Payload & Performance Calculations Flashcards
7 cards from real FAA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Payload & Performance Calculations flashcards as text
A drone's hover efficiency is expressed as grams of thrust per watt. How does adding payload affect this metric?
Answer: Efficiency decreases because more watts are consumed to lift each additional gram
Adding payload requires more power for the same lift, so the system produces fewer grams of net useful lift per watt consumed.
A remote pilot plans to fly a mapping mission with a drone carrying a thermal camera. The manufacturer states maximum payload is 1.5 lbs. The camera weighs 1.3 lbs. What should the pilot assess before flight?
Answer: Whether the reduced payload margin leaves enough buffer for safe maneuvering and wind gusts
Operating near the payload limit reduces handling margins; pilots must assess whether the aircraft can safely maneuver with the added weight in expected conditions.
Which formula correctly calculates the payload capacity of a drone?
Answer: Maximum Takeoff Weight − Empty Weight (including batteries)
Payload capacity is what remains of MTOW after subtracting the drone's own weight including batteries and fixed equipment.
How does center of gravity (CG) shift caused by payload placement affect sUAS flight?
Answer: It can cause the drone to be nose-heavy or tail-heavy, degrading stability and control
An improperly positioned payload shifts the CG, forcing flight controllers to compensate and potentially degrading handling or exceeding control authority.
A drone carrying a heavier-than-usual payload experiences reduced climb rate. What is the primary aerodynamic reason?
Answer: The excess thrust available above hover decreases when more power is consumed maintaining lift
Climb rate depends on excess thrust beyond hover; heavier payloads consume more of the available thrust for hovering, leaving less for climbing.
A remote pilot is asked to carry a 1 lb sensor. The drone weighs 3 lbs with battery and its MTOW is 3.5 lbs. What should the pilot do?
Answer: Decline the flight because the total weight of 4 lbs exceeds the 3.5 lb MTOW
3 lbs + 1 lb payload = 4 lbs, which exceeds the drone's 3.5 lb MTOW, making the flight unsafe and non-compliant with manufacturer limits.
In performance planning, the term 'useful load' on a sUAS most accurately refers to:
Answer: The weight of payload and any non-permanent accessories the drone can carry beyond its empty weight
Useful load is the weight available for payload and removable equipment after accounting for the drone's empty (tare) weight.