Yuneec Q500 Typhoon G | For upscale demands

Drones, like the Yuneec Q500 Typhoon G, are now more popular than ever as models for recreational use. No wonder, drones offer the possibility to break out of everyday life, to take off into the lusts and to see the world once from a completely different point of view. There are models for beginners, which contain significantly fewer options and technical features, drones for advanced users and those for true professionals. The Yuneec Q500 Typhoon G falls somewhere between beginners with some experience and advanced users.

Design and equipment

The quadcopter from Yuneec not only impresses with its elegant design, but also offers extensive features that leave almost nothing to be desired. The copter is more suitable for advanced pilots, but can also be interesting for beginners with diligent practice and convinces with an attractive price.

In addition to the Typhoon G variant described here, the copter is also available as Q500, Q500 4K and Q500+ version (selection at Amazon). All models come ready-to-fly and feature 3D gimbal image stabilization. Unlike the basic Q500 version, the Yuneec Typhoon G still comes with a handheld gimbal (Steady Grip).

The Tyhhoon G variant also comes without an integrated camera, allowing you to attach any action cam, such as a GoPro Hero camera. The 4K variant impresses with its higher resolution camera and also features a handheld gimbal. Since the Typhoon G comes without a camera, it is the right choice if you are looking for a drone for your GoPro or other action cam.

Yuneec Q 500 ST16 remote control black
DEERC D50 – DYuneec Q500 Typhoon G – ST10 controller, blackrone for beginners.

General information

Yuneec Q500 Gimbal
Yuneec Q500 Typhoon G – Gimbal with GoPro.

The Typhoon series is a complete solution for aerial photography and videography that inspires newcomers as well as experienced pilots – with a long flight time of up to 25 minutes and a range of almost 0.62 miles (1 km), the drone also meets upscale demands (Attention: In many coutries, a drone may only be flown on sight!). The 3-axis brushless gimbal of the Typhoon Q500 G variant guarantees smooth and stable videos from the air as well as still images with vivid details.

If you also want to take pictures with the camera on the ground and completely without the Yuneec drone, you can use the included Steady Grip for this purpose. The disassembly of the camera system works via a simple quick release and thus also allows for easy replacement with other systems in the future.

At 42 x 42 cm, the Yuneec Q500 Typhoon G is significantly larger than the DJI Mavic Pro, for example. On the one hand, this makes the drone harder to stow, but on the other hand, the flight characteristics benefit from the larger wingspan. The quadcopter is thus very quiet in the air and guarantees great camera shots.

For some time now, drones from Yuneec have been using so-called No Fly Areas. These are areas in which the quadcopter is not usable. This is the case near airports, for example, but other areas in urban centers can also be affected.

FPV Flying

To receive and display the live image of the drone, the Yuneec Typhoon G uses the included ST10+ remote control. This has a 5.5-inch monitor on which the image of the camera is displayed. Optionally, the free CGO app can also be used to transfer images to an Android or iOS device. The MK58 video downlink works over the 5.8 GHz frequency, allowing the live image to be transmitted to compatible iOS and Android devices.

By the way, the app also works when the camera is attached to the Steady Grip. In the future, it is also planned to be able to connect FPV goggles to the remote control via smartphone app. The drone also has the Follow Me function, which means it can follow its pilot at every turn and create great “selfie shots”.

Yuneec Q500 – ST10, white.

The flight behavior of the Yuneec Q500 – a drone with a slightly higher standard

The camera drone comes with two different flight modes. On the one hand you have the option to always navigate from the current location in Smart mode. This setting is recommended if you do not have that much experience in drone flying. Alternatively, you can choose the normal control via the Angel mode. This is a good bit more demanding and requires a certain level of experience as a drone pilot.

The 3-axis stabilization of the drone means that the Yuneec Q500 always has a smooth flight. This has enormous advantages on the one hand, of course, for the steering in general, but also for possible photo and film shoots. The maximum climb speed of the drone is 6.7 mph or 3m/s, and the descent speed is 4.5 mph (2m/s). For pilots in a real hurry, there is the possibility of a quick start. Detailed operating instructions, including on how to get up and running as quickly as possible, are included.

You can fly 0.62 miles or a good 1,000 meters into the distance with your Yuneec Q500. However, the video transmission only works at around 0.25 miles (400 meters). After this, you will have to do without the experience of first-person view flight. A flight in first-person view mode (FPV) gives you the opportunity to experience your sightseeing flight through the eyes of a real pilot. Here, the live images from the integrated camera are transmitted directly to your controller. Based on these images, you now take the steering of your drone. This experience would be perfectly rounded off if video goggles could be integrated, so that you really get the feeling of sitting in the cockpit of your drone. Such a possibility is planned, but not yet finally implemented.

Special features of the Yuneec Q500

There are a few special features that are worth mentioning. For example, if you have left the video transmission area with your drone, but want the Yuneec Q500 to return to you in the fastest possible way, you have the option of giving the command to fly back via the home mode. The drone will then take the fastest possible path back to you.

A very special feature of the Yuneec Q500, is the camera with Full HD resolution, which was installed here. In general, the camera is more than sufficient for really good photo and film material. However, if you want to improve a bit here or make sure that you can also take technical advances in terms of camera quality, you have the option of disassembling the camera and attaching a new one. This is a very good option if you plan to fly this drone for a longer time, because in the next few years there may well be advances in the field of camera technology that make a new purchase interesting. All the better if you do not need a new drone for better pictures.

The images are stored on an integrated microSD card in 12 MP quality. The movie recordings also currently meet the highest standards, so you can make not only good, but really very good aerial photos of all kinds with this model.

You want to move around, want your drone to accompany you, but don’t want to take over the steering all the time? A nice extra, which is actually mainly found on drones of the highest quality levels, is the Follow Me mode. Here you have the option to program your Yuneec Q500 so that the drone follows you without you having to enter special steering commands. Especially when you are out in the wild and looking for a good place to take selfies, this is a wonderful option.

Also very handy is the warning signal that comes over the controller both audibly and in the form of vibration when, for example, the battery level is running low or the drone is threatening to leave the radius of your reception. So that you can also use your drone comfortably at any time on longer trips or on vacation, a recharge of the battery can also be done via the cigarette lighter of your car. With a flight time of 25 minutes, the Yuneec Q500 can also keep up with much more expensive drones in this respect.

Conclusion

The Yuneec Q500 comes as an excellent model in the mid-price segment. Very well suited for pilots with first flight experience, beginners who are adept at handling technical devices and have a good grasp can also complete their first flying lessons here. However, those who are not quite sure yet whether they really want to stick with drone flying permanently should rather start with a real beginner model.

All in all, the Yuneec Q500 comes at a very good price-performance ratio with some really useful features and technical refinements. The Yuneec Q500 Typhoon G is a complete package suitable for savvy beginners and advanced users and offers great features. Especially the easily replaceable camera system and the handheld gimbal are great features of this drone. For the price offered, you get an upper mid-range drone that has everything you need to successfully start flying multicopters and achieve great results.