Electromechanical designs
A much more broad field, with a variety of mechanisms of action. These designs are often built as experiments at the amateur hobbyist level, but with the exception of the tricopter have not yet attained the popularity of the pure electronic designs.^[8]

 Variable pitch

These models utilize the same type of variable pitch rotor and swashplate as a helicopter, but (usually) use it by applying cyclic differentially to non-coaxial propellers. This allows both very agile control, as demonstrated by MIT's ACL, and the potential to replace individual electric motors with belt-driven props hooked to a central internal combustion engine. Variable pitch is a rare option present in a few custom builds.

 Servo thrust vectoring

These models, such as the bicopter, the tricopter, and some VTOL gliding craft like the IAI Panther, utilize both differential thrust as well as at least one motor which is mounted on a servo, free to change its orientation. The tricopter, and to a lesser degree the bicopter, are extremely popular alternatives to electronic multirotors which operate on pure throttle control.

 Flap thrust vectoring

Wherever it is possible to rotate a motor/prop, it is also possible to redirect its flow using control vanes in the propeller downwash. Not a common solution on commercial models, but present in a few custom builds.