Blog

Practical, physics-backed notes on designing drones and UAVs — the same methods behind the free design tool.

How to size a drone propeller: diameter and pitch

A simple, physics-based way to pick propeller diameter and pitch from your target speed, available thrust and motor RPM — plus the tip-speed limit to avoid.

Propellers · ~6 min read

How to estimate drone flight time and battery size

From hover power to endurance and range: how to size a LiPo pack (capacity and weight), why flight time peaks at a certain battery mass, and the C-rating trap.

Battery & endurance · ~7 min read

Static vs dynamic thrust in multirotor drones

Why your propeller makes less thrust as the drone speeds up, what "pitch speed" means, and how to keep enough thrust at your cruise speed.

Propulsion · ~5 min read

What CFD does for drone and UAV design

Where high-fidelity CFD pays off in a UAV program — drag reduction, propeller and duct flow, stability and transition — and when it's worth the cost.

CFD · ~6 min read