Component catalog#

The catalog is local data, not a shop connection. It makes physical assemblies portable between the browser, JSON aircraft files and headless experiments. No prices, inventory promises, vendor endorsement or purchases are included.

Use it#

1. Open Aircraft editor → Components and choose an installed part.
2. Edit its measured mass, position and physical parameters, or choose Replace component to browse matching catalog entries.
3. Select a replacement to review the aircraft mass and CG movement.
4. Use this component changes the draft. Apply to flight rebuilds the simulation; Export saves a standalone aircraft JSON.

Airframe and Components share one draft. On desktop the model stays beside the component panel; a muted outline identifies the selected installation envelope, including components enclosed by the fuselage. It shows the authored mass position and dimensions, not exact collision geometry. Top and Side views make installation changes easier to compare. Narrow screens use an installed-part selector instead of a long side list. Replacement browsing shows its mass/CG preview before changing the draft.

A battery's grams and mAh are independent inputs. More capacity slows charge consumption at the same current. More mass changes CG/inertia and increases the thrust needed to sustain flight; supplying that thrust can increase current. The model includes voltage sag and falling voltage as charge is consumed. The flight HUD shows charge, voltage and current; its tooltip and flight setup show used mAh. Time to 20% is conditional on the instantaneous current, not an endurance prediction.

Servo details expose speed, rated positional range, commanded travel, horn lengths and surface limit. The displayed effective angle and rate drive flight forces and animation. A motor package replaces its tested motor/prop curve and both mass components. Motor packages require explicit motors[].partId and propPartId links. The Bronco, Tiny Trainer, FT-22 and 450 mm quad provide complete examples. The Propellers filter and paired-part buttons connect each blade assembly to its motor. Replace them as a package so a prop's mass and performance stay paired. The preview includes diameter and test voltage; a larger prop needs a clearance and mounting check. Catalog selection does not guarantee that hardware fits. Older definitions that combine prop mass elsewhere must first separate that allocation; the catalog refuses to invent or double-count it.

Saved browser designs retain their previous definitions. To use revised bundled battery/servo setups, select Restore original aircraft in the editor, review, and apply. Export your customized draft first if you want to retain it.

Evidence in the initial catalog#

Each entry carries its exact source URLs and evidence note. Some Robu pages expose only a JavaScript shell; indexed staging listings were used for the 1500 and 3300 mAh specifications. Use product weight, not the inconsistent shipping-weight field. A listed 1 kHz impedance is not a pack DC-resistance measurement. The older Robu MT2213 sheet describes a different KV variant; its maximum-thrust headline was not merged into the current EMAX 1045 curve.

All fixed-wing presets and the basic 5-inch quad now have an electrical model. Where no current bench curve exists, current is explicitly estimated from ideal induced power divided by an assumed 0.45 overall factor and nominal voltage, plus a small no-load term. This does not measure the actual motor or account for forward-flight efficiency. Read component models.

Add a reference with a coding agent#

Edit catalog.json, then run:

npm run aircraft:validate
npm run check
npm run physics:validate

ComponentCatalogSchema in components.ts is the strict schema. The file has schemaVersion: 1, reviewedAt and an entries array. Each entry needs a unique slug id, name, type, description, physical part, sources: [{title,url}], and an evidence note separating facts from assumptions. Types are battery, servo, motor and passive equipment.

• part uses aircraft mass-part fields without id or positionM. Installation coordinates are preserved on replacement. Supply meters and kilograms.
• Batteries add the aircraft battery fields without partId.
• Servos use an equipment part with servo metadata. Do not use continuous-rotation servos for positional surface linkages.
• Motor entries include motor settings without identity/installation/spin/yaw fields, a matching performance curve, and a separate prop mass part. Record the tested voltage, propeller, command convention and density uncertainty. Optional shaftAxis: "x" | "z" declares the product envelope's shaft direction. Installation converts dimensions and principal inertia to X for fixed-wing or Z for multirotor use, retaining the existing component installation rotation. Omission preserves the legacy body-frame convention. This does not model cant.
• Passive equipment changes mass/inertia only. A printed ESC current rating does not magically implement firmware, thermal limits or battery cutoff behavior.

The chosen values are copied into exported aircraft definitions; catalogId records their origin but is not a runtime dependency or live update. User edits may differ from the catalog reference. Keep detailed sources in provenance and replace estimated curves with measured data before claiming flight accuracy.