AUW Builder

What this calculator does

Adds up your build piece by piece into dry weight (no battery) and AUW - all-up weight, the number the quad actually flies at. Every performance metric that matters - thrust-to-weight, flight time, disc loading - has AUW in the denominator, which makes this the most consequential number nobody weighs. Why it matters: AUW explained.

Where to find real component weights

Every entry in this database lists its verified weight: motors (weigh ONE, the calculator multiplies), stacks, cameras, VTX and batteries. Frames typically run 90-140 g for 5" freestyle, 60-90 g for racing, 25-60 g for micros. The "everything else" field catches what builds always forget: receiver, antennas, wiring, strap, TPU mounts, and the GoPro - a full-size action camera adds ~120-160 g, often the difference between crisp and sluggish.

Reading the result

• Sub-250 g AUW matters legally in many countries - registration thresholds sit at 250 g. The calculator flags it.
• 5" freestyle lands around 550-750 g AUW with battery; past ~800 g the same hardware starts feeling like a cinelifter.
• Battery share: the pack is usually 25-35% of AUW. If it's more, you're carrying capacity you can't use (how to choose a battery).

What to do with the number

Feed it straight into the thrust-to-weight calculator - motor pages carry real bench thrust to pair with it - and into the flight time calculator, where every extra gram shows up as seconds lost. Building 30 g lighter beats buying 30 g more thrust: lighter is free every single pack.