Bullnose propellers deliver the most power on a mini quadcopter so in this shootout I compare the HQ5045BN, the DAL5045BN and the GemFan 5045BN props - plus the DAL 5040 by way of comparison.
The results are as follows:
Hover power (from most to least efficient):
GF5045BN: 28.2W
DAL5045BN: 31.7W
HQ5045BN: 31.8W
DAL5040: 36.4W
Thrust (from highest to lowest)
DAL5045BN: 466g @ 160W
GF5045BN: 435g @ 128W
HQ5045BN: 425g @160W
DAL5040: 356g @ 113W
Efficiency at full thrust (highest to lowest)
GF5045BN: 3.4g/watt
DAL5040: 3.1g/watt
DAL5045BN: 2.9g/watt
HQ5045BN: 2.6g/watt
Weight (lightest to heaviest):
DAL5045BN: 3.75g
HQ5045BN: 4.25g
GF5045BN: 4.75g
Toughness (from toughest to weakest)
DAL5040
GF5045BN
DAL5045BN
HQ5045BN
Watch for the 4S version of this shootout and the flight-tests which will be coming in a week or two.
Until the flight-tests, I'd say that the DAL5045BN are looking like the best option for 3S racing and the GF5045BN or DAL5040 are the toughest options.
The GF5045BN is incredibly efficient and also very tough -- without giving much away in terms of maximum thrust - however, they are heavy, which can affect throttle response if you're an "expert" level flier.
For those wondering about the slow decline in thrust shown with sustained full-power operation, I'll be doing another video explaining why this effect occurs.
Disclosure:
The Gemfan props were supplied for review by GemFan
The DAL props were supplied for review by Surveilzone
The HQ props were supplied for review by RotorGeeks