# Tricopter (Y3)

> How does a tricopter yaw?

- Category: Drone design › Drone frame layouts
- Kind: Standard part
- Basis: Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio
- Page: https://xemstudio.com/objects/tricopter-y3/ · JSON: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=tricopter-y3 · Plain text: https://xemstudio.com/objects/tricopter-y3/sheet.txt
- License: dimension sheet CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio); files CC BY 4.0 or their publisher's license
- Use in every chat: add https://xemstudio.com/mcp as a connector (https://xemstudio.com/use-with-ai/)

**Exact dimensions.** True size, with no printing tolerance added.

## Notes

- A tricopter has three motors about 120 deg apart; the rear motor tilts on a servo for yaw, which gives good yaw authority without cutting thrust (Oscar Liang).
- It is less stable, its tail mechanics are crash-prone, and ArduPilot calls the type outdated.

## Sizes

| parameter | value or range | source |
|---|---|---|
| Arm spacing | ~120 deg | Oscar Liang |

## Where the files are

- Oscar Liang: [Types of multicopter](https://oscarliang.com/types-of-multicopter) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
- ArduPilot: [Archived: Advanced MultiCopter Design](https://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/advanced-multicopter-design.html) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts

## Questions

**Still worth it?**

ArduPilot regards tricopters as outdated.

## Fits with

- [True X quad frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/true-x-frame/)
- [Stretched X frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/stretched-x-frame/)
- [Squashed (wide) X frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/squashed-x-frame/)
- [Hybrid X frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/hybrid-x-frame/)
- [Deadcat frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/deadcat-frame/)
- [H frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/h-frame/)