Yuneec Typhoon Q500+ Review

Yuneec Typhoon Q500+ Review and Analysis

Only a few drones can fly near or at the same level as the much-beloved DJI Phantom series, and Yuneec is one of the brands close to reaching that level. Among several Yuneec Typhoon Q500+ reviews online, the general mood is positive.

Here, we give you a glimpse at why people are raving about this new drone and why others are saying it could pose a threat to the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+.

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What’s in the Box

The whole package includes the quadcopter itself, a camera gimbal system, a personal ground station, two batteries, a charger, and two sets of rotors (with each set having rotors).

Some units have free extra items, such as a car charger, a USB adapter, a sun shade, and more. All of these come in a sturdy aluminum case for easy, secure carrying.

Being an RTF unit, this camera quadcopter comes factory-assembled, with a pre-transmitter/ground station unit included. The body itself is slightly bigger than most quadcopters on the market, but it’s insignificant considering the impressive look and features.

Battery

The Typhoon Q500+ comes with a 5400mAh 3S 11.1V LiPo battery included in the package. Excellent is arguably the most appropriate description for the batteries of this unit, as it allows for extra-long flight time, not to mention there are two batteries included. 

You are provided with an average of 25 minutes, depending on wind resistance and other factors. Couple that with the extra battery and you get almost an hour of fun. The DC Balancing Smart Charger with AC Adapter brings down charging time to less than two hours.

Build

The Typhoon Q500+ aims “to create a superior, modular, integrated aerial and ground imaging solution for multi-rotor copter devices.” This release hits most, if not all, those parameters.

Anyone familiar with the look of the Blade 350 QX3 or the Phantom 2 Vision+ will undoubtedly see a number of similarities with the Typhoon Q500+, with the Yuneec drone looking a lot more streamlined.

The design and build makes this photography drone ideal for aerial photo and video capturing. 

Despite the plastic, many drone reviews this 2015 say this drone is well-constructed, albeit with a little flex along the arms holding the rotors.

It’s slightly bigger than a Phantom, but has a few design similarities, such as the raised landing gear and the custom camera/gimbal system.

The Camera

The Q500+ is an improvement of the original Q500, with the addition of a more advanced camera with microphone, a larger 5.5" tablet display, and a custom case.

Its CGO2-GB+ combines a 16MP, 1080p60 camera and a 3-axis brushless, anti-vibration gimbal into one impressive unit.

The model has a 130° field of view and aerial optimized fixed focus that captures stabilized aerial videos and stills. Also, the redesigned lens produces lower distortion for better quality images.

The camera packs an integrated 5.8 GHz Wi-Fi downlink that lets you view the live feed using the 5.5" touchscreen on the ST10+ Personal Ground Station.

There’s also a ProAction SteadyGrip that extends the use of the gimbal camera from the sky to the ground.

Navigation

The consensus among several Typhoon Q500+ reviews is that navigation is fairly easy with quadcopters.

Thanks to its three flight modes.

The Smart Mode is perfect for beginners, as it establishes a GPS-guided, 26’ SAFE circle, among other features.

The Angle Mode is optimized for experienced users, as it provides better control and steeper bank and pitch angles.

The Home Mode, meanwhile, lets the drone return to its home/takeoff point and land on its own.

The Return-to-Home function will automatically kick in if it gets out of range or until signal is restored.

There’s also a “Follow Me” function perfect for shooting photos or videos of moving objects (or the user). 

Yuneec Typhoon Q500+ Plus Specifications

One thing that immediately stands out to us about this aerial photography quadcopter is its flight time—25 minutes. While it’s a small thing for some enthusiasts, this extended flight time means a lot for when you’re actually piloting the unit.

It might be a bit negligible, but it does a lot when it comes to convenience. Other specs such as camera and weight are also laudable.  

Dimensions	16.5x16.5x9.5in (420x420x240mm)
Weight (without battery and payload):	40.0oz (1130g)
Battery	5400mAh 3S 11.1V LiPo (included)
Camera	16MP photo resolution, Full HD 1080p video resolution (adjustable 60, 50 or 48 FPS)
Flight Time	25 minutes

The Verdict

There’s a lot more features that make the drone a definite competitor to the big brands such as Blade and DJI’s Phantom series.

With a price tag below $1,500, it will likely be pitted against the similarly-priced Phantom 2 Vision+ whether Yuneec intended it to be or not.

Here’s the catch, though:

Yuneec should go right ahead with the comparisons because, with the right support, this drone can easily go toe-to-toe with the Vision+.

Hopefully,

This Typhoon Q500+ review proves to be useful in helping you decide whether to get this drone or not.