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Here are ten tips for getting long flight time out of your FPV quadcopter.
1. Reduce weight.
2. Lower uptilt angle.
3. Fly calmer (throttle limit)
4. Lower pitch props.
5. Smaller motor / lower kv.
6. Larger diameter props / lower kv.
7. Larger battery.
8. Higher C battery (make sure C rate is high enough).
9. Lower voltage battery on same kv.
10. Higher voltage battery on lower kv. (6S low kv hype?)
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My dream…longer flight time…1) solar charging batteries 2) extensible wings to glide on winds when feasible 3) a micro alternator, to charge batteries from motor rotation
we know u bust a$$ to help us all get or stay in the air thanks man
Correction – Lower KV is heavier motor as the winding diameter is larger thus resulting more TORQUE which allows you use larger props with less Amps as same motor size with higher KV.
Higher KV is lighter motor as copper winding is smaller. This is allowing the motor to spin faster with less mass and thinner CG. But it has less torque. Putting larger props on high KV will use more amps to compensate for smaller cooper winding.
Logic – larger magnet holds more magnetic field to smaller magnet. You can add magnetic field to smaller magnet as to equal the larger magnet but requires more Amps.
hi JB.. Very interested in this!!! Low-slow–Flower watchers! CAn you PLEaSE -make a drone for show- ..say: ” Slowest- longest -boreingest flight machine -EVERRRR” … . be like 8″ prop.. 4,s -life battery- low!!!!!KV… lazy man features .. like auto land-return home… fpv and fly around a camp fire- video friends! big enough to tote good camera and gear for video… looong videos.. ,but short range is ok.
Lighten your gopro . Plastic etc. Drill holes . Longer props .
I have a question that I can’t find any resources on the internet… So looking at these DJI, Yoneec, and the likes of these drones, they have flight time upwards from 20-30 minutes. How can I replicate that in an “FPV quad form”? Or is it even possible to build something like that? (I understand that FPV are generally faster, more nimble, etc… but if I flew them slower and were more easy on them, can I get something even close?)
Racing drones are built for speed and agility, not endurance. You can extend their flight time somewhat by going slower, but only to a point. For example, you might double flight time from about 3 minutes to about 6 minutes, but you won’t get it to 20 or 30 minutes no matter how slowly you fly. To get it to 20-30 minutes you must make compromises in designing the aircraft that mean it simply cannot fly acro well.
I’m thinking about getting into fpv quads, what is a normal/average flight time when someone is observing these tips and flying conservatively?
@Joshua Bardwell I was so not expecting to get a response back so soon. But yes, yes, exactly what I am looking to build! I have a Source One frame here that I’d like to build for endurance. I was doing some reading on the DJI Mavic Air: “the DJI Mavic Air flight time is a maximum of 21 minutes at a consistent speed of 25 km/h (15.5 mph) with no wind. The hovering time for the Mavic Air is 20 minutes without wind.” I bet realistic flight time would be around 15 minutes. So that’s my goal. Flying slow (~15mph) and getting at least 15mins of flight time.
I already have a whole ecosystem of FPV stuff and am not interested in adding DJI ecosystem stuff – batteries, controller, accessories, etc. Would you have some recommendation to get me started in that direction (motors, batteries, etc?) or even if you know someone who has already done a video or the likes that would be helpful also! Thank you and stay safe!
Joshua, I am interested in frame weight. But there seems to be very little information about the ‘strength’ (or as you say, ‘durability’) of the frame at any given weight. Other than crashing a quad a few times, where do we find good data about the strength of any frame? Some research data is just plain not out there. And I put little stock in the videos where people stand on a Carbon Fiber part to show how strong it is. How would you quantify standing on it? Impact on a quad is seldom the same as dead weight at the center of the quad.
Not many people are doing lab testing like you are thinking of. It’s all practical testing. Build it. Crash it. See how it breaks.
Hey, Im new to this amazing hobby, and was wondering what about using a Li-ion battery made out of 18650 cells. I know they are heavier and have lower C ratings but there are some high quality samsung and sony batteries with high enough C rating that will give 3 times the capacity for just 10 more grams of weight. What do you think?
As long as you can keep the amps low enough then it’s possible to get longer flights from LiIo, but you must keep the amps pretty low.
Joshua Bardwell thanks for the reply! Im intending on running a 6s quad with 1700kv motors on a 4s li ion pack with a continuous discharge rate of 20 amps. I hope its good enough.
i have no gopro
your smile is what made me click on the video
you would also save a LOT of energy when gliding since you would only need to use one motor to fly in that mode, and if I remember correctly a plane can fly on a 7-1 thrust to weight ratio.
I wish my Diatone Tinawhoop would fly longer. 2s 450mah last about a minute. My batteries are fine and I get it’s heavy but Fk.
Hi Joshua,
Can you advise me what quad to buy for a long-range drone pls? And also to have a better fly time.
Thanks body for your time that you spend for all of us.
All the best
yay nothing new
what would give longer run time 1550mAh 4s 120c or 2000mAh 4s 120c?
Doesn’t BetaFlight tune play a role here too? I’d expect a generally smoother tune, that doesn’t try to correct that aggressively will put less stress on the batteries.
Hey Joshua,
Thanks for the tips. I came across the “Not New Lockdown Vid” while cruising vintage stuff simply for entertainment. Your “Not Brand New” stuff always seems to be the most informative. As far as length of flight time goes, I have always had a question that never seems to get answered thoroughly, and that is “how does my Mavic Pro routinely fly for 30 minutes at a time?”
I know that flying the MP is like driving a 52 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. It is certainly your grandmothers quadcopter, but there is so much more consistent flight time available that I am convinced there is some little guy at the end of the production line in a wizards robe waving a wand over the flight controller. The system is only 3s and the thing can’t be said to be light. The motors are large but not huge and the props don’t seem to be all that unusual. How do they do it. What give the DJI quads the times they all seem to get.
Also, while I have your attention, what channel and freq does the MP use. Looking for different ways to see the video output from the old girl.
My 5″ is 470g with a 1300mAh battery *shrugs*
You forgot one trick, Joshua.
Reducing blade numbers.
I use to fly two blades props on a very light quad, with agressive pitch (5050), and I get very much flight time than “soft” props (5040×3). The thrust seemed to be the same, but the comportement was different.
5050 more floaty, but faster, with a little bit less amp drawn at full throttle, as the 5040×3 were snappier, but with more amp drawn onto the whole throttle range.
A good way to increase flight time too. ?
How can we do some quad flying bardwell!
But what about motor timing? Lowest could double the flightime.
seen a frame LR exployer! want to buy frame +1 piece per month-till i can build it! i cant find a similar frame.. thin/light/16×16 stack/mini camera… advice please /recamend a frame ?..luv ideas you game me !!!lighter motors.. :>)…LR exployer had the 1401.. 2500kv.. was way to fast and too niosy.. maybe drop prop pitch and even go like 1300-..2000 kv? Help mr B ! u only 1 ever replied out 5 guys i watch vids :>}
i got weird idea: its take my toy zodiac drone(super light +not worried about durability) rip its guts out/start over with all light /small stuff.. stick my all in 1 camera on it ? teehee ..what thinks.. ?
IMHO if you want fly longer you need a DJI drone, like a Mavic or even better a Phantom. My mini can flies for like 25/30 minutes, but it’s a different type of flight.
Awesome channel with such an amazing detail! I wondered whether you’d had any knowledge of mixing same voltage LiIon and LIPO batteries wired in parallel for long range quads. It struck me that the LIPO would be good for instantaneous current draw but the LiIon would be better for energy density. Charging would be done as separate units. Good or bad idea?
“Dont use a too large battery, 1800 is large enough”
Me who only flies with 2500 mAh: “shh Joshua, stop takling if you know what’s good for you•
Old saying in racing. You can’t take 100lbs out 1 spot. But you can remove 1lbs from 100 spots.
I couldn’t find titanium screws ?
Higher voltage with lower KV, maybe one part of it that helps, is that it draws less amps for the same Watts, so less amps= more efficient.
Just guessing tho
Time: 9:55- The answer to larger propellers creating more lift is in the lift formula itself ; Lift = CL x ( ½ ϱ V2) x S
// CL is the coefficient of lift ; basically the design of the airfoil (propeller) // ½ ϱ is basically air density (ϱ being the greek letter, pronounced “roh”)
// V2 is velocity squared. Since velocity is squared, it has the most affect on lift // S is the surface area of the airfoil (wing, propeller, or rotor)
A larger prop will have a larger surface area, and therefore contribute to more lift. However, there are always trade-offs with anything in life, and aircraft are no exception.
why does it sound like you forgot to plug in your condenser mic?
Do you mind if I connect the iFlight BumbleBee HD V2 and TITAN XL5 HD , Basen 18650 4 battery 3400mah?
My drone is 755g with Dji air unit, gopro, and battery…. ? They flyig brick ?so it’s heavy….. I think is heavy.
I think I literally did everything you said not to. My quad is fairly heavy for one with a race configuration at 343 grams, I use high pitch 5048 3-blade props because I can, the motors are fairly large at 2400kv with a 2305 stator, my battery is a 315 gram 4s 4200mah 10c, and I use a fairly high tilt angle, but jokes on all of you. I haven’t gotten lower than a 21 minute flight with my setup yet and that was with a lot of playing around and many full throttle passes. 😉
Gonna try that throttle limit. I got me new build flying today and it hit like 175 amp on punch out and just short blips cause lipo to hit 14v within 15-30sec. Lol. But nice tips
I know this is an old thread, but would lowering VTX power save any energy? Say like from 800mW to 400mW or 200mW?
A tiny amount but not anything you’d notice.