Prop guards and battery/flight time

[Michael Olsen]

I got the Summitlink 10" prop guards, installed and they are snug and fine. But they are sizable, and I'm wondering if others observe loss of battery/flight time with these installed? Seems there would be some modest impact, but I wonder if it could be more than that - e.g., 20%?

http://www.amazon.com/Summitlink®-Guards-Phantom-Versions-Release/dp/B00RFX2L6G

Seems to me they affect windage, weight, and the thrust of the props (by interfering with that thrust), but that last point tests the limits of my physics understanding.

Thoughts?

 

[tcope]

So many different variables. How fast the drone is flown and how strong the winds are would be two big factors as well. If two Phantoms (one with and one without) were just placed into a hover then the guards would not affect flight much at all. However, start flying 30mph for long distances and they will have a greater affect on flying time.

So I think the most we can really know in general is that they do affect flying time and this affect is increased by the increased resistance they apply in that particular flight.

 

[Evel_Knievel]

Effect of prop-guards on flight time (13.9% reduction) | DJI Phantom Forum

13.9% reduction in flight time...strick hover...