MAD Components (MAD Motor) 5008 IPE V3.0 KV170

The MAD Components 5008 IPE V3.0 KV170 is a multicopter motor for long range with protection class IP45, a size of 56 x 29.3 mm and 14 pole pairs (28 poles), for 12S and propellers of 18 to 20 inches. MAD Components is a Chinese maker of multicopter drives. The stator is class 5008, that is 50 mm in diameter and 8 mm in height.

At 170 KV the motor turns roughly 7,500 rpm unloaded on 12S (44.4 V nominal), which suits the large propellers. The thrust figures hold for the whole series from 170 to 400 KV: up to 4,800 g of peak thrust and 1 to 2 kg of continuous thrust per rotor, at 136 to 142 g of motor mass. That ratio shows what the motor is built for: it is meant to carry 1 to 2 kg continuously, and the 4.8 kg is reserve for brief load peaks.

IP45 follows the standard for protection classes: the 4 stands for protection against solid objects from 1 mm, the 5 for protection against water jets. That copes with dust and rain, but it is not protection against immersion. Anyone flying long distances must remember that the open category requires flights within sight of the pilot or an observer; flights beyond visual line of sight belong in the specific category. The class from C0 to C6 depends on the take-off mass of the whole drone, not on the motor.

In long-range multicopters the motor runs for long periods at low load, so the bearings, rather than the winding, are the wear parts. In moisture and salt air the protection class is only as good as the seal: water in the bearing shows up as roughness and corrosion on the shaft. The checks are true running of the shaft, bearing play and the condition of the seals. Vibration loosens the mounting screws; they need to be watched for a firm seat.