The development of multi-rotor helicopter concepts, driven by the active introduction of brushless electric motors, leads to the necessity of assessing the multi-rotor scheme main advantages implementing possibility and determining the rational areas of its application. The article analyzes the concept of a multi-rotor platform with a distributed power plant. Parametric study of characteristics depending on the number of rotors for a line of multi-propeller aircraft with take-off weight from 0.5 to 120 tons was carried out. Evaluation of weight and dimensional characteristics of blades, main rotor heads, gear boxes, as well as power wires of electric motors and structure beams connecting the elements of the distributed power plant is obtained. Evaluation of drag and thrust losses on blowing, as well as power requirements for typical flight modes was carried out. Estimation of the required number of rotors for the implementation of the gearless condition and flight safety with one engine failed are obtained. Rational areas of multi-rotor scheme application are defined.

The article presents the results of computational studies of aerodynamic characteristics for unmanned lift-generating multi-rotor drones of various configurations. The distinctive features of rotors flow were characterized. The rotor interaction was evaluated. The computations were based on the nonlinear rotor blade vortex theory in a non-stationary arrangement. The combinations of four, eight (four coaxial) and fourteen two-bladed rotors at velocity V = 100, 150, 200 km/h were considered. Semi-empirical methods were employed to select the rotor angles of attack, rotation speed, blade installation angles and geometric parameters at the given take-off weight for each combination of rotors and flight airspeed. The computations showed that for a four-rotor lift-generating design (quad-rotor), two rotors installed downstream, depending on the velocity due to the mutual effect, have values of the thrust coefficients ≈10...20% less than those of the rotors located upstream. For a coaxial quad-copter, the effect of the upper front rotor on the upper rear rotor is similar to the effect of the front rotors on the rear ones in a four-rotor lift-generating design. The effect of the upper front rotor on the lower rear rotor does not vary in terms of the average thrust value, and variations are only local in nature. The interaction of other rotors is identical to that of the four-rotor version. A fourteen-rotor lift-generating multi-rotor drone has a complex flow pattern, which generates deviance in the thrust coefficients variation with respect to time. Depending on the mode and rotors location, the average rotor thrust coefficient can vary approximately twice. The computations showed that with the similar geometric parameters and kinematics characteristics, rotors thrust is substantially subject to variation, which causes destabilizing moments to a significant degree without additional control input. Thrust pulsations and, respectively, vibrations grow in intensity as the flight airspeed increases. Probably, the right choice of the rotor configuration and the automatic control system can counterbalance thrust surge by so-called "phasing", i.e. selecting an initial azimuth angle for each rotor.