Blog · Procurement and Selection Guides
How to Compare Payload Capacity
Maximum payload is the least useful number on a specification sheet. Useful payload, at the endurance you need, inside the centre-of-gravity envelope, is the one that decides the mission.
Overview
- Subtract the mounting hardware. Gimbal, harness, connectors and any release mechanism all come out of the headline payload before you get to the thing you actually want to carry.
- Payload and endurance trade against each other. Ask for the payload-endurance curve, not a single maximum: the maximum is usually measured at a range you would not accept.
- Check the centre-of-gravity envelope and the mechanical interface. A payload that fits the mass budget but sits outside the envelope will fly badly or not at all.
- Budget the power draw. Many payloads need more than the aircraft's accessory rail provides, and that changes the installation, not just the wiring.
- Verify handling at full payload in wind. Control margin at maximum load is where the difference between a paper specification and a usable aircraft shows up.
Any payload figure Montline publishes is given as useful payload with the mounting hardware, interface and power budget stated. Figures that depend on configuration are confirmed per order.
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