A drone is a drone, is a drone, right? Wrong! No drone appears to have such a quick learning curve as the Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K. It is not your run of the mill $50.00 RC helicopter with a little camera. This is nothing short of being a high tech, top of the line UAS. (unmanned aircraft system)

The Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K is the latest to come from what (from a reviewers standpoint) may be considered, THE drone developer to beat all drone developers. Its features rival drones, that cost $100’s or $1000’s more. Yuneec also has another feature over some of those comptetitors; regardless of the operators status as an operator, they are extremely easy to fly as well having a truly easy learning curve.

Before getting into testing and performance. Let’s highlight some of the specs. You can also view the full specs here. Some of the highlights include;

• 25 minutes of flight time (per battery, 2 included) Actual testing was closer to 35
• CG03 Gimbal Camera (12 mp)
• Android OS
• Comfortably large ground station
• Operating temperature of 14 degrees F to 122 degrees F. Actual testing was in 24 degrees F with wind gusts to 10 kts.
• 3 flight modes; Smart, Angle and Home (will explain later)

Before flying this or any drone, you MUST register it with the FAA. Be aware, if you Google FAA drone registration, you will get many hits. Some of these sites, while legitimate, charge and exorbitant fee, as the true FAA site only charges $5.00 (at time of press.)

Testing itself was relatively simple. Noticeably, when you unpack the Yuneec Q500 4K the whole kit really does live up to its unpack me and fly me creed. After reading the quick start area, and checking with the local police department the maiden voyage was done at Southwell Field in North Chelmsford MA.

In following the instructions given by Dylan at tech support, (which is outstanding by the way) the first thing to do is turn on the ground controller. Once you hear the chime, it is safe to turn on the drone. Before you turn on the motors, please take a look at the controller and notice the amount of satellites in the upper right and lower left. At least 7 on each are best. If you are less than 30 feet from the drone, NEVER start the engines in “SMART” mode. This is because smart mode is also a safety mode where it will not land within this radius. It incorporates a “Follow me” mode that will allow the drone to follow the operator as he/she walks through the flight area. One more caveat that was told to me by another drone operator, and confirmed by Dylan at tech support was the fact that in storage after a full charge, the batteries may start to bulge after more than 72 hours. It is best to either not fully charge the batteries or bleed them before storage.

That being said lets have some fun. Follow the instructions on installing the blades. As stated above, the controller was turned on and then after the chime, the drone was powered on. The next thing to do was to turn on the video camera with the button on the top right. Now, it was time to start the engines. Again if you are close to the drone, do not start it in SMART mode, rather start it in ANGLE mode which gives you full . Press and hold the “start engine” button for 3 seconds. The rotors will start up and now you have started your career as a drone operator.

The intuitive ST10+ ground station, which is standard with all Yuneec drones makes flying a “breeze”. The left stick controls elevation and rotation. The right stick controls left and right directions as well as forwards and backwards.

On the side of the drone are two lever type controls. One is for the pitch of the camera and one is for the elevation rate. Personally as a reviewer, the “rabbit” for quick elevation is preferred. As a beginner though, you may want to go somewhere in between. So gently push the left lever up and the Typhoon will rise. When you remove pressure from the lever, the Typhoon will be in a hover state. The controls are extremely sensitive and responsive. Keep that in mind when rotating.

When you reach your desired altitude, (governed at 400 ft above you, not sea level) start flying. You can easily switch from video mode to snapping still pics at any time. Try both, you will be amazed at what you will see (as shown in the example pics and videos taken from the reviewers drone).

It has a range of close to ¼ mile from take off point as well as the 400 ft ceiling. That may not seem like a lot, but your opinion will change once you see the pics and videos that it can take. You will be amazed what you can find.

When you are ready to land, the best way to do it is to switch to HOME mode, which will automatically retrieve and land the Phantom. If however you are close to trees, please switch to ANGLE mode as it comes closer so you can land it manually.

WARNING

Watch your battery level. You will get one warning when the battery is close to critical. At that point, either switch to HOME mode or land it manually, as when you get the second warning, it will land where ever it is, whether it be over water, trees or a roadway.

The base package retails for $1,200, while a more premium kit including an aluminum case and extra battery, goes for $1,300. The conclusion here is easy. If you want the best and are serious about becoming a drone operator, this is the drone to buy. It is easy to learn, easy to fly and easy to maintain. Sure, there are others on either side of the pricing spectrum, but again, when you look at features, ease of use, novice appreciation, Yuneec is the one to look at.

DISCLAIMER

You must register your UAS with the FAA or face penalties. Be aware of your surroundings and follow federal and local laws/ordinances when flying. Neither the reviewer nor Examiner.com is responsible for any misuse or careless operation of any UAS.