FPV Drone Flight Time: How to Calculate?

Do you want to extend your FPV drone flight times to 30 minutes? Then you are now at the exact place. Here will tell you a formula to calculate flight times then choose the longest flight time battery for your drone. That's why I share this article.

About Lipo Battery Parameters:

Tattu R-Line Series Battery

Cell Count

Battery voltage or the cell count is an important parameter that need to be noted before you purchase any battery. With a higher cell count, performance is maintained above par. However,higher cell counts translate to an increase in weight which, in some cases, affects performance. For this reason,battery voltage needs to be checked before you purchase any battery.

The Size

Size is crucial. Different batteries have different sizes in terms of dimensions as well as weight. You have to be clear on the specific size which best suites your FPV drone. In fact, failure to understand this factor can really mess up your experience.

The C-Rating

C-Rating is yet another crucial aspect that need to be checked before you decide to settle for any battery for your FPV drone. Batteries with an extremely low discharge rating often result in under-performance. However, this does not necessarily imply that those with the hightest C-Rating are the best since they are heavier. You need to get a battery whose C rating is convenient for your FPV drone.

The Connector Type

There are several battery connectors, the entire process of soldering battery connectors can be tiring and hectic at times. It is always a good idea for one to maintain a given connector type. This way, you are able to make fast and quick connections without having to waste time doing numerous “trial and error” procedures.

Calculator Formula:

FPV drone flight times =(Battery Capacity * Battery Discharge /Average Amp Draw)*60

Introduction Calculator Formula

For calculate your FPV drone flight time, you have to know three factors: Battery Capacity , Battery Discharge and Average Amp Draw as below.

Battery Capacity:

As we know, Bigger lipo battery can be powered more energy. In fact As the battery gets larger, the increase in flight time becomes ineffective, because of the weight of battery. But today we are not to discuss the matter. For calculator you have to take the battery’s capacity in amp hours, to convert from mAh to Ah, battery capacity divide by 1000. For instance, 1800mAh/1000=1.8Ah.

Battery Discharge:

From lipo battery warnig will let you know that be too dangerous and be permanently damaged when voltage levels become lower then 20% and fully discharged. In respect of this, it’s common practice to not discharge your LiPo batteries below 20% mAh during flight; In other words, the effective capacity is only 80% that can be used during flight time. For instance, 1.8Ah*0.8=1.44A (effective capacity). By the way, FPV drone flight times calculator base on the true battery Capacity or the non-oversized in capacity.

How to work out Average Amp Draw?

Before FPV drone battery calculator you work out the average amp draw, you have to know two things, one is about your carrying weight of your FPV drone which include battery weight. An other thing is the parameters of FPV drone motor, Read your motor instructions, you have to know how many amps one motor will be draw to produce 100g of thrust? This is the key points in the calculation of Average Amp Draw.

For example, If you know each motor draws 1 amps to produce 100g of thrust. if your FPV drone take 2000g to flight, each motor will have to produce 500g (500g = 2000g / 4 motors) of thrust in order to hover. Then your FPV drone Average Amp Draw is 20AMPS ( 20AMPS =4motors * 500g/100g per 1amps); An other way to work out the average amp draw, buy a smart lipo battery which will record lipo Amp Draw when FPV drone move on or steady hover in the sky, this calculator much more accurate than the first one.

Make a Conclusion for FPV Drone Flight Time

For instance, I have a FPV lipo battery 3s 3300mAh, I calculated the average amp draw of FPV drone to be around 20 amps, and I am making an assumption that 80% of battery capacity will is used, then the FPV drone flight time is 7,92 minutes.

FPV drone flight times = (3300/1000mAh) * 80% / 20 amps *60 minutes = 7.92  minutes

Obviously this FPV drone battery calculator is a very simplistic calculator base on steady hover. For aerial photography work or FPV flying which the motors will have to spin faster, and thus pull more current. This higher current draw will reduce flight time and your flight times will degrade dramatically with about 75% or up to 50% of the calculated FPV drone flight time. If you have any question about FPV drone Battery, please email us: info@grepow.com