incredible HLQ
Specs
Type: Quadcopter
Product Weight (empty): Not specified
Key function: Heavy lift quad
Payload: 50lb
Engine type: Two gasoline two-stroke
Power: 25 HP (12.5 HP each)
Fuel: Two-stroke
OS: Windows/ Linux / Dos
Incredible HLQ is indeed incredible in the sense that it started as a kickstarter campaign. This was designed by students from San Jose in California and the campaign is paying off.
HLQ stands for “Heavy Lifting Quadcopter” because this model is designed to be a heavy lift drone as it can carry 50 pounds to a preset destination. This drone is intended to be used for e-commerce in particular for delivering parcels.
If you want to purchase this for the said purpose, you will surely be satisfied because this is designed to do that job. Also, this is equipped to do so.
Incredible HLQ comes with a pair of two-stroke gasoline engines. The engines are made to deliver about 12.5 horsepower, which should be enough to accomplish heavy lifting.
But aside from its powerful engine, this also comes with four helicopter rotor heads and 435mm blades. These are propelled by the engines to produce the required thrust to lift the heavy weight plus the loads.
This drone employs the Ardupilot module flight controllers, an open source module, that allow for finer configuration required for flying. Although this has a heavy payload, the drone’s frame is actually made of aluminum tubes to make it lighter.
The downside with this drone is that it is quite big, so you need a bigger space to operate this smoothly and to maximize its potential. Also, just like most gas powered drones, this is noisy and heavy.
Although this isn’t perfect, this remains a great drone powered by gasoline. It is powerful and has a great payload which makes it a great quadcopter for search and rescue operations.
PROS
- Heavy lifter
- Open source flight controller
- Has two-engine design for multi-application
CONS
- Noisy
- Heavy
- Gas-consuming
3. Goliath Quadcopter
Specs
Type: Quadcopter
Product Weight (empty): 170 lbs
Key function: Lifting drone
Payload: 40lb
Engine type: 30HP V-twin lawnmower
Power: 30HP
Fuel: Regular gasoline
Goliath Quadcopter is an open-source prototype vehicle for developing large scale gas powered quadcopters. Anyone who is into DIY or assembling drones will love this because this is designed to be assembled with ease, so it uses readily accessible materials that can easily be purchased on the market.
This was designed for the Hackaday Prize Competition and was created with a single gasoline engine that delivers 30HP. The engine controls the propellers through the attached control cables on it.
This gas powered drone is lightweight compared to most of its competitors because this comes with a lightweight frame made from aluminum or wooden frame. Thanks to this design, the engine doesn’t need to work hard to lift the quad from the ground.
Although it is lightweight, it can carry heavy loads. Just like Incredible HLQ, this has a high payload.
Also, this utilizes the Artupilot as its flight control system. Artupilot is open-source software for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Since this is open source, it is flexible. You can customize the software depending on your flight requirements. In short, you can personalize the drone and enable it to perform just as how you want it to be.
If you love doing things on your own and customizing objects, you will surely love Goliath Quadcopter. It is easy to assemble because the materials are accessible and the software is open-source, so you can tweak it as much as you want. With this, you are free to bring your dream drone into reality.
PROS
- Customizable
- Light-weight construction
- Powerful engine
- Vibration-resistant
- Open-source software and controller
- Heavy payload
- Materials and instructions are available on the site
CONS
- Needs to be assembled
- Not for beginners
- Not as heavy as other gas powered drones
4. Yeair Hybrid Quad
Specs
Type: Hybrid quadcopter
Product Weight (empty): 11lb
Key function: Industry
Payload: 11lb
Engine type: Hybrid setup uses two-stroke 10cc gasoline engines w/ traditional electric motors
Power: 8.6 HP
Fuel: Regular motorbike/scooter fuel
Yeair is the future of the quadcopter because it is dedicated to delivering more airtime, more payload, more speed and more style which at the time no other drone offers. This drone is still in the concept stage of the design and is still under development, but it is very promising, so expect this to cost more than a thousand dollars when it is available.
This gas powered drone has a unique and sleek design. It is an extremely fast quad as it can reach up to over 60mph and has an impressive flight time because it can stay in the air for about an hour or 60 minutes.
Yeair is a heavy-duty quad that is designed to carry heavier payloads and travel longer distances more rapidly. Just like HLQ, this is designed to deliver parcels.
The aircraft comes with a battery that isn’t rechargeable but keeps the emissions from the quadcopter at a minimum. This gasoline operated drone is powered by a distinct 2-stroke engine that can stand the test of time and last a bit longer.
Yeair offers everything that you dream of in a gas powered drone from speed, cool design, high payload, long flight time and more. So, if budget is not an issue, I highly recommend that you consider this.
PROS
- Very fast
- High payload
- Long flight time
- Integrated Wi-Fi
- LED lights (Programmable)
- Self-directed flight options
- Awesome flight range
CONS
- Noisy
- Expensive
What is a Gas Powered Drone?
Gas powered drone, as its name suggests, are drones that can fly using normal gas or 2-cycle machine oil instead of charging the battery to power it up. In general, gas powered drones have more power than one quad running on battery because they can fly longer.
A single tank of fuel can often last 30 minutes longer than battery drones. In addition, the majority of the RC players prefer gas powered quads because they weigh more due to the additional weight of the tank. Since they are heavier, they and more stable in windy weather giving pilots a more amazing and satisfying flying experience.
Meanwhile, some find gasoline powered drone less preferable because electricity is cleaner and more readily available to most consumers. Others also find it too heavy to lift in the air. So, you have to decide for yourself, if this is for you or not.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Gas Powered Drones
As mentioned above, some prefer this while others don’t. To help you decide if this is the type of quad for you, I’m listing the benefits and drawbacks of gas powered drones in this section.
Benefits
Heavier than battery-powered drones. Gas powered drones tend to be heavier due to the extra weight of the tank. The good thing with this is the additional weight makes it more stable in bad weather.
Offer longer flight time. A single tank of fuel has a flight time of 30 minutes more than a fully-charged battery-powered drone. So, if you are very critical with flight time, gas powered drones win in this case.
Has higher payloads. Most heavy drones tend to have a higher payload. Since gas powered drones are heavier than their battery-powered counterparts, they also come with higher payload capacity.
Less downtime. With gas powered drones, you don’t need to bring spare batteries or wait for an hour or so to recharge. As mentioned, these drones also offer longer flight time. So, longer flight time, minus recharging time and changing batteries time means less downtime. So, you can do more.
Longer drone life. Gas powered drones are often stronger and more durable than their electric counterparts because they are made with larger and stronger parts which reduce the wear and tear issues and increase its life expectancy. Although gas powered drones vary from each other depending on the model, they usually last longer than electric models
Drawbacks
Difficult to find and more pricey. Gas powered drones are harder to come by compared their more popular electronic counterparts. They also tend to be more expensive.
Size and weight issues. As mentioned, gas powered drones are bigger and heavier which is good because this makes them stable. The downside is, bigger size and heavier weight make them less portable and more challenging to maneuver into tight spaces.
Ignition problems. Drones that uses gasoline behaves like a motor vehicle. You have to ignite the motor which may cause interference. While this might not pose a problem if you are used to doing this, beginners will surely find this challenging.
Harder to maintain. In electronic drones, all you need to check to ensure that it will fly is the battery levels. This isn’t the case with gas powered drones as you have to check a lot of things regularly to make sure that the drone will work as expected.
Noisy. Another drawback about this type of drone is the noise it produces. Gas powered drones produce more noise and some might find it bothersome.
These quads come in different models and design, if you are very particular with the noise the drone produces, I suggest that you check the sound levels of the models you are eyeing to buy and pick one that produces the least noise.
Highly inflammable. If you choose this type of drone, you will be flying a highly inflammable quad.
When to Use Gas Powered Drones?
Gas powered drones offer unique features that work best for specialized operations or missions such as follows:
Rescue
Gas powered drones are more stable and strong than electronic drones, so they are more reliable when it comes to emergency services. Red Cross and fire departments can use these drones with camera to assess the situation in difficult conditions.
Surveillance
Both electric drones and gas powered drones can do this job. However, the latter have a longer flight time. In addition, it eliminates the need for recharging the battery after every few minutes. Also, refueling takes a shorter time than recharging the battery. So, they provide continuous surveillance compared to battery-powered drones.
Delivery
Gas powered drones have higher payloads, so they can carry heavier objects. With this attribute plus the long flight time, these drones are very useful for the delivery of goods and parcels. Aside from this, they can also be used in delivering medical supplies in case of an emergency or in locations that are difficult to access easily.
Filming
The most popular uses of drones are for photography and videography. Gas powered drones are great for filming because they can fly longer and are quicker to refuel, so when the job takes longer these quads can sustain and meet the demand.
Conclusion
Gas powered drones are better than electric drones when it comes to flight time, payloads and life expectancy to name a few. However, they tend to be bigger and heavier so they aren’t as portable. They also tend to be more challenging to maintain.
If you really want a gas powered drone, any of the model mentioned above will surely satisfy you. For those who have already experienced flying a gas powered drone and want to make some recommendations, please feel free to do so, we would appreciate that and other readers would love that, too!