There is no point reaching for a calculator that cannot show its working. This one starts from battery weight, drone weight, equipment weight, number of motors and power-to-weight ratio and reports thrust per motor, total weight and total thrust, so you can see how each answer follows from the numbers you entered.
What Is the Drone Motor Calculator?
The drone motor calculator turns battery weight, drone weight, equipment weight, number of motors and power-to-weight ratio into thrust per motor, total weight and total thrust.
It is a quick way to get from the numbers you have to the number you need, without setting up a spreadsheet or reaching for a formula.
How the Drone Motor Works
Each result follows from the ones before it, and the calculator shows every step, so a surprising answer can be traced back to the input that caused it.
Round your inputs to the precision you actually know, and keep more precision than that in the intermediate steps.
Getting a Result You Can Trust
Run the calculation twice with slightly different inputs. A sensible calculator moves its output in proportion; a wild change points to a unit or a decimal point problem in what you entered.
Write the inputs down next to the answer. It takes a moment and it is the difference between a number you can explain and one you cannot.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with battery weight set to 10, drone weight set to 5, equipment weight set to 2, the calculator returns total weight of 17, and total thrust of 170, and thrust per motor of 1.7. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out thrust per motor?
Enter battery weight, drone weight, equipment weight, number of motors and power-to-weight ratio. The calculator then works through the relationship and reports thrust per motor, total weight and total thrust.
What does the drone motor actually calculate?
It takes battery weight, drone weight, equipment weight, number of motors and power-to-weight ratio and converts them into thrust per motor, total weight and total thrust using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter battery weight?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Does anything you type get stored?
No. The whole calculation runs inside your browser, and nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or sent anywhere.
Can I use this for a quick estimate as well as a precise answer?
Yes. The calculator is built for quick checks, so round your inputs to a sensible number of significant figures and the result will be just as useful. If you need more precision, keep the same method and add digits to the inputs rather than adjusting the method itself.