like flight range,distances possible,max payloads,battery run times etc. if anyone is able to help it would be very much appreciated.
There are technical formulas which can predict this very accurately. http://ecalc.ch/ However, you can also work backwards to some degree by looking at highly tuned quadcopters like the Phantom, etc. and seeing what they can do (weight vs. battery vs. flight time. There is no magic here - only so much is possible today, although that will expand with new battery technology.
