The Drone Files

Since it was first released about 2 months ago, the JJRC H22 has quickly become one of the most popular toy quadcopters in JJRC’s lineup thanks to its outstanding flight performance which appeals to both beginners and experts alike. Not only that, it looks great as well with a body that is durable and comes with a highly attractive price tag.

Toy quadcopters have evolved a lot in recent years and the H22 represents the finest in its class. So it came as no surprise that Gearbest sent us a sample to review. It is probably one of the best-selling toy quadcopters at the popular online store.

Those with a sharp eye for detail will notice that the H22 is actually a clone of the Eamachine H8 Mini with a different body. In fact, the H22 even comes with the exact same user manual as the H8. This is not an issue since the H8 itself is an excellent toy quadcopter to begin with.

The H22 has a sporty-looking canopy with racy graphics and well-designed prop guards that flex to absorb impact. Although a power switch is conspicuously missing — power is turned on by attaching the 3.7V 220mAh battery — the H22 is still a very decent quadcopter for its price. Thanks to its size, lightweight body and flexible prop guards the H22 can really take plenty of abuse and makes a great toy for children aged 8 to 12 years.

One thing that can be improved on the H22 are its foam landing studs which are glued to the bottom of its four motors. These studs can be detached quite easily with enough force although they do provide an excellent cushion for the quad to land on.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 13 x 13 x 35mm
• Diagonal motor distance: 93mm
• Motor size: 7 x 17mm coreless
• Weight: 30g (with battery)
• Flight time: 5 to 7 minutes
• Battery: 3.7V 220mAh
• Charging time: 30 minutes
• Control distance: approximately 30m
• Transmitter power: 2 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included)

Inverted Flight

Perhaps the most attractive key feature in the H22 that stands out the most is its ability to fly inverted. Inverted flight is all the rage these days since the first toy quadcopters that sport this feature were unveiled in the middle of this year. Among the first toy quadcopters to have this feature is the Eamachine H8 Mini which is very similar in size and features to the H22.

Inverted flight is what truly makes the H22 so much fun to fly. Besides this feature, the H22 is a very stable flier and responses very well to pilot input, especially in calm weather conditions.

However, turning inverted flight off can be a bit confusing for first-time users and the supplied user manual does a lousy job in explaining it.

By default, the transmitter is set up for inverted flight. To get the H22 inverted, press the right shoulder button on the transmitter while the H22 is in the air and then move the right control stick in any direction to invert it. For example, if you move the right stick forward, the H22 will lunge 180 degrees forward and stay inverted. Press the right shoulder button again, move the right stick forward and the H22 will flip back upright again.

Be warned, though, the H22’s inverted flight feature may render its LED lights useless when it comes to orientation. This happens when the H22 is inverted by flipping forward or backward which causes the blue LED lights, which are normally at the front, to end up at the back. As a result, pilots who rely heavily on the LED lights for orientation may end up momentarily confused.

Inverted flight may also invert the orientation of the LED lights which can lead to a disoriented pilot.

To turn off inverted flight mode, simply press the right control stick down as if you’re pressing a button. With inverted flight turned off, pressing the right shoulder button triggers the H22 to perform 360 flips when you move the right control stick.

Flight Performance

The H22 comes in 3 flight speeds — slow, medium and fast. In slow mode, the H22 is restrained and flies very predictably. This mode is ideal for beginners or when flying indoors. In fast mode, the H22 flies at its fastest with aggressive flying angles. Yaw rate is also incredibly fast in this mode and the H22 can be made to spin around in the air like a flying saucer which can be quite entertaining to watch.

The H22 also comes with “headless mode” and “one-key automatic return”. Headless mode is a feature which allows you to fly your drone without worrying where its front is facing. When headless mode is turned on, the drone will fly in any direction you order it relative to your transmitter’s position, irrespective of where its front or “head” is facing. So if your drone has its front facing right at you, it will move to the left if you push your right control stick to the left.

“One-key automatic return” is a mode that allows the drone to fly back to its launching site. Since the H22 is not a GPS-enabled drone, this feature is pretty much a hit-and-miss thing and appears to be more of a gimmick.

The H22’s 220mAh battery provides it with a flight time of about 5 to 6 minutes which is average for a toy quadcopter of this size. Flight time gets significantly shorter with aggressive flying.

Transmitter

The H22 comes with a mini transmitter that commonly comes with many other toy quadcopters from China. It resembles a mini game controller and is powered by 2 AA batteries.

Despite its size and basic features, the H22 transmitter feels good in the hands and serves its purpose well enough. It’s also tough enough to take abuse from children 8 to 12 years old.
Conclusion

JJRC is a brand that has had a spotty reputation in the past, producing toy quadcopters that were sometimes gimmicky and unreliable (think JJRC H8C) in order to stay ahead of its rivals. However, the company seems to have nailed it right this time around with the H22. There is so much to love about the H22 that you can easily forgive it for its flaws which are few.

The H22 is one toy quadcopter that appeals to both beginners and experts alike. Its inverted flight feature and stable flying characteristics make it a lot of fun to fly and simply a class above other toy quadcopters of similar size. Its lightweight body and well-designed prop guards make it very durable too. These features also mean the H22 can take a lot of abuse and is an ideal toy for children 8 to 12 years old or simply anyone who’s new to the hobby of flying quadcopters.

And best of all, it costs only $20.

China-based Dong Yang Model Technology (popularly known as DYS) have been quite busy this year, releasing a number of enthusiast-level 250-size quadcopter racers and an entire line of multirotor platforms and kits aimed at the professional aerial photography market.

One of its more recent models is the X230 QuadCam — a Ready-to-Fly (RTF) 230-size quadcopter racer with built-in 5.8GHz FPV camera and transmitter. The X230 appears to be the only true RTF kit in DYS’s multicopter lineup which feature mostly ARTF (Almost-Ready-To-Fly) kits such as the BG-250 and X160. This means the X230 is ready to fly out of the box with no other extra accessories needed. The only thing that’s missing is a dedicated FPV monitor — the X230 uses your smartphone to display the FPV feed.

Unlike other DYS drones, the X230 comes with its own body which neatly encloses all its electronics components including the FPV camera. It even comes with its own “smart” battery which includes a power button and battery level LEDs. The X230’s body may not win awards when it comes to aesthetics but it certainly gives it a well-rounded finished product look — something which other DYS drone kits seem to seriously lack.

Key Features

• 230mm diagonal motor distance
• Weight: 500g (including battery)
• Camera: 1920 x 1080P video and 5MP stills with 120 degrees FOV (supports up to 32GB micro SD cards)
• FPV transmitter: 200mW 5.8GHz
• Propellers: 5030
• Max. take-off weight: 800g
• Flight time: approximately 10 minutes
• Battery: 11.1V 2200mAh 3S LiPo
• Transmitter battery: 1800mAh 3S LiPo (built-in)
• Control range: 1000m
• Max. flight altitude: 500m

One thing peculiar about the X230 is the design of its transmitter which has a striking resemblance to DJI’s Phantom 3 transmitter. The only difference is the placement of certain buttons and dials.

With such a complete RTF package, DYS is obviously planning to take on more established models in the 250 racer segment such as the highly popular Walkera Runner 250. Whether the X230 can gain a following remains to be seen.

One thing’s for sure is that the X230 appears to be a more well-rounded package compared to the Runner 250. With the X230, there are no manually-inserted batteries and no exposed wires and plugs that give it a hobbyist DIY look. There are even dedicated buttons for you to select your FPV transmission channel. However, the X230 fails to impress when it comes to looks for it simply looks like a toy. The Runner 250, on the other hand, looks like a bad ass racing machine.

DYS can certainly make the X230 more appealing if it could improve on its aesthetics and appearance. Overall, the X230 is still an impressive kit for those looking for a complete RTF 250 racer.

GoPro has announced that its new camera-equipped drone will be named Karma and is expected to arrive in the first half of 2016. Earlier in October, the company released a teaser featuring test footage taken from a prototype of the drone.

GoPro’s journey towards making its very first camera drone initially began with a partnership with DJI but when that partnership fell apart, the company decided to tackle the challenge on its own. The result is the Karma drone which is rumored to have a price range of between $500 and $1,000 and is expected to come with a decent camera gimbal system.

In keeping up public interest in the Karma, the company released yet another teaser video this week announcing the drone’s newly revealed name accompanied by test footage from the drone that was released earlier on — footage the company insists has not been stabilized in post production.

Still, we have no idea what the Karma looks like as GoPro has been doing a good job in keeping things tightly under wraps so don’t expect to be teased with even more details or product photos until at least next year.

If you fancy owning a Karma, sign up to get the latest news about it at the GoPro website and you stand a chance to win one of the 100 Karma drones that GoPro will be giving away at launch.

At first glance, the Jin Xing Da (JXD) 509W looks like a knock-off mini toy version of the Yuneec Q500. But once you start flying it, you’ll discover that beneath the gimmicky appearance is one fantastic toy quadcopter that will impress even seasoned enthusiasts.

Priced at about $80, the 509W clearly wasn’t designed to compete with professional aerial photography drones such as the Q500 or the Phantom 3 which can cost well over $1,000. The 509W is actually an advanced toy-grade quadcopter (for its price range) that can take some very impressive videos thanks to its highly stable flight performance.

The JXD 509W, which features wifi control and video transmission, also comes in two other variants — the 509G with 5.8GHz FPV and the 509V which is the basic and most affordable version that has a camera but does not feature any kind of FPV.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 300 x 300 x 96mm
• Diagonal motor distance: 227mm
• Motor size: 9mm
• Weight: 140g (with battery and camera)
• Flight time: 5 to 8 minutes
• Battery: 3.7V 600mAh 30C Li Po
• Charging time: 60 – 90 minutes
• Control distance: approximately 50m
• Transmitter power: 4 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included)

Altitude Hold

Altitude hold used to be a feature found only on more advanced drones such as the Phantom 3 but has started trickling down recently into the sub-$100 toy drone segment. This is certainly good news for anyone shopping for toy quadcopters today.

Altitude hold makes flying a drone so much more easy and this feature is very well implemented in the 509W. To keep its altitude consistent, a barometer in the drone is used to keep track on air pressure. The 509W attempts to keep this air pressure reading consistent by adjusting its propulsion accordingly to compensate for altitude gains or loss.

On the pilot’s side, keeping the 509W hovering steadily in the air at a set altitude is very simple — just let go of the throttle stick at 50% and the barometer will work its magic, helping the 509W keep its altitude within an envelope of about 1 to 2 feet. To make things easier for the pilot, the throttle stick has been configured to be self-centering at 50% which is the level needed to hover the 509W. Moving the 509W up or down is as simple as increasing throttle power or reducing it.

Although the 509W isn’t the first toy quadcopter to feature a barometer (the XK X260-B we tested about 2 months ago also has one), it is certainly the only toy quadcopter we’ve tested so far that actually features altitude hold. Interestingly, the X260 does not feature altitude hold despite having a barometer. We’re guessing that the barometer is used in the X260 merely to assist in its flight performance.

Flight Performance

Complementing its altitude hold feature is the 509W’s excellent flight performance. The 509W is amazingly stable in the air and responds very well to pilot input. This stable flight performance is characteristic of the latest generation of toy quadcopters of which the 509W belongs to.

3 speed modes are available — low, medium and high. Low speed mode is best used when you’re trying to take videos or photos and is also the best mode to use if you need the 509W to fly around at slow and steady speeds. High speed mode releases the 509W’s full potential where speed is concerned and flying angles become very aggressive to accompany the sporty flying performance.

Like other toy quadcopters in the same price segment, the 509W also comes with “headless” mode and “0ne-key return”. Headless mode is a feature which allows you to fly your drone without worrying where its front is facing. When headless mode is turned on, the drone will fly in any direction you order it relative to your transmitter’s position, irrespective of where its front or “head” is facing. So if your drone has its front facing right at you, it will move to the left if you push your right control stick to the left. Take note that the drone’s “front” direction is determined when “headless” mode is triggered and will remain the same until you turn headless mode off.

The 509W transmitter has dedicated buttons for “headless” mode and “one key return”.

The 509W transmitter has dedicated buttons for “headless” mode and “one key return”.

“One-key return” is a feature that allows the drone to “fly” back to its launching site. Since the 509W is not a GPS-enabled drone, this feature doesn’t really cause the drone to fly back to the exact spot where it was launched. Instead, the 509W will simply fly back in the direction it was launched from. For example, if the 509W was facing north when it was launched, it will merely fly southwards when this feature is triggered.

This feature was designed specifically to be used when a pilot has lost orientation of a drone and hopes to get it flying back to where it was launched. The feature isn’t exactly perfect as the drone will just continue flying “back” but may come in handy if a pilot is too disoriented to figure out how to prevent the drone from flying away.

The 509W can also perform 360 degree flips although this isn’t exactly its forte. The 509W has a rather peculiar way of flipping — it will rise some 1 or 2 feet into the air before performing the flip so if you’re thinking of doing some aerial acrobats with the 509W, make sure it has enough headroom to do so.

The 509W also feels cumbersome during flips and can sometimes struggle to recover from them, especially when battery power is low.

Equipped with a 3.7V 600mAh Li Po battery, the 509W has a flight time of about 5 to 8 minutes which is average for its size.

Camera

The most impressive feature of the 509W is its ability to take reasonably stable aerial videos. Being a sub-$100 toy quadcopter, the 509W’s video performance isn’t exactly in the same league as more expensive aerial photography drones such as the Phantom 3 but within that price range it is probably one of the best, if not the best.

This is largely due to its highly stable flying performance assisted by its superb altitude hold feature. Under highly ideal conditions where there is little to no wind at all, aerial videos taken with the 509W is simply a class above all other toy quadcopters we’ve tested to date.

The only beef I have with its camera is the narrow field-of-view (FOV). Although this narrow FOV is a great way to reduce distortion, the FOV on the 509W’s camera is a bit too narrow for my liking. Also, a camera that has a wider FOV can take in more of the scenery below and also help reduce the effects of camera shake since the 509W does not feature any kind of gimbal stabilizer.

The 509W’s camera features WiFi FPV which can be accessed via the Exploration UFO app on your smartphone. Videos and photos from the camera are also stored on your smartphone or tablet via the app. The 509W’s camera does not allow you to record files onto a micro SD card in the camera itself.

As with any other WiFi equipped toy quadcopter, FPV on the 509W suffers from high latency which gets worse as the drone flies further away from your smart device. For the best FPV experience, I recommend getting the 509G which features 5.8GHz FPV. The 509G does not suffer from the high latency problem that affects all WiFi camera drones.

The Exploration UFO app also allows you to control the 509W via onscreen controls that mimic the conventional transmitter via a WiFi connection to the drone. Although this may sound like a cool idea, it is not exactly the best way to fly the 509W since WiFi latency can adversely affect your handling of the drone, resulting in unpredictable flight behavior which may result in crashes.

Conclusion

Despite its few shortcomings, the 509W is arguably one of the best toy quadcopters currently available on the market. The JXD brand itself is relatively new in the world of multirotors but that doesn’t stop the 509W from impressing me with its fantastic flying performance and stability in the air.

The 509W is also one of the few toy quadcopters available today that features altitude hold — a feature that was once only available in more expensive hobby-grade drones. Altitude hold is a key reason why the 509W is so much fun to fly and sets it apart from the competition.

If there is one thing I would like to see improved in the 509W is the ability to record videos and photos onto a memory card in the camera itself instead of on a smartphone or tablet. The current method of recording simply captures all the imperfections in the WiFi FPV system which includes latency lags that can make videos appear like slideshows. It also fails to impress when it comes to aerial acrobatics.

However, in a market dominated by brands such as Syma, the JXD 509W stands out as one of those hidden gems that have plenty to reward those who take the effort to dig deep enough. This is one model that would make it into my top five most recommended toy quadcopters for this year.

Having trouble deciding which toy drone to buy for that discerning RC enthusiast friend or family member this Christmas? Or are you looking for a nice RC toy gift that would delight any child?

With so many toy drones “carolling” in the market, it can be really hard deciding which one to buy as a gift this holiday season. The list can be endless, really, so we’ve decided to come up with a compilation of 5 toy drones that make fantastic gift ideas for both adults and children alike.

These are the top 5 toy drones that we would love to find under our Christmas tree when Santa’s doing his rounds. Many of them feature the latest trickle-down technology in toy quadcopters such as 5.8GHz FPV and 2-axis motorized gimbals which we reckon would be the norm for sub-$100 toy quadcopters next year.

Side-by-side Comparison

WLToys Q242-G

The Q242-G is WLToy’s latest mini FPV toy quadcopter that packs a lot of fun in one tiny little package. It does away with the gimmicky WiFi FPV that is featured in most sub-$100 toy quadcopters and instead features 5.8GHz FPV — the choice of most FPV enthusiasts. 5.8GHz is simply more superior than WiFi FPV because of its low latency. Anyone familiar with WiFi FPV will tell you that WiFi isn’t exactly the best frequency to broadcast video due to its high latency — a problem which can cause video broadcasts to look like delayed slideshows.

Another impressive feature of the Q242-G is its transmitter which looks like it was inspired by Parrot’s Skycontroller. Taking center stage on the transmitter is the large LCD screen with built-in sun shade. The Q242-G also features slide-in batteries that don’t require you to manually connect power connectors. To install the battery, all you need to do is just slide the battery in until it clicks.

It’s amazing that all these neat features can be found in a package that costs $81. With the WLToys Q242-G and other similar models, real FPV has finally arrived in the toy drone scene.

And that is why the WLToy’s Q242-G tops our list.

The WLToys Q242-G can be bought for $80.99 at GearBest.

JXD 509G

Just a few days ago, we reviewed the JXD 509W which is the WiFi version of JXD’s new 509 series of toy quadcopters. The 509G features 5.8GHz FPV and is the best model that JXD offers in its 509 lineup. However, being the flagship model doesn’t mean it comes with a hefty price tag — the JXD 509G actually costs less than $100.

Why did we pick the 509G? Because it flies great thanks mainly to its altitude hold feature — a feature that was once only available on more advanced drones. Flying a drone that has altitude hold is a whole world of a difference than flying one that doesn’t have this feature. Simply put, a drone that has altitude hold is a lot easier to fly.

The 509G is also very stable in the air and can take a lot of abuse. With a diagonal motor size of 227mm, it is significantly larger than the WLToys Q242. Its appearance may invite contrasting opinions. Some may hate the fact that it looks like a mini toy gimmick of the popular Yuneec Q500 but we’re guessing children probably don’t care about its copycat appearance and will be drawn to its sporty futuristic looks.

The JXD 509W can be bought for $89.99 at GearBest.

Cheerson-CX-33W

The Cheerson CX-33W is the most unusual looking model in this list. At a glance, the CX-33W looks like a tricopter and indeed this is what Cheerson is marketing it as. But look carefully and you’ll realize that the CX-33W actually has 6 propellers paired to 6 motors in a 3-arm configuration which actually makes it a hexacopter disguised as a tricopter!

So what does 6 motors mean? It means plenty of propulsion power and a drone that is the equivalent of a mini muscle car in the air. Like the JXD 509G, the CX-33W also has altitude hold which probably means impressive flight performance. With 6 motors and altitude hold, this is one toy quadcopter that can take on the wind like no other in this list.

The CX-33W also features one-key landing and takeoff which takes out the guesswork when it comes to landings and takeoffs. This feature is especially useful for pilots who are still inexperienced in flying multirotors and keeping them upright.

The only obvious flaw we can see in the CX-33W is its WiFi FPV camera which is certainly no match for the 5.8GHz FPV drones in this list.

The Cheerson CX-33W can be bought for $79.99 at GearBest.

JJRC H11D

The JJRC H11D is yet another 5.8GHz toy quadcopter that comes in a very sporty package and has a claimed control distance of 300m. Although we can’t verify this claim, some reviewers have tested the H11D to a distance of no more than 50m.

This is not surprising since JJRC does have a reputation for making dodgy claims in the past although occasionally the company does score some credibility by releasing decent toy quads such as the JJRC H22.

Despite the poor control range, there are still some things to love about the H11D like its very well-implemented FPV camera. For a start, the camera not only transmits video via the 5.8GHz frequency, it can also record videos and photos on a memory card that’s installed on the camera itself. Most other sub-$100 toy quadcopters record videos on your smartphone or tablet via an app although this is not exactly the best approach. Even more impressive is the camera’s built-in motor that lets you tilt the camera angle via controls on the transmitter.

Camera drones generally draw a lot of power due to heavier overall weight so the H11D comes equipped with a large capacity 3.7V 1100mAh battery that gives it a flight time of about 10 to 12 minutes. Not only that, its FPV camera has its own built-in battery and doesn’t draw any power from the quad’s main battery.

The JJRC H11D can be bought for $89.99 at GearBest.

JJRC H26W

The JJRC H26W has got to be one of the most ambitious toy-grade aerial photography platforms to date, if there is such a term. It comes with a 2-axis gimbal that can be controlled remotely via the transmitter. The gimbal is not exactly a hobby-grade gimbal that helps dampen camera shake but rather one that merely allows control of the camera’s tilt and yaw angles. Still, it is one of the first of its kind to be featured in a toy quadcopter below $100.

A weak point in the H26W is its HD 720P camera which transmits FPV over WiFi. For a quad with lofty ambitions in aerial photography, we would expect to see a 5.8GHz FPV version of the H26W but strangely JJRC doesn’t offer such a model in its lineup.

The JJRC H26W can be bought for $85.99 at GearBest.

Dubai is making a grand entry into the world of drone racing with the announcement of a new championship that offers a total prize money of $1 million. Yes, you read that right. That’s 1 million US dollars in prize money — the biggest reward ever offered in a drone racing championship.

With so much cash on offer, expect to see fierce competition among the world’s best drone pilots and teams as they race across the skies of Dubai in an event of world-class proportions. This is one championship that may see super drone pilots such as Metal Danny and Chad Nowak battle it out in the skies for top honors.

The World Drone Prix is actually a series of drone races planned throughout the world in one global racing season that spans throughout the year. The 2016 season opener is expected to take place in Dubai in March 2016.

The official World Drone Prix website offers few details about the championship at the moment. From the looks of it, the championship seems to be modeled after Formula One racing where teams travel around the world throughout the year, racing at different cities in a bid to collect points that are used to determine the overall champion at the end of the season.

More details about the World Drone Prix will be available in the coming weeks. However, interested participants can start registering for the qualifying rounds at the website. Qualifying races will be held in January for each continent. Each participating team must consist of a pilot, navigator, pit stop crew and team leader.

Don’t be fooled by the small package — the Cheerson CX-10C Quadcopter is a lot of drone for around $65. It’s the little drone that could, packing a camera that surprisingly isn’t terrible, and capable of trick flying.

Around a year ago, we had drones this size. But they didn’t have cameras on them – they were purely toys. This thing, however, could feasibly get you footage that you may actually want to keep and use. It does have some drawbacks, such as the flight time being less than three minutes while recording, as the video above mentions. But in other areas it excels.

As you can see from the footage above, the footage captured by the CX-10C isn’t all that bad. It makes a heck of a lot of noise while doing so, but that might actually be a blessing in disguise, seeing as it won’t take too much distance for this thing to not be visible anymore. God forbid a gust of wind comes along.

Thankfully, Australian law won’t require you to have a license for such a toy. But given its size and range, the hobbyist guideline about keeping your distance from people might be a problem. Especially as people see this as mainly an “inside” drone. It is technically a drone, but being fined for having this thing within 30 metres of someone would be a bit harsh.

A neuro-interface developed in Russia makes it possible to steer a drone by a pilot’s mind alone, Russia media wrote on Tuesday. The interface was designed by Neurobotics Company and ordered by the Future Studies Fund in Moscow.

“The FSF wanted the demonstrator operating the quadcopter to simultaneously do something else to make sure that this technology can be used on the battlefield… That’s why during the demonstration our operator kept moving around while the quadcopter responded to his direction commands and orders to fly to a designated target,” Neurobotics director Vladimir Konyshev told Izvestiya newspaper.

“This interface could also come in handy for handicapped people living in a ‘smart house’ enabling hands-free typing and other physical operations. And, of course, this neuro-interface will be of great help to the designers of new weapons systems,” FSF technical director Vitaly Davydov said.

It normally takes the human brain several months to adapt to the commands communicated by this new interface, but this adaptation period may eventually be reduced to several weeks.

The quadcopter is not the only thing around that can be operated by the human brain though. Similar systems now exist also in the United States and Finland where pilots wear special caps, which measure their brain activity allowing them to steer a drone through a mission in the sky using their thoughts alone.

In 2013, the Americans announced that they were working on a quadcopter operated by telekinesis, and in October 2014 the Pentagon said scientists were trying to develop brain-operated UAVs.

In the summer of 2015, the Chinese tested a car where the driver, wearing a ‘mind cap’, had the car moving forward and backward and it also opened and closed its doors using his brain alone.

As the new year comes closer, the excitement for CES 2016, the world’s biggest technology event, grows among tech enthusiasts. Like every year, the event is likely to introduce a myriad of technologies that would prove to be breakthroughs.

Among a vast array of these gadgets, the drone section is expected to stun the consumers the most. This year, the user’s high preference proved demand for the device and hinted the industry has potential to grow even further. There are some commendable drones like Agras MG-1 by the Chinese drone giant, DJI, which helped farming industry.

Besides, a new camera introduced by the Chinese company for its drones, uses thermal technology and proves to be handy in multiple situations. DJI will reportedly release drones in the future that would be more impressive than the current ones. These include the drones that could write in sky using paint, track objects, and shoot multi-angle videos. The “sky writing” drone, displayed in a video, explains a concept drone that paints the sky and is controlled by an all-gesture interface.

However, DJI is not the only one, as there were some incredible drones by the giants like 3D Robotics and Parrot last year. As the competition and market potential are increasing, some new drones could also be expected by these companies at CES 2016.

GoPro’s Karma adds to the consumers’ excitement, as the company is renowned for action cameras. Although it is unsure as of yet, the action-camera maker is most likely to launch its drone at CES. The video available on the company’s official page reveals Karma’s amazing capabilities including a 350-degree camera.

Law enforcement agencies are seen using drones in an innovative manner. One example of such a drone is the quadcopter recently introduced by Tokyo Police. It is known as Interceptor Drone that can catch and stop other drones using a net. This means some more state-of-the-art drones are expected at CES that could prove to be helpful to law agencies.

Lily is one of the most awaited drones expected at CES. The 2.8-pound camera drone flies and follows the user via a tracking device. Moreover, it does not need the user to have a remote to control it.

Parrot has released a new drone which ditches conventional quadcopter design in favor of a fixed-wing configuration. Dubbed the Disco, Parrot’s latest offering resembles a B-2 stealth bomber and takes off with a simple toss in the air.

Fixed-wing RC aircraft are notorious for being hard to learn and pilot when compared to their multirotor counterparts. They’re also a lot harder to land as well. This is mainly because everything moves faster with a fixed-wing aircraft leaving very little room for mistakes. Unlike multirotors and RC helicopters which can hover, allowing pilots to reassess their situations when things get hairy and uncertain, fixed-wing aircraft simply continue flying, giving pilots very little time to think and respond.

However, with the Parrot Disco, things are a little bit different. Despite its fixed-wing design, the Disco is armed with an array of sensors such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, barometer, a pitot sensor and GPS which create a highly autonomous flying experience.

All you need to do to get it flying is to simply toss it in the air and the Disco will automatically gain altitude, self-maneuver and stabilize itself. Once in the air, the pilot can control the Disco like any other fixed-wing aircraft. Should the pilot make mistakes when flying, the autopilot will do corrections to prevent the Disco from crashing. The Disco’s wings can also be detached to make it easier to transport. Detachable wings also help in absorbing impact during crashes to minimize damage on the drone.

Landing the Disco is a bit more complicated compared to taking off. Official videos released by Parrot show the Disco landing on its belly in an open field. In the right circumstances, a pilot may be able to catch it before it lands but we reckon this would require really quick reflexes and impressive timing. Being a fixed-wing aircraft, it’s not surprising that the Disco is not that easy to land. That being said, operating the Disco in very tight urban spaces may not be a good idea.

One advantage of having a fixed-wing design is impressive flight times. The Disco has a claimed flight time of about 45 minutes on a single charge which is significantly longer than what most consumer multirotor drones can offer (15 to 25 minutes). The Disco is also fairly light at 700g and can fly up to 80km/h or 50mph.

The Disco is compatible with the Parrot Sky Controller (shown above) and standard RC transmitters. It is also capable of waypoint navigation that can be plotted via an app on a smartphone or tablet.

To make things even more interesting — the Disco comes equipped with a 14MP camera in its nose that features a built-in image stabilizer. Like many other consumer drones, the camera also provides an FPV (First Person View) feed which means you can get an on-board view from the drone as if you were flying on it yourself. One disappointing thing about the Disco’s FPV feature is the use of WiFi which almost certainly guarantees latency lags.

For a fixed-wing drone that flies a lot faster than most multirotors and cannot hover, using WiFi for its FPV feed is simply a big mistake. Parrot should at least provide the Disco with 5.8GHz FPV.

Being a fixed-wing drone, the Disco is not expected to be a serious aerial photography platform for enthusiasts like the Phantom 3. Despite its built-in image stabilizer (similar to the one used in the Parrot Bebop), aerial videos taken from the Disco is simply no match for aerial photography drones that come in the multirotor guise. For this reason, the Disco is probably aimed at consumers who are looking for a lightweight surveillance drone with a long flight time and adrenaline-seekers who are looking for some fast-flying FPV thrills.

Parrot has not announced any pricing details yet on the Disco. It is expected to make an appearance at CES 2016 and will start shipping some time this year.