Starling 2 payload

Eyal

Hello,

I’m currently designing a compact indoor-use kit around the Starling 2 platform, specifically the Starling 2, not the Starling 2 Max.

I would like to add a few additional lightweight sensors to the drone, but I could not find a clear specification in the datasheet for the available payload capacity or recommended payload margin.

Could you please clarify:

What is the maximum recommended additional payload for the Starling 2?
Is the published drone weight already close to the practical lift limit, or is there usable margin for small external sensors?
Are there any recommended limits regarding added mass, mounting location, or center-of-gravity shift?
Would adding small sensors affect flight stability, flight time, or PX4 tuning in a way that you recommend avoiding?
Do you have any other compact indoor-capable drone models that may be better suited for carrying additional sensors while still staying smaller than the Starling 2 Max? (Maybe the Stinger FPV?)

At this stage I am still in the design phase, so I do not yet have flight logs. I can share the planned sensor weights, mounting concept, and pictures/CAD layout if that would help.

Thanks in advance

Alex Kushleyev

Hi @Eyal ,

The full weight of a standard Starling 2 is about 285g (with battery).
the maximum motor thrust at full power is ~185g (at 7.5V) -- single motor
this means the total max thrust for 4 motors is about 740g , which means about 2.6 thrust to weight ratio
- please keep in mind that you can never apply full power to all 4 motors due to needed motor rpm differential for control
it is a good practice to have at least 2.0 thrust to weight ratio in order to maintain good flight control. If you follow that guidance, it means that you can add about 85 extra grams to Starling 2 and it would be at 370g
- flight time (hover) will drop from ~35 mins to ~25 mins (not exactly linear due to lower motor/prop efficiency at higher thrust)
it is always recommended to try to keep the center of mass as close as possible to the geometrical center of the vehicle in order to reduce the moment of intertia and off-center mass which can affect control.
depending on where the bulk of the weight is added, re-tuning flight (attitude) controller may be needed. extra weight far from vehicle center will increase moment of intertia, so the controller will need to adjust

Stinger FPV drone is a very different vehicle and although it is smaller than Starling 2 Max, the flight time of Stinger is significantly shorter due to.. smaller propellers, heavier (more durable) frame, etc

I think it all depends on what sensors you are planning today. If you want to share that, we can try to help..

Alex

Eyal

Hi @Alex-Kushleyev,

Thank you for the detailed explanation regarding the Starling 2 payload margin and the thrust-to-weight considerations. The breakdown is very helpful for my design trade-off.

I would like to ask one follow-up regarding the Stinger FPV. In my application, flight endurance is not the primary constraint, so the shorter flight time compared with Starling 2 is not necessarily a blocker. Durability, compact size, and the ability to carry a small external sensor package are more important for this specific use case.

With that in mind, could you please provide a similar payload-oriented assessment for the Stinger FPV?

Specifically:

What is the typical all-up weight of a standard Stinger FPV configuration, including battery?
What is the approximate maximum thrust per motor?
Using the same recommended minimum thrust-to-weight ratio of approximately 2.0 for good controllability, what additional payload margin would you consider practical?
Are there recommended mounting areas or structural points on the Stinger frame for small external payloads?
Are there any known limitations compared with Starling 2 regarding payload mounting, center-of-mass sensitivity, or PX4 attitude-controller tuning?
For an indoor application where flight time is less critical, would you generally consider Stinger FPV a better candidate than Starling 2 for carrying a small external sensor package, or would you still recommend staying with Starling 2?

At this stage, I am trying to make a platform selection between Starling 2 and Stinger FPV before freezing the mechanical layout. Once I understand which platform has the more suitable payload margin and mounting flexibility, I can share the planned sensor list, estimated added mass, and CAD/mounting concept for your review.

Thanks again for the support.

Best regards,
Eyal