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Battery stores charge in mAh. Convert to Wh for energy: Wh = (mAh / 1000) × voltage. A 1500 mAh 4S (14.8V nominal) pack holds ~22.2 Wh.
Energy (Wh) = capacity (Ah) × nominal voltage (V)Average flight time equals usable capacity divided by average current. Use 80% of rated capacity for LiPo longevity (20% reserve).
Flight time (min) = (mAh × 0.80) / avg current (mA) × 60Hover current depends on AUW, prop efficiency, and motor KV. Thrust stand data or manufacturer charts give realistic hover amp values.
Hover time ≈ (mAh × 0.80) / hover amps × 60 minUpdated: July 2026
Hover at 18A, aggressive flying averages 35A: hover time (1500×0.8)/18000×60 = 4 min; mixed flying ~3 min; gentle cruise ~5 min.
Heavy lift at 25A hover: (6000×0.8)/25000×60 = 11.5 min hover. With payload and wind, plan 8–9 min safe flight with 3.5V/cell landing voltage.
Indoor whoop drawing 4A average: (300×0.8)/4000×60 = 3.6 min. High throttle indoor racing reduces to 2–2.5 min practical flight.
No flight sustains 100% throttle. Use hover or mixed-flight average current — full throttle estimates are 3–5× too pessimistic for duration.
Landing at 3.5V/cell minimum protects cells. Below 3.3V/cell causes permanent capacity loss and fire risk on charging.
Flight time depends on battery capacity and average current draw during hover or cruise. This calculator estimates drone flight duration from mAh capacity, voltage, efficiency, and measured or estimated amp draw.