Narcissism three-point-zero. After lurid stories and action cameras, the latest form of self-expression: filming your own adventures with a drone. Instead of appreciative words at the regulars' table, likes on Facebook, Instagram and the like have become an absolute ego booster.
One question takes centre stage: are drones also suitable for recording mountain biking? After all, autonomously flying drones that follow the biker independently while avoiding trees are still in the development phase.
In order to find a solution to this question, we have developed the Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K tested over a longer period of time. This drone is particularly suitable for beginners due to its scope of delivery. In addition to the drone itself, it comes with two batteries, a remote control, a 4K camera and lots of accessories. The Typhoon comes "ready to fly", so to speak, for 1100 euros. Assembly is simple: screw on the propellers, plug in the battery and connect the camera. The latter is attached to an electric three-axis gimbal, which ensures a wobble-free image.
Which resolution to choose, 4K or Full HD?
Flying is also simple and beginner-friendly. The pilot can choose between three modes: Smart, Home and Angle. In Smart mode, the drone flies in relation to the pilot's point of view, regardless of whether they are looking at the drone from the front or the back. You can also switch to "Follow me" so that the Typhoon follows the remote control. Or you can switch to "Watch me" mode, which also points the camera at the remote control. In Angle mode, the Typhoon is controlled from the perspective of the drone, i.e. mirror-inverted, when it flies towards the pilot. Home mode is self-explanatory: the drone returns to the pilot independently and lands next to him. These commands are entered using the supplied remote control, which is very intuitive to operate. In addition to the controls for altitude, direction and speed, there is also a large display on the remote control. Thanks to live transmission, you can control the drone in "first-person view" or check whether the image section has been selected correctly. The pilot can adjust this using the camera angle. Once it has been found, you can either take a photo or start recording.
This brings us to the first point of criticism: you can either film in 4K resolution - which quickly fills up the memory - and have sharper images, or you can "only" film in Full HD and cope with blurred images in some cases. We recommend the former, as the data is compressed quickly. This gives you the chance to capture breathtaking landscape images, but the details are not as sharp as they should be. Especially in difficult lighting conditions, the camera did not manage to fully convince us. On the other hand, the slow motion function with 120 frames per second in Full HD is particularly impressive for action sports. To extend the camera's range of use, it can also be attached to the supplied hand tripod.
Let the drone fly: how it works
The simple and intuitive operation is immediately noticeable on first take-off: even as a complete beginner, flights and recordings are child's play if you reduce the reaction speed of the multicopter. Even in windy conditions, relatively shake-free shots are possible as the Typhoon drone is very stable in the air. Experienced pilots will enjoy the fast speed: the Yuneec drone flies at almost 30 kilometres per hour. The maximum flight altitude of 120 metres is also perfectly adequate. It quickly becomes clear: with the Typhoon, Yuneec delivers an extremely user-friendly drone.
With a length of over 40 centimetres and a weight of 1.7 kilograms, it quickly becomes clear that the drone model tested is not a toy that you can currently buy for little money from all the big electronics giants. But this is precisely where the problem lies: in Germany, drones and multicopters are subject to Compulsory insurance! Legal liability insurance protects the pilot from horrendous costs in the event of an emergency, as personal injury in particular is often associated with immense costs. Such drone insurance costs between 50 and 150 euros per year and must therefore be taken into account when calculating costs. You can find out what other regulations and authorisations you need to observe here here summarised.
Back to the initial question: Is the drone suitable for mountain bikers? The answer is a resounding yes and no. This is because the drone did not convince us in the forest, the natural habitat of the free-living biker. It is too difficult to coordinate flying and filming, as the distances between the trees become increasingly narrow, especially at higher speeds. Even our test model was not spared an unplanned contact with a tree. But the good news: although the drone crashed heavily into a tree, the financial damage was very limited. We only had to replace two propellers for a few euros. The forest is no longer an area of application. However, we were impressed by the easy handling in open areas, where filming and photography is possible without any problems. The drone also supports us with its assistance programmes: The "Watch Me" mode proves to be much more interesting than the "Follow Me" function; after all, the camera should be aimed at the biker. However, special care must be taken here: The flying object neither avoids obstacles nor recognises a possible difference in altitude. If the mountain biker is travelling uphill, for example, the flight altitude must be adjusted manually so that the drone does not crash into the slope. In return, the programme offers strong support with camera alignment, so the pilot can concentrate solely on avoiding obstacles. The reaction phase of the drone is also difficult, as the biker repeatedly leaves the picture when changing direction quickly. The drone is therefore more suitable for epic landscape shots than concentrated action sequences when mountain biking.
Test summary of the Typhoon Q500 4k drone from Yuneec
With the Typhoon Q500 4k, Yuneec delivers a user-friendly drone with which impressive images can be captured. Unfortunately, it is only suitable for mountain biking to a limited extent, as the drone does not recognise obstacles and therefore requires a vigilant and experienced pilot.
German distribution: www.cosmicsports.de
