Mini 3 51 minute flight time?

[MavicAir2Marc]

Just received an email from DJI this morning, 51 minute flight time for the Mini 3?

 

[Dustydoug]

Under the section about the mini 3 series flight battery plus was this:

Measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: flying forward at a constant speed of 21.6 kph in a windless laboratory environment at 20 meters above sea level, in photo mode (without photo taking operation during flight), with Obstacle Avoidance Action set to Off, and from 100% battery level until 0%. Results may vary depending on the environment, actual use, and firmware version. With the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, the aircraft will weigh more than 249 g. Always check and strictly abide by local laws and regulations before flying.”

I am sure that these conditions occur regularly where all of us fly drones.

 

[old man mavic]

@Dustydoug ,the Mini 3 does not have OA ,so it would be very hard to to turn it off ,i suspect that it was refering to the Mini 3 pro

 

[Felix le Chat]

Just received an email from DJI this morning, 51 minute flight time for the Mini 3?

That's the DJI test facility you get to by following the road to Hogwarts and then turning left at the junction signposting Narnia.

 

[Felix le Chat]

That's the DJI test facility you get to by following the road to Hogwarts and then turning left at the junction signposting Narnia.

DJI Mini 3 class battery specs (DJI published):
Flight duration (claimed)

Standard battery: 34'

Battery+: 47'


Flight duration (actual)
Real world test:

Standard battery: 23'38" (95% battery charge down to 15% charge)

Battery+: 35'17" (100% battery charge down to 11% charge)

The test was valid - the disparity in take-off charge was almost equalized due to the 4% reduction of the landing charge in the battery+

Source:

Conclusion:

Standard battery delivered 10'22" less real flight time than claimed

Battery+ delivered 11'43" less real flight time than claimed

The battery+ unit also delivered only 1'17" more flight time than the DJI stated flight time for the standard battery

The youtuber may not be the most professional kind of reviewer, but the tests he undertook were real time, real-use scenarios. I'd consider his findings many times more credible than the advertising trotted out by DJI copywriters

 

[waynorth]

This is the email I got from DJI:

 

[Dustydoug]

@Dustydoug ,the Mini 3 does not have OA ,so it would be very hard to to turn it off ,i suspect that it was refering to the Mini 3 pro

For sure. I just cut and pasted from the section describing the batteries and figured those with the appropriate drone would sort it out.

 

[Meta4]

I am sure that these conditions occur regularly where all of us fly drones.

Every real world flight is different so it's appropriate for DJI's tests to be carried out in controlled conditions.
Everyone understands that you won't get the same flight time, but the numbers are good for comparing different drones.
It doesn't take much experience to understand what actual flight time you are likely to achieve.

 

[Rockowe]

This whole Conversation is *MUTE*

Firstly, the optimal flight time for the DJI Mini 3 battery is not the maximum flight time. The maximum flight time is the theoretical limit of how long the battery can last under ideal conditions, but it does not account for factors such as wind, temperature, altitude, speed, and flight mode. These factors can affect the power consumption and performance of the battery, and flying until the battery is drained can damage the battery cells and reduce their lifespan.

Best to Fly to 30% (max)
... Therefore, it is advisable to land the drone and replace the battery when the battery level reaches 30% or lower. This is to ensure enough power for a safe landing and avoid damaging the battery due to over-discharge.

All rechargeable batteries including the Lithium batteries (used by DJI), have their lifespans shortened by constantly discharging them to close to 0%.

However the DJI Mini 3 batteries use lithium polymer (LiPo) cells, which have a higher energy density and discharge rate than other types of lithium batteries. LiPo batteries can be discharged up to 100% without causing permanent damage, but this will reduce their cycle life significantly.

Therefore, it is recommended to keep your DJI LiPo batteries within a safe DoD (depth of discharge) range of 30% to 80%, which corresponds to a State of Charge (SoC) range of 20% to 70%. if you want to store them.

This will ensure that your batteries last longer and perform better.

Hope this Helps.

 

[DARKSeifer]

DJI official flight time test conditions are leaving the drone hovering above a leaf blower working at max power for the duration of the flight, expect two thirds or less in real life conditions.

That being said, around 30 min flight, landing at around 20% battery left is easily achievable with the recent camera drones.

 

[FLDave]

This whole Conversation is *MUTE*



Hope this Helps.

Do you mean "moot" or "mute"? There is big difference.

 

[Droning on and on...]

I am sure that these conditions occur regularly where all of us fly drones.

I only fly under those precise conditions every time, and measure the flight time with a stopwatch.

First time I get less than 51 minutes, I'm suing DJI.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Best to Fly to 30% (max)
... Therefore, it is advisable to land the drone and replace the battery when the battery level reaches 30% or lower. This is to ensure enough power for a safe landing and avoid damaging the battery due to over-discharge.

Sigh... here we go

 

[Rockowe]

Do you mean "moot" or "mute"? There is big difference.

thanks for the english lesson...

 

[mobilehomer]

thanks for the english lesson...

English, not english

 

[EssenYVR]

Commercial aircraft are required to carry enough fuel on board to reach their destination based on their gross weight and the forecast weather, then fly to their alternate airport, and then fly for another 30 minutes. So under normal conditions they land with a lot of fuel still on board.

Drone pilots should treat their battery similarly - never plan a flight that will use up all or nearly all of the battery.

 

[mavic3usa]

Commercial aircraft are required to carry enough fuel on board to reach their destination based on their gross weight and the forecast weather, then fly to their alternate airport, and then fly for another 45 minutes. So under normal conditions they land with a lot of fuel still on board.

Drone pilots should treat their battery similarly - never plan a flight that will use up all or nearly all of the battery.

Agreed and I live by that but I honestly can't expect others to do the same especially where the risk is negligible (i.e. there are no people on board). BTW, I don't know this but do cargo aircraft calculate the same?

I believe in quitting at 25% and just have more batteries if you want to fly more.

However, there are exceptions. For example, if I plan a long mission and I have a 43 minute battery and the mission takes 40 minutes, depending on the routing, I will fly it. Not a big fan of swapping batteries during a mission.

 

[EssenYVR]

Agreed and I live by that but I honestly can't expect others to do the same especially where the risk is negligible (i.e. there are no people on board). BTW, I don't know this but do cargo aircraft calculate the same?

The CARs make no distinction between cargo vs. passenger aircraft in describing the amount of fuel that must be carried on board.

FYI, I erred in my post above - for turbojet aircraft the requirement is destination --> alternate --> additional 30 minutes, not 45. The 45 is what's required for propeller-driven aircraft operated in IFR flight. The requirements are lesser for VFR flight. I've corrected the post above.

 

[Felix le Chat]

This whole Conversation is *MUTE*

Firstly, the optimal flight time for the DJI Mini 3 battery is not the maximum flight time. The maximum flight time is the theoretical limit of how long the battery can last under ideal conditions, but it does not account for factors such as wind, temperature, altitude, speed, and flight mode. These factors can affect the power consumption and performance of the battery, and flying until the battery is drained can damage the battery cells and reduce their lifespan.

Best to Fly to 30% (max)
... Therefore, it is advisable to land the drone and replace the battery when the battery level reaches 30% or lower. This is to ensure enough power for a safe landing and avoid damaging the battery due to over-discharge.

All rechargeable batteries including the Lithium batteries (used by DJI), have their lifespans shortened by constantly discharging them to close to 0%.

However the DJI Mini 3 batteries use lithium polymer (LiPo) cells, which have a higher energy density and discharge rate than other types of lithium batteries. LiPo batteries can be discharged up to 100% without causing permanent damage, but this will reduce their cycle life significantly.

Therefore, it is recommended to keep your DJI LiPo batteries within a safe DoD (depth of discharge) range of 30% to 80%, which corresponds to a State of Charge (SoC) range of 20% to 70%. if you want to store them.

This will ensure that your batteries last longer and perform better.

Hope this Helps.

The mini 3 series uses lithium ion (Li-Ion) batteries. States it quite clearly in the specs section of the manual published by DJI.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Commercial aircraft are required to carry enough fuel on board to reach their destination based on their gross weight and the forecast weather, then fly to their alternate airport, and then fly for another 30 minutes. So under normal conditions they land with a lot of fuel still on board.

Drone pilots should treat their battery similarly - never plan a flight that will use up all or nearly all of the battery.

I strongly disagree.

Drone pilots should think about risk management, and plan accordingly. The gain from a mission may justify taking high risk the drone may be lost or destroyed. Perfectly acceptable.

Drones do not carry human beings, and are relatively inexpensive. It would be prohibitive, and IMO ridiculous to treat drone flights like General Aviation flights as you suggest above... lives are at stake in the latter.

Most of my flights go until low-battery RTH starts warning, then i either fly it back or let RTH do it, depending on how far away it is. Never had a problem in over a decade of DJI drones.