What is RotorLab
RotorLab is a physics-based performance calculator and fleet operations platform for multirotors and VTOL aircraft. Describe a build (airframe, props, motors, battery, ESC, payload, and auxiliary power rails) and RotorLab computes hover power and current, endurance, thrust-to-weight, top speed, disc loading, and a checks block that flags ESC, pack, and regulator limits. Hover power comes from actuator-disc momentum theory rather than a fixed grams-per-watt rule of thumb, so prop diameter, air density, and payload move the numbers the way physics says they should.
Around that engine sits an operations suite: live telemetry straight from a flight controller, calibration from a real hover, a pilot logbook, fleet and maintenance records, and flight-log forensics. Every user signs in and keeps a private build library; organizations share what they choose to share.
Who uses RotorLab#
- Builders size a new airframe before buying parts: battery capacity, prop choice, payload budget, and the density penalty at the flying site.
- Pilots plan missions, check RF range, keep a logbook, and calibrate the model against their real aircraft.
- Fleet operators run the day from the Ops Dashboard: airworthiness, maintenance, authorizations, occurrences, and the operations manual.
- Developers automate analysis and build management through the versioned HTTP API under
/api/v1.
The tool groups#
The Menu in the top bar groups every tool into six sections. Exactly one group is open at a time, and the group holding the page you are on opens first.
| Group | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Design | The Builder is the live console where you describe a build and read the analysis; the Setup Wizard walks a new build through airframe, propulsion, battery, payload, and mission in guided steps. |
| Analyze | Balance and CG checks mass distribution, RF Link and Range budgets the radio links, the Throttle Simulator flies the build against the clock, and the Trade Study sweeps one variable across a range. |
| Live | Live Telemetry reads a real flight controller over USB, LAN, or the cloud relay, and Calibration measures figure of merit and max thrust from a real hover. |
| Fleet | The Ops Dashboard answers what needs attention today, backed by the Pilot Logbook, Clients and Jobs, Fleet Manager, Fleet Health, Maintenance, Authorizations, Occurrences, the Ops Manual, and Public Reporting. |
| Forensics | The Log Analyzer reads a flight log, the Crash Analyzer reconstructs what went wrong, and Compare puts logs side by side. |
| Reference | Math and Validation writes out every governing equation and re-checks each one in the browser against the engine (see Physics); the Developer API page documents the HTTP API (see the API quickstart). |
How a typical user moves through it#
- Design. Start in the Setup Wizard or the Builder and describe the aircraft. The readout recomputes as you type.
- Analyze. Your working build follows you into every analysis tool automatically: check the balance, the radio links, and run a trade study before committing to hardware. See Your working build for how the carry works.
- Fly it live. Connect the real aircraft on the Live Telemetry page, then close the loop with Calibration so endurance and thrust-to-weight are measured, not estimated.
- Log it. File the flight in the Pilot Logbook; the records feed the fleet pages.
- Maintain the fleet. Watch trends in Fleet Health, schedule work in Maintenance, and when something goes wrong, take the log to the Crash Analyzer.