Tool
Drone coverage calculator.
Estimate hectares per hour from swath, speed and field efficiency — then see how tank size and application rate affect refills. A 6 m swath at 6 m/s and 70% efficiency is about 9 ha/h; a 70 L tank at 60 L/ha covers about 1.2 ha per fill. Planning only; confirm with a field demonstration.
Formula: effective swath × speed × 0.36 = theoretical ha/h. Field efficiency accounts for turns, refills, battery swaps and operator stops. Real output is normally lower.
Estimated output
Theoretical
—
ha/h
Effective
—
ha/h
Per tank
—
ha
Tank duration
—
minutes
Refills for 10 ha: —. This estimate excludes turns, wind, refill travel and battery logistics unless already reflected in field efficiency.
A calculator cannot promise performance. Confirm with a field demonstration on your crop and terrain. See thespraying drone page for the system variables.
Method
How the estimate is built
The calculator uses the standard coverage formula: effective swath × speed × 0.36 = theoretical hectares per hour. A 6 m swath at 6 m/s gives 13.0 ha/h before turns, refills and battery swaps.
Field efficiency turns the theoretical number into a planning number. At 70% efficiency the same pass is about 9.1 ha/h. Small, obstructed or wet blocks can be lower because turns and refills take a larger share of the day.
Tank size sets the refill interval: hectares per tank = tank ÷ application rate. A 70 L tank at 60 L/ha covers about 1.2 ha per fill. The tank duration column shows how many minutes of effective work that represents.
| Swath (m) | Speed (m/s) | Efficiency | Tank (L) | Rate (L/ha) | Theoretical (ha/h) | Effective (ha/h) | Per tank (ha) | Tank duration (min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 6 | 70% | 70 | 60 | 13.0 | 9.1 | 1.2 | 8 |
| 6 | 5 | 65% | 70 | 60 | 10.8 | 7.0 | 1.2 | 10 |
| 8 | 6 | 75% | 70 | 60 | 17.3 | 13.0 | 1.2 | 6 |
Theoretical = swath × speed × 0.36. Effective = theoretical × efficiency. Per tank = tank ÷ rate. Tank duration = per tank ÷ effective × 60.
Inputs
What each input means
Effective swath is the width actually sprayed, not the distance between rotor tips. It is narrower in uneven canopy and wider on open, flat ground. Speed raises theoretical output, but very high speed can reduce deposit quality and increase drift.
Field efficiency is the share of the day spent applying product rather than turning, refilling, swapping batteries or waiting. Application rate is the carrier volume per hectare; it depends on the crop, the product label and the spray quality you need.
| Input | Typical planning range | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Effective swath | 4–8 m | Width of the sprayed pass; narrower in uneven canopy. |
| Speed | 4–8 m/s | Higher speed raises theoretical output; deposit quality may fall. |
| Field efficiency | 60–80% | Turns, refills, battery swaps and operator stops. |
| Tank | 70 L (P150) | Hectares per fill at your application rate. |
| Application rate | 30–100 L/ha | Carrier volume; crop and label dependent. |
Planning ranges only. Confirm the product label and the machine configuration before quoting a work rate.
Limits
What the calculator cannot see
The result is a planning number, not a promise. It does not model wind, spray drift, canopy density, turn time, refill travel, battery logistics, operator fatigue or block shape. Those factors are why a field demonstration matters before a season is planned around a number.
- Block shape: short rows and obstacles add turns.
- Refill loop: distance and water availability can decide the day.
- Battery plan: swap time and charger capacity change available flight hours.
- Crop and canopy: deposit and penetration change the usable speed.
- Weather: wind and temperature windows reduce the workable hours.
Use the result to compare configurations, then confirm the estimate on your own block with a demonstration.
FAQ
Coverage questions
How is hectares per hour calculated?
Effective swath × speed × 0.36 = theoretical hectares per hour. A 6 m swath at 6 m/s gives 13.0 ha/h. Multiply by field efficiency to get the planning number: 70% gives about 9.1 ha/h.
What field efficiency should I use?
Start at 70% for open, rectangular blocks. Use 60–65% for small plots, short rows, frequent refills or mixed terrain. Efficiency is the share of the day spent applying product, not the share of the tank used.
How many hectares does one tank cover?
Tank ÷ application rate. A 70 L tank at 60 L/ha covers about 1.2 ha per fill. At 40 L/ha the same tank covers about 1.75 ha. The refill interval, not the tank alone, decides the daily output.
Does a larger tank always increase daily output?
Only when the refill loop is short. If a refill takes ten minutes and the tank lasts eight minutes, the loop is the bottleneck. Match tank size to water access, travel distance and the number of refill points.
Why is the calculated number higher than my field result?
The formula assumes continuous application. Wind, turns, refill travel, battery swaps, canopy density and operator stops all reduce the field number. Use the calculator to compare configurations, then measure a real block.
Can I use this calculator for spreading or seeding?
No. This calculator is for liquid application in litres per hectare. Spreading and seeding use hopper volume and kilograms per minute, so the refill and output logic is different. Use the drone selector for a spreading starting point.
Next step
Want the estimate checked against a real block?
Send the crop, block shape, tank size and application rate. We will review the assumptions and propose a demonstration.