Validation
How close are
the predictions?
We compare ThrustLab’s predictions with wind-tunnel and motor-bench measurements, then publish the differences.
These numbers describe this release. They do not establish the accuracy of later physics releases.
APC Thin Electric, Sport and Slow Flyer. Compared with university wind-tunnel measurements.
T-Motor models in the published bench envelope. Compared with measured electrical and mechanical performance.
These are the full benchmark counts. The results below use separate test subsets, so their sample counts differ.
01 / Propellers
Thrust and power.
Compared with real measurements.
At the same RPM and airspeed, how much push does the propeller produce—and how much shaft power does it need?
Average difference from measurement
Smaller is closer. All bars use the same 0–30% scale.
APC Thin Electric
11 propellers in this test subset
Performance measurements kept separate. Published blade shapes did inform model development.
APC Sport
10 propellers in this test subset
These propellers were kept entirely separate from model development.
APC Slow Flyer
4 propellers in this test subset
These propellers were kept entirely separate from model development.
A 10% average difference means the predictions differed from the measurements by 10% on average. Individual errors can be larger. Near-zero measurements are excluded from these percentages.
02 / Motors
Current draw.
And full-throttle RPM.
Current is checked at measured shaft speed and load. The speed check asks how fast the motor can turn at full throttle.
Separate performance tests
Performance measurements kept out of model development; these are not wholly independent motor designs.
- Current draw
- 7.2% average difference · 2,209 measurements
- Full-throttle RPM
- 6.1% average difference · 175 measurements
Independent bench tests
A separate motor test set kept entirely out of model development. The larger RPM error matters when choosing a new motor.
- Current draw
- 9.6% average difference · 570 measurements
- Full-throttle RPM
- 14.8% average difference · 24 measurements
Using the results
Know what the evidence covers.
Measured at the component level
Propeller thrust and shaft power, plus motor current, speed and efficiency. The report gives the tested sizes, RPM ranges and flight conditions.
See the tested operating ranges ↗Still needs system-level testing
This dataset does not validate battery behavior, temperatures, complete powertrains, aircraft flight time or autopilot missions. Coaxial and angled-flow predictions also lack measured validation here.
Use the model to narrow your choices.
Compare candidate components, leave room for the measured error, and bench-test the final setup. An average error is useful context for a design decision; it is not a guaranteed error limit for your aircraft.
Using a custom component? These error figures come from known components. They do not apply to user-supplied geometry or specifications.