ModalAI Forum

Hi @Alex-Kushleyev,

This is very helpful, thank you.

The 110–115 W hover figure lines up well with my own estimate, and the per-motor peak-power clarification is exactly what I needed for the power and payload sizing.

I also went through the QGC-via-ADB / USB-NCM documentation. The approach looks clean, and the ~4 ms ping shown in the doc is well within my requirement. Latency matters more to me than absolute throughput, so that result is encouraging.

For context, my data-rate needs are modest: on the order of a few tens of Mbps total. That's a couple of compressed video/sensor streams from the drone, low-rate telemetry, and one small latency-sensitive control/data channel. Based on the ~400 Mbps you mentioned, I don't expect bandwidth to be the limiting factor.

A few things I'd like to confirm before committing to this path:

1. Does the USB-NCM setup remove the need for a separate Ethernet add-on board entirely? From the doc it looks like NCM runs over the same USB connection used for ADB, which would suggest I only need physical USB access to the VOXL 2 Mini, with no added Ethernet hardware on the drone. Is that right?

2. Is USB-NCM stable for sustained real-time streaming? The doc example focuses on QGC / lower-rate comms. Are there known issues running the interface continuously at tens of Mbps over longer operating periods?

3. How does USB-NCM latency behave when the VOXL 2 Mini is under heavy compute load? Should I expect latency spikes or jitter under CPU/GPU/DSP load, or is the interface generally stable enough for latency-sensitive data alongside onboard processing?

The main thing I'm trying to decide is whether USB-NCM is robust enough to be the primary data link from the VOXL 2 Mini for this application, or whether I should still plan for a dedicated Ethernet interface.

Thanks again,
Eyal

Hi @Alex-Kushleyev,

Thanks again for the response, the data and the CAD have been really helpful.

A few things I'm trying to pin down before I choose the correct platform for my project:

The big one is the Ethernet question. For my setup to work I need a reliable gigabit-class wired link to the VOXL 2 Mini. Forum threads suggest M0062 is dev-only, and M0130 looks like it's keyed to the full VOXL 2 and might not work with the Mini on Stinger — what's the right path for Mini specifically?

On power: working back from your published 12+ min flight time on a stock 4S pack, I'm getting hover power around ~107W. Does that line up with your bench measurements, and what does peak / maneuver current look like for the indoor flight Stinger is built for?

Thanks,
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:

1. What is the typical all-up weight of a standard Stinger FPV configuration, including battery?
2. What is the approximate maximum thrust per motor?
3. Using the same recommended minimum thrust-to-weight ratio of approximately 2.0 for good controllability, what additional payload margin would you consider practical?
4. Are there recommended mounting areas or structural points on the Stinger frame for small external payloads?
5. Are there any known limitations compared with Starling 2 regarding payload mounting, center-of-mass sensitivity, or PX4 attitude-controller tuning?
6. 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

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:

1. What is the maximum recommended additional payload for the Starling 2?
2. Is the published drone weight already close to the practical lift limit, or is there usable margin for small external sensors?
3. Are there any recommended limits regarding added mass, mounting location, or center-of-gravity shift?
4. Would adding small sensors affect flight stability, flight time, or PX4 tuning in a way that you recommend avoiding?
5. 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

I'm designing a kit around the starling 2 (not max) since I want to use a smaller drone for indoor use.
In my kit I want to add some extra sensors but in the datasheet it doesn't specify possible payload besides the drone weight.
Is the payload maxed out by the drone weight or do I have some margin?