Theory 036/Robotics & Autonomy
Endurance Is Disc Loading
The claim
Multirotor endurance is set by the ratio of payload to disc loading rather than by battery capacity, so a larger rotor can outlast a larger battery.
01The mechanism
Hover power scales with disc loading; adding battery mass raises loading, so capacity gains are partly self-defeating.
02Predictions
- P1Endurance should peak at a loading ratio.
- P2Bigger batteries should reduce endurance past a point.
03Refutation
Endurance tracking capacity monotonically would remove the loading term.