Drone exam · UAS flight performance

A gimbal, landing gear extension, and larger propeller guards are added before an inspection. Why should the crew not reuse endurance figures from the bare aircraft?

Answer

The new configuration changes mass, drag, airflow, and possibly motor loading. Use manufacturer data where available and validate the actual configuration conservatively before relying on previous endurance assumptions.

Explanation

Performance belongs to a configuration, not merely a model name.