The Drone Files

Long before Amazon drones begin zipping around American suburbs delivering everyone’s same-day air packages, we might get to watch unmanned aerial vehicles climbing the Swiss Alps to drop emergency medical supplies.

Earlier this week, the Swiss Post and Swiss WorldCargo began jointly testing the practical use of delivery drones in the country’s rugged alpine terrain. While Swiss Post says it’s exploring “diverse applications” of drone delivery technology, a press release highlights a few key areas of focus, including emergency supply deliveries following natural disasters, and rapid transport of high-priority packages such as laboratory tests.

The Swiss have partnered with Matternet, a California-based drone manufacturer, and are currently testing the slick, lightweight Matternet ONE model:

At this point, Swiss Post is saying its drone delivery technology is a good five years out. So, Amazon’s still got some time to woo the FAA into seriously loosening its unmanned aerial vehicle regulations. Or, they could just keep filing ridiculous patents.

They’ve turned the tides of wars and flown over farm fields dusting crops. Now, drones are transforming into something brand new: sporting equipment.

California’s State Fair is hosting the first-ever U.S. National Drone Racing Championships, reports CBS News correspondent Carter Evans.

The games get underway on a Sacramento soccer field Thursday, featuring 120 pilots from all over the world operating packs of drones zipping around an 11,000-seat stadium at speeds of up to 80 mph.

The field has been completely netted in order to avoid any close calls with spectators, but for the competitors, there’s a lot at stake: The prize money totals $25,000.

250-size drones such as the Blade Mach25 are popular models in drone racing (Photo by Jason Cole/RCGroups).

When you hear about drones in the news, drone racers aren’t typically what comes to mind. But the Internet is swarming with videos captured by drone pilots, like the 34-year-old Spanish-born hobbyist who goes by the enigmatic name Charpu.

He’s arguably the most famous among this new breed of pilots, but the hobby is rapidly turning into sport, and Charpu has some serious competition.

“Charpu is definitely the guy to beat!” 24-year-old Zoe Stumbaugh said.

She has been building her own drones in a bedroom workshop for less than a year. But it wasn’t her first passion.

“Yeah, motorcycles were my thing. It was everything to me! Like, being able to ride, it gave me this whole experience being outside of my body, into the world, and living. I really couldn’t live without it,” Stumbaugh said.

But a debilitating and painful medical condition confined her to bed for six months and forced her to undergo four major surgeries. Her riding days were over.

“I got really really depressed — like, I completely shut down, I didn’t want to do anything with my friends,” she said. “One of my friends suggested, ‘Go to the hobby shop,’ and I found this little ultra-micro, little quadcopter that fits in the palm of your hand. And I just fell in love with it the first flight.”
“One of my friends suggested, ‘Go to the hobby shop,’ and I found this little ultra-micro, little quadcopter that fits in the palm of your hand. And I just fell in love with it the first flight.”

She said it was that little thing that started her whole addiction.

“Once I put the camera on it, you start doing FPV (First Person View) … it was really like riding a motorcycle,” she said. “You were living in the world around you and no longer in a bed or sitting down or feeling hurt, depressed, whatever. Nothing else mattered when you had the goggles on. In a weird way, it was just what I needed!”

Zoe Stumbaugh (second from right) with fellow drone racing enthusiasts. (Photo by Zoe Stumbaugh)

Spectators at the National Drone Racing Championships will also be able to don goggles of their own and watch the action from the point of view of any one of their favorite pilots.

Soon she was building bigger and more elaborate aircraft, and her videos on the Internet developed a following. Drone manufacturers even began sponsoring her.

Now Stumbaugh is off to the nationals — and is considered to be one of the top contenders.

“I just can’t wait to get to the races and show off my skills,” she said.

Race director Scot Refsland called the competition “Formula One in the air.” He thinks this week’s event marks the birth of a brand new sport.
“I’ve already been approached by several people with very large checkbooks that are interested in this space,” he said. “That’s what this is all about.”

Twenty years ago, Ron Semiao turned skateboarding into a legitimate sport when he created the X Games. “You know how this started as a sport? It started as kids one-upping each other with tricks — I can do this, can you?” Semiao said. “So with something like drone racing, it’s naturally built in, because it’s navigating obstacles: Who can get from point A to point B the fastest, and without wrecking?”

But Semiao said drone racing will need more than just drama to evolve into a professional sport. Big-time corporate sponsorship is key to creating the full-time stars of tomorrow.

“I’ve been approached over time by a lot of professional skateboarders that have said, ‘Thanks for creating the X Games, ’cause now I don’t have to work at the deli anymore! I can make a living doing something I love,’” he said.

If and when major sponsors get behind drone racing, there’s no shortage of pilots who are more than ready for prime time.

Stumbaugh’s disability prevents her having a normal job at the moment, but if drone racing could be her job, she said she’d do it. “And I would love to do it,” she said. And I have a passion for it that will never end.”

An Australian man has blitzed an international drone racing competition taking out first prize in three events to bring home more than $15,000 in prize money.

Chad Nowak from Brisbane won the freestyle, team and individual champion races at the inaugural US National Drone Racing Championships in California last week.

The competition featured FPV racing (first person view), in which competitors wear goggles to give them a drone’s-eye perspective, as they clock speeds of more than 60 kilometres per hour.

Nowak told Lateline he is still in shock over his victory.

“I’m still in a bit of disbelief. I went there to have fun so to win everything, I’m gobsmacked,” he said.
Chad Nowak’s (right) race wins bagged him more than $15,000 in prize money.

On day one of the American competition, he lagged at sixth place during the time trials but quickly caught up to win the semi-finals and take out the championships.

Last month Lateline caught up with Nowak at a race meet in an abandoned warehouse on Melbourne’s outskirts.

He said entering the competition was an experience of a lifetime.

“Do I think I’m fast? Yes. Do I think I’m the underdog? Yes,” he said.

“I’m going over there to have fun, to meet lots of friends that I know on forums and if I do well then it’s a bonus.”

Nowak’s supporters have hailed his win as an important victory in recognising drone racing as a sport.

“[Chad] will go down in history as the world’s first champion drone racer,” Quadcopter Aerial Racing, Promotion & Organisation (QAROP) said.

“His time on the final race was 20 seconds ahead of second place, about one full lap ahead.

“Chad will be one to watch as this sport continues to grow.”

There’s a drone for just about everything these days from delivering pizzas to going to war, but a new unmanned aerial vehicle may save your life from a looming hurricane.

The 13-pound Coyote drone developed by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will fly into parts of a tropical cyclone that no manned aircraft would dare go.

Skimming the surface of the ocean, the drone will collect data on sea temperature and air pressure in an area of the storm that has largely been invisible to forecasters in the past.

Paul Reasor, a NOAA hurricane researcher, holds Coyote drone in this 2014 photo. (Photo by NOAA)

It’s not cheap. Each drone costs about $15,000 and each mission is a one way ticket. When the drone runs out of battery, it crashes into the ocean, lost forever.

“We all live down at the surface and we need to know what is going on there to make better predictions,” said Joseph Cione, a meteorologist and principal investigator on the Coyote for NOAA. “We think this a game changer.”

The drone was first tested last year, but will begin flying real missions this hurricane season and sending information straight to the National Hurricane Center.

Facebook on Thursday said it is ready to begin test flights of a high-altitude drone designed to provide Internet access to remote locations of the world.

The Aquila drone has a wingspan on par with that of a Boeing 737 jet; weighs less than a small car; can remain aloft for three months or so, and will beam Internet service to the ground from altitudes ranging from 18,000 to 27,000 metres.

Yael Maguire, the engineering director of the project, told journalists the team had “achieved a significant milestone” with laser communications for high-speed data connections that are faster than most current speeds.

Using the solar-powered drone could mean “quickly bringing connectivity to an area that needs it,” he said at a presentation at Facebook’s California headquarters.

“Our goal is to accelerate the development of a new set of technologies that can drastically change the economics of deploying Internet infrastructure,” Facebook vice president of global engineering and infrastructure Jay Parikh said in a blog post.

“We are exploring a number of different approaches to this challenge, including aircraft, satellites and terrestrial solutions.”

But he said this would not lead to Facebook becoming an Internet operator or carrier.
The Aquila drone can fly for three months or so, and will beam Internet service to the ground from altitudes ranging from 18,000 to 27,000 meters.

The Aquila drone can fly for three months or so, and will beam Internet service to the ground from altitudes ranging from 18,000 to 27,000 meters.

“Our goal is to provide the technology to other partners,” he said.

Aquila drones and using lasers to provide Internet connections are the work of a project devoted to finding ways to provide online access to the billions of people in the world who don’t yet have it.

Facebook last year unveiled its ambitious plan to use drone, satellite and laser technology “to deliver the internet to everyone” via the leading online social network’s Connectivity Lab.

“A full-scale version of Aquila — the high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft designed by our aerospace team in the UK — is now complete and ready for flight testing,” Parikh said.

Data fired off by the lasers can hit a target “the size of a dime from more than 10 miles (16km) away.”

The lasers are being tested in real-world conditions.

“When finished, our laser communications system can be used to connect our aircraft with each other and with the ground, making it possible to create a stratospheric network that can extend to even the remotest regions of the world,” Parikh said.

He added that these technologies are useful because “10% of the world’s population lives in remote locations with no Internet infrastructure,” and it may be costly to deploy conventional systems like cable or cellular communication in these areas.

Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg posted a video about Aquila to his page at the social network. The clip logged more than three quarters of a million views by mid-afternoon in California.
Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg posted a video about Aquila to his page recently.

Zuckerberg wrote that he was excited that the team had built its first full-scale aircraft.

A flood of comments on Zuckerberg’s page ranged from praise for stepping closer to providing Internet for all to concern the drones could be misused for surveillance or spreading malicious computer code.
Free basic services

Connectivity Lab is part of a Facebook-backed Internet.org mission to provide connectivity to people in developing nations.

In May, Internet.org opened to outside applications following a controversy over its limited set of online services potentially defying the idea of’net neutrality’ that calls for the equal treatment of online content and services.

Zuckerberg said at the time that Internet.org would operate as a free platform “so anyone can build free basic services,” but that the full Internet would not be included.

Zuckerberg said the goal of the program remains giving people a limited number of basic services for health, education and jobs, for example, arguing this is not in conflict with net neutrality principles.

“Net neutrality should not prevent access. We need both,” he said.

“Our vision is to give people more access to free services over time.”

Facebook said the platform however would be opened to any developer who met certain guidelines. Any apps must use data “very efficiently,” and should not include data-intensive services that use considerable bandwidth such as video or high-resolution photos.

The commercial promise of drones has been limited by their short battery lives and propensity for flying off. Now some companies believe they have a solution: tie the drones to the ground.

So-called tethered drones use ultrastrong-but-lightweight cables connected to the ground to provide power, a data link and a physical restraint. That gives them distinct advantages over their free-flying cousins, including hours-long flight times, fast data transmission and an assurance that they won’t fly into an airliner.

Those capabilities have put tethered drones at the center of CNN’s plans to use drones for news coverage. The military is embracing the devices as surveillance tools. And industries including construction, agriculture, mining and public safety are considering tethered drones as a powerful and practical way to persistently gather data on their operations.
Tethered-drone makers, such as Drone Aviation Holding of Jacksonville, Fla., contend their devices can stay in the air longer and transmit data faster than free-flying drones. (Photo by Jensen Hande)

Tethered-drone makers, such as Drone Aviation Holding of Jacksonville, Fla., contend their devices can stay in the air longer and transmit data faster than free-flying drones. (Photo by Jensen Hande)

UPS AND DOWNS

Tethered unmanned aircraft have safety advantages over traditional drones, including the assurance that they won’t fly off into a manned aircraft, but there are drawbacks too.

The Pros:

• Hours-long flight times
• Fast data transmission
• Drone can’t fly off
• Known potential crash area that can be cordoned off.

The Cons:

• Restricted mobility
• Tether adds complexity and could get tangled
• More infrastructure needed on the ground

“It’s like having a near-Earth satellite,” said Helen Greiner, chief executive of tethered-drone maker CyPhy Works Inc. and co-creator of the Roomba, the robotic vacuum. “Once you have an eye in the sky all the time, there are so many things you can do with it.”

In an age of wireless devices, plugging drones in is an inelegant solution. But battery life has been a huge limitation for drones. Free-flying consumer drones can fly for only about 20 minutes, while tethered devices can theoretically stay aloft for days, unlocking new applications. Tethered drones can generally operate at the same heights as their free-flying counterparts.
“It’s like having a near-Earth satellite,” said Helen Greiner, chief executive of tethered-drone maker CyPhy Works Inc.

Motorola Solutions Inc. is selling CyPhy’s devices to police and fire departments to help monitor crime scenes and fires. Motorola also is equipping the drones with its 4G-network technology to turn them into pop-up cell towers for disaster zones.

CyPhy, based in Danvers, Mass., has sold pocket-size tethered drones to the U.S. Air Force to explore unsafe buildings, and Ms. Greiner said customers in mining, construction and agriculture are awaiting regulatory approval to use CyPhy tethered devices.

Companies “don’t want this little thing that flies around for five minutes. They need something that can sit up there for hours and hours on top of a scene,” said Dan Erdberg, chief operating officer of Drone Aviation Holding Corp., a Jacksonville, Fla., firm that makes tethered devices. In addition to CNN, Mr. Erdberg said the sports channel ESPN and professional football teams are in talks to use Drone Aviation’s tethered devices.
The Watt from Drone Aviation can fly as high as 300 feet, weighs 22 lbs. and starts at $75,000. (Photo by Jansen Hande)

The Watt from Drone Aviation can fly as high as 300 feet, weighs 22 lbs. and starts at $75,000. (Photo by Jansen Hande)

Jim Williams, the former top drone official at the Federal Aviation Administration, said tethers can solve the two main risks to traditional wireless drones: loss of power and loss of connection to the operator. But tethered devices also introduce a new risk: a cable hanging hundreds of feet in the air. “You’ve replaced some risks with a new one,” he said. “Is it an overall positive? It depends on the design of the aircraft.”
Companies “don’t want this little thing that flies around for five minutes. They need something that can sit up there for hours and hours on top of a scene,” said Dan Erdberg, chief operating officer of Drone Aviation Holding Corp.

Tethered-drone makers argue their devices are safer than traditional unmanned aircraft because they can’t fly off and, if they crash, the tether keeps the devices within defined areas, which can be cordoned off. They say the tethers also don’t get tangled because the aircraft generally hover in a fixed spot and use an automatic winch to remove slack from the cable. Their stationary nature also means the FAA can notify area pilots about the devices’ positions and altitudes. If the tether breaks, an onboard battery allows the drone to land immediately.

CNN, a unit of Time Warner Inc., has asked the FAA to allow it to use Drone Aviation and CyPhy drones to film the news, arguing in its application that tethered drones are safer than traditional unmanned aircraft. “We felt that the FAA would smile on us,” Greg Agvent, CNN’s senior director of news operations, said at a conference in April. “A tethered drone…could be a potentially safer way to integrate into the national airspace.”

That argument hasn’t yet passed muster with the FAA. The agency says it doesn’t consider tethered drones any different than 50-pound, free-flying unmanned aircraft, meaning they must submit to the same strict standards. Mr. Williams said that because tethered drones can be controlled, unlike tethered balloons or kites, they’re considered aircraft.

The FAA requires its prior approval to fly drones in many cases and restricts flights in cities and near people—where most news happens. In March, when CNN used drones to film a Selma, Ala., bridge 50 years after a civil-rights march there—its first official U.S. drone shoot—the FAA wouldn’t let the device pass above when a car was on the bridge.

CNN, a unit of Time Warner Inc., has asked the FAA to allow it to use Drone Aviation and CyPhy drones to film the news, arguing in its application that tethered drones are safer than traditional unmanned aircraft. “We felt that the FAA would smile on us,” Greg Agvent, CNN’s senior director of news operations, said at a conference in April. “A tethered drone…could be a potentially safer way to integrate into the national airspace.”

That argument hasn’t yet passed muster with the FAA. The agency says it doesn’t consider tethered drones any different than 50-pound, free-flying unmanned aircraft, meaning they must submit to the same strict standards. Mr. Williams said that because tethered drones can be controlled, unlike tethered balloons or kites, they’re considered aircraft.

The FAA requires its prior approval to fly drones in many cases and restricts flights in cities and near people—where most news happens. In March, when CNN used drones to film a Selma, Ala., bridge 50 years after a civil-rights march there—its first official U.S. drone shoot—the FAA wouldn’t let the device pass above when a car was on the bridge.

There is hope for the news channel’s drone plans. As part of a test program, the FAA plans to let CNN use drones, including tethered ones, in urban areas. CNN believes tethered drones could help it cover certain large events, like protests, election-night parties and the next presidential inauguration. “Have you ever been to an inauguration? There are giant camera stands and press boxes,” said David Vigilante, CNN’s senior vice president of legal. “What if you could just pop up a bunch of cameras on a string?”

The idea of tying aircraft to the ground isn’t new. U.S. authorities have used tethered blimps for radar along U.S. borders since the 1980s. This year, the Army launched the first of two 220-foot-long tethered airships, or aerostats, that will float up to 10,000 feet over Maryland.

The aerostats, made by Raytheon Co., can stay aloft for 30 days and track cruise missiles as far as 340 miles away. The tethers power their radar and carry data to the ground.

Indeed, aerostats are already more common than drones for aerial surveillance. Drone Aviation sells a tethered helium balloon equipped with cameras that it calls a “blimp in a box.” The Nashville Police Department has used one since 2011 to watch over large events, like country-music festivals, looking for suspicious behavior. “It works great,” said Nashville Police Sgt. Paul Harbin. “We’ve caught thieves…and drug activity.”

“Before there were drones, there were aerostats. And that’s what still pays the bills,” said Mr. Erdberg of Drone Aviation. “But obviously drones are the future. We’re just waiting for the FAA to open the gates.”

DJI has turned up the heat again in the mid-range consumer drone market with the release of its most affordable Phantom 3 ever — the new Phantom 3 Standard. This brings the number of models in DJI’s popular Phantom 3 lineup to three which includes the Professional, Advanced and the new Standard.

Retailing at $800, the Phantom 3 Standard is the most basic of the 3 models in the Phantom 3 lineup. DJI has chosen to drop the ultrasonic/range sensor on the Standard and has equipped it with only GPS (both the Professional and Advanced feature GPS and GLONASS). The Standard also lacks DJI’s Lightbridge.

Oddly enough, the camera on the Standard appears to shoot video in 2.7K resolution which is higher than the Advanced’s 1080P and sports a slightly cheaper image sensor. The camera is also capable of shooting 12MP still images in JPEG or RAW format.

Other than these differences, the Phantom 3 Standard looks exactly the same as its more expensive siblings (apart from the red stripes). It uses the same body, motors, propellers and battery as the Professional and Advanced. DJI hopes to market the Phantom 3 Standard to beginners who want to own a Phantom 3 but find the price tags of the two earlier models a bit steep.

Ever since Syma released the venerable X5C in 2013, it quickly became the standard by which all other sub-$100, 230mm-sized toy-grade quadcopters were compared against. The X5C quickly gained a large following thanks to its stability, affordability and ease of use. Roughly a year after it was released, Syma came up with the so-called upgraded version of the X5C and named it the X5C-1. Along with the X5C-1 came a few other iterations based on the “X5” platform — the X5SC, X5SC-1, X5S and X5SW.

Oddly enough, the X5C-1 isn’t much of an upgrade when compared to the earlier X5C. This comes as no surprise since the original X5C was already a very good quadcopter with tremendous value to begin with. Also, not much has changed in the technology used by sub-$100 quadcopters since the release of the X5C. The X5C-1 still flies like its predecessor, is capable of doing the same flips and take photos and videos with its little HD 720P camera. What has changed, however, is the size of its box (to reduce shipping costs) and the placement of its camera and function buttons on the transmitter.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 310 x 310 x 80mm (with prop guards)
• Diagonal motor distance: 230mm
• Motor size: 7 x 20mm coreless
• Weight: 103g (with battery and prop guards)
• Flight time: 6 to 8 minutes (without prop guards)
• Battery: 3.7V 500mAh Li Po
• Charging time: 40-45 minutes
• Control distance: approximately 50m
• Transmitter power: 4 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included)

Syma is well known for producing stable and reliable toy-grade quadcopters. The X5C-1 is a classic example of Syma quality and stability and is great fun to fly. If you have flown other sub-$100 quadcopters before, you’ll notice that the X5C-1 seems to perform a little bit better when it comes to handling and stability. Everything seems to be dialed in better in the X5C-1, making almost every flight a smooth affair with no nasty surprises. And I swear it’s also a little bit quieter than most other similar sized quadcopters.

 

Toy-grade quadcopters such as the X5C-1 are meant for beginners and they also make excellent trainer drones. The X5C-1 is good at taking abuse, particularly when you have the prop guards on. This makes the X5C-1 ideal for keeping your piloting skills sharp. If you’ve not been flying that $3,000 Inspire 1 for a few weeks, bringing the X5C-1 out for a few training flights to refresh those flying skills is always a good idea.

Enclosed battery compartments and power switches have become standard in toy-grade quadcopters these days and the X5C-1 is no exception to this trend. A tiny power switch at the back along with an enclosed battery bay at the bottom, gives the X5C-1 a neat look.

Flight Performance

As mentioned earlier, the X5C-1 is very stable in the air and is perhaps one of the most stable toy-grade quadcopters in the market today. Hovering is easy and the bright LED lights do a great job in orientation (when the sun is not too bright). The 7mm coreless motors provide enough thrust for some decent flying and flight time is about 5 to 6 minutes with prop guards on. Getting more flight time out of the X5C-1 is as simple as removing the prop guards which can extend your flight time by about 1 or 2 minutes using the supplied 500mAh battery.

When shooting a video and flying at the same time, flight time goes down to a measly 4 or 5 minutes. To fly longer, get a battery with a larger capacity such as the Turnigy Nano-Tech 750mAh 35C which can boost flight time up significantly. One thing to remember if you decide to purchase the Nano-Tech 750mAh is that the battery’s connector is in reverse polarity to the one on the X5C-1. To use this battery on the X5C-1, you need to reverse the polarity of its connector. Failure to do this will result in permanent damage to the circuit board.

Flight speeds on the X5C-1 come in two modes — High and Low. Low speed mode makes the quad easier to control and is ideal for beginners and especially if you’re flying in tight indoor spaces. If you’re looking for a bit of excitement, then switch to high speed mode and watch the X5C-1 zip around at a faster rate. To toggle between Low and High speed modes, press the button on the upper left of the transmitter.

The X5C-1 also does the usual flips. To perform a flip, simply press the button located on the upper right side of the transmitter and then move the right stick in the direction you want the quad to flip.

Camera

The X5C-1 comes with a 2MP camera that is capable of taking HD 720P videos. Being a sub-$100 quadcopter, the camera is nothing to shout about. However, for its price, the camera takes some pretty decent videos and photos. If you’re looking for a cheap quadcopter to inspect your roof, get an aerial view of your crops or to simply have a different visual perspective of your neighborhood, then the X5C-1 won’t disappoint.

There is one issue I would like to point out here — the camera is screwed onto the battery door which is a bit flimsy and flexes a lot. Accessing the battery compartment means pushing the camera (and battery door) backwards before pulling it up. Since there is so much flex in the battery door, opening and closing the battery compartment may require a bit of practice to get used to.

Transmitter

The X5C-1 transmitter won’t win any awards when it comes to aesthetics, looking like a gadget from a 1980s sci-fi movie. However, it does its job well enough. The spring-loaded control sticks are a nice touch and a small LCD screen at the bottom displays information such as battery level, trim levels, yaw rate, throttle level, etc. On the left and right of the LCD display are some gimmicky “buttons” that don’t do anything.

The transmitter is powered by 4 AA batteries (not included) and has a control range of about 50m. Some enthusiasts have come up with hacks to extend the transmitter range well over 50m.

Conclusion

The Syma X5C-1 is a quadcopter that is remarkably stable and a lot of fun to fly. It also makes an excellent trainer drone that you can crash over and over again without worrying too much. Add to that a 2MP camera and a price tag of less than $100 and it becomes no surprise why the X5C-1 is now a must-have quadcopter for both beginners and seasoned pilots.

It isn’t perfect, though, considering that it has a rather flimsy battery door that can be a bit hard to use. Its conventional x-shape body and rather ugly transmitter may not be features to shout about too but the X5C-1 more than makes up for its weaknesses with its reliability, affordability and not to forget, truly enjoyable flight performance.

The Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K is causing quite a stir among drone enthusiasts, and is celebrated as “no toy quadcopter” but rather a “serious piece of aerial filmmaking equipment.”

Building on the highly popular Q500 platform which was released late last year, the Q500 4K brings all the best from its predecessor with some extra 4K goodness thrown in. It also features a new and sleek gunmetal finish.

So is the Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K worth the hefty price tag of over a thousand dollars? Let’s find out:
The new Q500 4K and its gunmetal finish looks so bad ass, we swear Bruce Willis was staring at us right through that 4K camera.

The Drone

Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K is built like most quadcopters and previous other Typhoon models. The battery is positioned in the back to offset the weight of the camera for better stability. But what sets this drone apart from the rest is that you are able to remove the 4K camera and use it on its own. You can now use the camera and gimbal with a hand unit that is provided to shoot home videos or anything you can think of.

The Typhoon Q500 4K meets all the new FAA regulations and has the latest firmware updated to comply with all the new laws involving drones. With its GPS features you don’t have to worry about your drone flying above the legal fly height or into no fly zones. The body of the drone is made out of high quality plastic and can take a beating, if needed.

Flight

This quadcopter provides up to 25 minutes fly time when equipped with a 5400mAh 3S 11.1V LiPo battery. Factors such as wind and how much video you take contribute to flight time. The drone may be flown in three different modes: Smart (Follow Me and Watch Me), Angle and Home. These modes are changed by a switch on the top right of your controller.

Flying the quadcopter in Smart Mode makes the drone a personal action camera. You can set the drone to follow and orbit. When the Follow Me is enabled, the aircraft is leashed to the pilot. However, enabling the “Follow Me” feature means connecting the drone to at least seven satellites. You also must position the Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K to the height and angle you want, and switch it from Angle to Smart Mode. Watch Me feature makes the drone stay pointed at the pilot, no matter how you fly the drone, the 4K camera will be pointed at you. Like most drone you can freely fly the Typhoon Q500 4K.

The remote control for this bad boy is a step above the rest. The remote that is included has a built-in 5.5 inch display and runs Android. So you will not be able to clip on your smartphone. With an easy two-stick system for the pitch and angle of the drone, anyone can learn how to fly. Yuneec recommends using their test flight app to test out your flying skills before taking your new drone on its first flight.

Camera

The Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K has a camera called the CGO3. The CGO3 camera features a 3-axis gimbal with a 360-degree rotation and a 90-degree tilt. The camera features a 115-degree wide-angle distortion-free lens that allows you to see the world in a fisheye view or you can remove the lens and view the world as is. The Camera shoots in 4K, 2.7K & 2.5K at 30FPS. FULL HD: 1080p at 24/25/30/48/50/60/120FPS and captures 12 megapixel images. The Camera also can live stream video to both the remote and to any cell phone with a range of about 600 meters. Yuneec recommends Android devices over Apple.

The Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K also comes with small LED lights that indicate when the camera is on and recording.

A fantastic drone for aerial filming, the Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K is well priced compared to some of the other 4K drones. This drone has some of the newest features and latest drone requirements. With this drone you don’t have to buy an extra camera or gimbal to complete your drone like some other companies require you to do.

The Typhoon Q500 4K is available for order now (with free shipping) at DroneFly.

What happens when you inject the Syma X5C-1 with steroids? You get the X5SC-1, the latest model in Syma’s highly popular X5 lineup. The new X5SC-1 has some improvements over its predecessor and comes in two other variants — the X5S which is the non-camera version and the more advanced X5SW which sports a camera that transmits FPV (First-Person View) video over Wifi.

So what has changed in the new X5SC-1? To begin with, the legs have grown longer, the body has undergone some redesign, the motors are slightly bigger now and Headless Mode has been thrown in. What remains the same are the 3.7V 500mAh LiPo battery, propellers, HD camera and transmitter body (although there are some subtle changes to the transmitter’s function which I will discuss later).

Is the X5SC-1 a better overall deal than its predecessor? This is a tough question to answer and to find out why, read further.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 310 x 310 x 105mm (with prop guards)
• Diagonal motor distance: 230mm
• Motor size: 8 x 20mm coreless
• Weight: 107g (with battery, camera and prop guards)
• Flight time: 6 to 8 minutes (without prop guards and camera)
• Battery: 3.7V 500mAh LiPo
• Charging time: 40-45 minutes
• Control distance: approximately 50m
• Transmitter power: 4 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included)

Redesigned Body

Syma undoubtedly put in a lot of effort in trying to make the X5SC-1 better than the earlier X5C-1. This can be seen in the many changes done to the design of the body. Unlike its predecessor, the new quad features enclosed pinion gears and motors which provide sufficient protection for the motors from strands of hair or nylon which can cause some serious damage. This can happen when a strand of hair gets caught up in the motor or pinion gear forcing the motor to stop when current is still being channeled into it causing the motor to burn on the inside. Enclosing the motors and gears can help prevent this from happening.

The camera mount is new too, allowing the user to securely slide the camera in and out. No screws are necessary for removing or installing the camera. This is a nice improvement over the X5C-1’s camera which was attached to a flimsy battery door via two tiny screws. Removing the X5C-1’s camera out in the field without the right screwdriver would be impossible. Speaking of battery doors, the X5SC-1’s battery door faces the rear and is a lot more sturdy, easier to use and better designed compared to its predecessor’s. Another nice touch is the beefier power switch that is now located at the bottom of the body.

The taller landing legs are also another big improvement and helps prevent the camera from getting too close to rough surfaces when landing. If you’re always landing on thick wet grass or rough surfaces with plenty of rocks or other hard objects that could knock into your camera, the taller landing legs are certainly a nice thing to have. The new body also features other tiny details such as redesigned vents and graphics.

Black is the new white for quadcopters. It simply looks meaner and badder.

The X5SC-1 is also available either in black or white.
Flight Performance

The X5SC-1 comes with larger 8mm motors compared to its predecessor’s smaller 7mm ones which gives it a lot more grunt. It is significantly louder and a lot more brutish as well. Despite all that extra power, the X5SC-1’s flight performance is a mixed bag of sorts.

For a start, it seems to have lost a little bit of that smoothness the X5C-1 is famous for. The X5SC-1 simply feels a little bit more rough in how it flies. However, the worst thing about its flight performance is not the slight roughness but rather its inability to fly against light winds — infamously known as the “wind bug”. This happens when you attempt to fly the X5SC-1 against winds of about 5 to 10km/h. The quad will simply refuse to fly into the wind, tilting in the direction of the wind and remains mostly stationary almost as if it lacks the power to move forward.

This wind bug problem is not an issue of having motors that are not powerful enough to propel the X5SC-1 into light winds because even the X5C-1 with smaller motors is still capable of flying into winds with similar force, albeit at slower speeds. What many believe is that the problem probably lies in some software bug in the X5SC-1’s flight controller which gets confused when the quad is being flown against slight winds.

Despite this problem, the X5SC-1 is still an impressively stable quadcopter to fly. Hovering is easy and it is highly responsive, particularly when flown indoors. This makes the X5SC-1 an ideal choice for beginners and also experienced pilots looking for a cheap trainer drone to keep their flying skills sharp.

Flight time is about 5 to 6 minutes with prop guards and camera on. To fly longer, simply remove the prop guards and camera or upgrade to a larger capacity battery.

The Turnigy Nano-Tech 750mAh 35C is a good option and can boost flight time up significantly. One thing to remember if you decide to purchase the Nano-Tech 750mAh is that the battery’s connector is in reverse polarity to the one on the X5SC-1. To use this battery on the X5SC-1, you need to reverse the polarity of its connector. Failure to do this will result in permanent damage to the circuit board.

Flight speeds on the X5SC-1 come in two modes — High and Low. Low speed mode makes the quad easier to control and is ideal for beginners and especially if you’re flying in tight indoor spaces. If you’re looking for a bit of excitement, then switch to high speed mode and watch the X5SC-1 zip around at a faster rate.

The X5SC-1 also does the usual aerial stunts such as 360 degree flips.

One important feature that differentiates the X5SC-1 from its predecessor is the “Headless Mode” function which has become highly popular among beginner pilots. Headless Mode allows the operator to move the quad in any direction relative to the transmitter, irrespective of where the front or “head” of the quad is facing. This is especially useful for pilots who tend to lose orientation of their quads easily which often results in crashes.

Camera

The X5SC-1 comes with the same 2MP / HD 720P camera used by its predecessor. Being a sub-$100 quadcopter, the camera is nothing to shout about. However, for its price, it takes some pretty decent videos and photos. If you’re looking for a cheap quadcopter to inspect your roof, get an aerial view of your crops or to simply have a different visual perspective of your neighborhood, then the X5SC-1 won’t disappoint.

The X5C-1 is famous for having a badly designed battery door which is also used to attach its camera. It is a relief that Syma has decided to do away with this bad design. The X5SC-1’s camera is mounted simply by sliding it in. No tools are needed for mounting.

Transmitter

The X5SC-1 transmitter won’t win any awards when it comes to aesthetics, looking like a gadget from a 1980s sci-fi movie. However, it does its job well enough. The spring-loaded control sticks are a nice touch and a small LCD screen at the bottom displays information such as battery level, trim levels, yaw rate, throttle level, etc. On the left and right of the LCD display are some gimmicky “buttons” that don’t do anything.

The transmitter is powered by 4 AA batteries (not included) and has a control range of about 50 to 80m. Some enthusiasts have come up with hacks to extend the transmitter range well over 80m.

Although the transmitters for the X5C-1 and X5SC-1 both have identical exteriors, it is important to note that the X5SC-1 transmitter won’t bind with the older X5C-1. However, the X5C-1’s transmitter can be used with the X5SC-1. Due to the placement of the headless mode button on the X5SC-1’s transmitter, headless mode cannot be turned on should you decide to use the X5C-1’s transmitter with the X5SC-1.

Conclusion

Like its predecessor the X5C-1, the X5SC-1 is a quadcopter that is remarkably stable and a lot of fun to fly. However, the X5SC-1 seems to lack the smoothness that the X5C-1 is famous for and has a somewhat rough characteristic in its flight. The most glaring flaw in the X5SC-1 is its inability to fly into slight winds — a strange characteristic that probably stems from a software bug in its flight controller. It is also a lot louder and feels more brutish thanks to its larger motors.

Despite these flaws, the X5SC-1 features plenty of improvements over the X5C-1 and this can be mostly seen in its redesigned body which includes a very well-designed battery compartment and camera mount. Its taller landing legs also help keep the camera away from getting scraped by hard surfaces or objects when landing.

If you can forgive it for its wind bug problem and its slightly rough flying characteristic, the X5SC-1 is actually a much better toy-grade quadcopter than its predecessor which costs slightly less.

The Syma X5SC-1 can be purchased at Estoredrones.com