Business Acquisitions (Details)				3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Feb. 26, 2020 USD ($)	Feb. 20, 2020 USD ($)	Jun. 10, 2019 USD ($) item	Jan. 25, 2020 USD ($) item	Jan. 26, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 25, 2020 USD ($)	Jan. 26, 2019 USD ($)
Business Acquisitions
Ownership interest acquired			100.00%
Business Combinations, Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed at Acquisition Date
Goodwill				$ 6,340,000		$ 6,340,000
Fair value of consideration transferred:
Period of goodwill deduction						15 years
Supplemental Pro forma Information
Revenue				2,229,000		$ 2,901,000
Amortization of Intangible Assets				775,000	$ 104,000	2,102,000	$ 253,000
SG&A
Supplemental Pro forma Information
Acquisition-related costs				$ 344,000		1,036,000
Pulse Aerospace, LLC
Business Acquisitions
Ownership interest acquired			100.00%
Amount of cash less closing indebtedness and transaction costs			$ 20,650,000
Amount of retention to cover post closing indemnification claims			250,000
Amount of holdback			$ 1,250,000
Number of months after closing holdback will be paid			18 months
Number of research and development milestones | item			2	1
Each milestone achievement	$ 2,500,000	$ 2,500,000
Total milestone achievement			$ 5,000,000
Business acquisitions gain						832,000
Fair value of contingent consideration				$ 2,500,000		2,500,000
Business Combinations, Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed at Acquisition Date
Inventory			334,000
Goodwill			6,340,000
Other assets and liabilities assumed			(614,000)
Total net identified assets acquired			21,880,000
Fair value of consideration transferred:
Cash	$ 2,500,000	$ 2,500,000	18,677,000
Holdback			1,250,000
Retention			250,000
Contingent consideration			$ 1,703,000
Supplemental Pro forma Information
Revenue				61,891,000	75,922,000	232,300,000	228,533,000
Net income attributable to AeroVironment				(726,000)	$ 7,244,000	24,227,000	$ 38,471,000
Amortization of Intangible Assets				$ (671,000)		(1,790,000)
Pulse Aerospace, LLC | Discount rate
Business Acquisitions
Measurement input			4.5
Pulse Aerospace, LLC | Minimum
Business Acquisitions
Each milestone achievement			$ 0
Pulse Aerospace, LLC | Maximum
Business Acquisitions
Each milestone achievement			2,500,000
Fair value of consideration transferred:
Cash						$ 5,000,000
Pulse Aerospace, LLC | Technology
Business Combinations, Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed at Acquisition Date
Intangible assets			14,950,000
Pulse Aerospace, LLC | In process research and development
Business Combinations, Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed at Acquisition Date
Intangible assets			550,000
Pulse Aerospace, LLC | Non-compete agreements
Business Combinations, Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed at Acquisition Date
Intangible assets			$ 320,000