Free Tool · Leolus Energy

Drone Battery Flight-Time Calculator

Estimate how long your UAV can stay airborne from its battery capacity, voltage, and all-up weight. The estimate uses a hover-power model with field-tested defaults for multirotor and agriculture drones. Adjust the advanced settings to match your platform.

Your Drone & Battery

Total takeoff weight. A 10 L agriculture spraying drone is typically 22–25 kg fully loaded; an FPV/mapping quad is 1–3 kg.

Advanced settings ▾

Most operators land at ~20% remaining to protect cycle life, so ~80% is usable.

Efficient builds ≈120 W/kg; typical loaded agriculture drones ≈150–175 W/kg.

Estimated Flight Time

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minutes of hover (realistic range: —)
Pack energy
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Usable energy
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Est. hover power
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Est. avg current
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Recommended Nexfly pack
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Get a quote for this pack

Note: This is a hover-based estimate for planning only. Real endurance varies with wind, throttle, payload changes during a spray run, battery age, and temperature. Forward flight at efficient cruise speed can extend time; aggressive maneuvering and full payload reduce it.

How the Estimate Works

The calculator converts your pack into usable energy and divides by the power your drone needs to hover:

  • Pack energy (Wh) = capacity (Ah) × pack voltage (V)
  • Usable energy = pack energy × usable % (default 80%, to protect cycle life)
  • Hover power (W) = all-up weight (kg) × power loading (W/kg)
  • Flight time (min) = usable energy ÷ hover power × 60

Power loading defaults of 120–175 W/kg reflect published figures for multirotor and agriculture UAVs. Heavier, payload-carrying spraying drones sit at the higher end; light, efficient quads at the lower end.

FAQ — Drone Flight Time

Most multirotor drones fly 10–30 minutes on a single charge. Light FPV and mapping quads typically manage 15–30 minutes, while heavy agriculture spraying drones carrying a full tank often fly just 7–15 minutes per battery because payload sharply increases hover power. Use the calculator above with your pack capacity, voltage, and all-up weight for a platform-specific estimate.

Flight time in minutes equals usable battery energy in watt-hours divided by average power draw in watts, multiplied by 60. Battery energy is capacity in amp-hours times pack voltage. For example, a 6S 22,000 mAh pack holds about 22 Ah × 22.2 V = 488 Wh; at 80% usable and a 1,500 W hover draw that is roughly 0.8 × 488 ÷ 1500 × 60 ≈ 16 minutes.

Usually yes, but with diminishing returns. A larger-capacity pack stores more energy, but it also weighs more, which raises hover power. Beyond a certain point the added weight cancels the added capacity, so the optimal pack balances capacity against weight for your specific drone. Higher energy-density chemistry such as semi-solid state gives more capacity per kilogram, improving this trade-off.

Real flight time is lower when there is headwind, aggressive maneuvering, a full spray payload, cold or hot temperatures, or an aged battery with reduced capacity. The calculator models steady hover with a fresh pack, which is an optimistic baseline. Plan operations with a 15–20% safety margin and always land before the battery drops below 20% to protect its lifespan.

Related Resources

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