DJI grabs all the headlines when it comes to releasing a new drone, but when a competitor comes out with one that not only records in 4K, but can stay aloft for over an hour, that sounds exciting, and it is.
But it’s considering that without a camera payload, it’s more of a boast for Yuneec’s latest commercial hexacopter UAV, the H850-RTK.
Image Credit – Yuneec
With a maximum speed of just under 45 miles an hour (72 kph) the unique is capable of staying aloft for up to 65 minutes before swapping out its two 12800mAh batteries.
The H850-RTK measures 17.32 x 14.37 x 18.50 inches (440x365x470 mm) and weighs just under 13 pounds (5800g) without a camera.
It can carry a payload of about eight pounds (3800g) and the accompanying T-1 smart controller is able to run for up to seven hours before recharging.
Image Credit – Yuneec
The drone’s T1 remote control also has a 7-inch LCD display with 1,000 nits of brightness and runs on Android 10. It has a range of up to five miles (8km), which, of course, is a bit dubious considering that FAA regulations require that a drone stays within line of sight while aloft.
The 10,000 mAh 704-volt battery has up to eight hours of operation time and can operate in tandem with another controller in “team mode,” where one is the camera operator and the second is the pilot in command.
Image Credit – Yuneec
As for camera support, the H850 supports several Yuneec 4K cameras including the E90x, which has a 20mp 1 inch 4K CMOS sensor, the E30Zx, which includes a 1/2.8” CMOS sensor and a 30x optical zoom, and the E20TVx thermal imaging camera, which captures radiometric temperature data in 640 SD.
It can also support LiDAR cameras, as well as lighting and sound modules.
The H850 has several sensors including a dual IMU, compass, and barometer. The H850 relies on up to four GPS, Glonass, Beidou & Galileo satellite navigation systems, making it compatible with a vast majority of geography around the world.
Image Credit – Yuneec
And in the event that one antenna stops transmitting, the H850 dual antenna array ensures that at least one antenna is always operating. Another redundancy is the drone’s ability to land safely on five motors should one motor become disabled.
In addition, beginning in 2023, the H850 will also have a one-click YCAP-certified digital drone tag which will broadcast a remote ID. This is a mandatory requirement of the European Union.
The retail price of the Yuneec H850-RTK starts at $9204 (€7,734.95) and it comes with two smart batteries, the T1 remote, a charging station, and a carrying case. The drone will begin flying off store shelves in August of 2022.
[source: Yuneec]
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