Patriot flight test:
68 minutes in hover.
A measured reference for planning a long-endurance LiDAR drone configuration.
The configuration matters.
The Patriot carried a 1.75 kg payload and hovered for 68 minutes using a 40 Ah battery. The flight ended at landing voltage.
| Aircraft | Patriot X4 |
|---|---|
| Flight profile | Hover |
| Flight duration | 68 minutes |
| Payload mass | 1.75 kg |
| Battery | 40 Ah |
| Test endpoint | Landing voltage |
What this means for LiDAR operators
The payload mass is equivalent to a LiDAR USA scanning system. The result is a weight-carrying reference; it does not establish endurance with a particular scanner operating. Sensor power, mounts and accessories need to be included when planning your configuration.
Measured hover time and mission estimates
The 68-minute result is a hover test to landing voltage. Our mission calculator uses a model of cruise / mission flight and sets aside a fixed 10-minute reserve. Those are different endpoints and flight profiles, so the figures should not be compared as though they were the same test.
Efficient forward flight can require less power than hover, depending on airspeed and conditions. The calculator is a planning estimate, not a guarantee or a substitute for validating the aircraft with your payload.
Now available: 52 Ah batteries
The 52 Ah battery weighs 5.2 kg, compared with 4.7 kg for the 40 Ah battery. It provides 30% more nominal capacity in amp-hours, with additional battery mass. It does not establish a 30% endurance increase. Measured endurance for the 52 Ah configuration remains to be validated.
Plan a repeatable mission
Share your complete payload mass, sensor power needs, survey area, flight height, speed and expected conditions. We can review the aircraft, battery and reserve assumptions together.
This page records the manufacturer-reported result supplied by Evolution Flight. Flight logs, test date and environmental conditions are not published here. Field imagery elsewhere on this site is not presented as documentation of this specific test.