Obviosuly there are other factors like the efficiency of the design, and engines etc.. but I was just wondering if the major component would be to just add more batteries?
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http://www.aerosocietychannel.com/aerospace-insight/2010/11/staying...
But just staying in the air a long time, doesn't mean that the plane can complete a specific task!
There is no universal "optimal" design. You must decide what your priorities are (including cost, range, max and min flying speed, sound and radar profile, payload, ...) before you have any a context in which to try to develop an optimal design.
You can add some more batteries on a bigger design, but it needs to be low drag. There is a real cost limitation for the hobbyist, that the military UAV makers don't have to worry about.
it may be crap when flying off design, but when flying at the mission conditions i dont see why our consumer tech shouldn't last ages too.
Then you must to add power management unit.
Not worth it in most cases (worsening performance) unless you are rich, flying big (a few meters) in a specific place, or have gas-only UAV. I believe out of reach of DIY amateurs. Of course anybody can add something, a bag of nails, gummi bears, solar batteries, but getting more endurance with it is a real challenge.
It will end with ppl arguing 'my audi officially gets 3.2l/100m, but my particular example goes down to 1.9l/100km!!! - yeah, but mine did 1.75 easily when new!' etc.
Basically Solar plane is a very flimsy construction. It is very hard to tune such plane for autopilot without crashing it at first, if you work alone.
Also using a trainer tipe plane... Almost the same as a telemaster... I get 40mins of flight on 6s5000mah and a 13x6 prop..
More than enough for me... In winds it goes down to 30mins...
I think thats a good option, to get long range and long flight time.. Basically bigger plane is better due to flight perfomance at higher speeds.
I know an electric MAV that will do 2 hours with it's normal EO mission payload using lithium batteries.
Cropcam will fly for over an hour with a simple P+S camera, but could go longer with modification.
Of course most UAS manufacurers feel the need to use 'sexed-up' performance data.
Same story with cropcam.
I would say most of those systems really fly for 30min if you take into account their cited mission radius
which is notoriously around 10km max.
Second secret they can double the numbers using non-rechargable version of hydrogen cells.
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