Yuneec Ups Its Game with New Racing and Fixed Wing Drones

Yuneec is demonstrating its drive to stay competitive in the cutthroat drone manufacturing space, introducing two new product lines and the next generation of the Typhoon H Plus commercial offering at CES 2018.

The company has introduced a fixed wing, Firebird FPV drone and a racing drone, the HD Racer.  “The category expansion and product line advancements are a result of Yuneec’s ongoing commitment to deliver industry leading technologies and pilot-centric features for an unparalleled electric avia­tion experience,” says Yuneec’s announcement.

“We take great pride in addressing what our customers desire in drone technology to ensure each evolution in our product line pushes brand and industry standards,” said Wenyan Jiang, chairwoman and co-founder of Yuneec International. “The entrance into the fixed wing and racing categories provides an opportunity for pilots and enthusiasts to use Yuneec products in fun, new ways and expand their creative possibilities.”

Firebird FPV

“Firebird FPV provides a fully immersive real-time outdoor flight experience, allowing the user to fly as if they were in the cockpit of a real airplane,” says the announcement.  With a flight endurance of 30 minutes, the new lightweight fixed-wing is designed for fun – allowing pilots to do “acrobatic maneuvers” like rolls and loops.  This is a unique design that could re-energize the recreational market for new pilots.

With a built in “Safety Mode” as well as Return Home, Geofencing, and Auto Landing this is a consumer drone that Yuneec says is “simple and easy to fly at any skill level.”

HD Racer

Next in the lineup for enthusiasts is the HD Racer, Yuneec’s first racing drone.  The HD Racer “fits in the palm of your hand and once in the air, gives pilots an immersive experience with cutting-edge technology.” Designed for both beginners and experience pilots, the HD Racer offers built-in flight stabilization and protected blades for safe indoor flight.

“While in the air, pilots can seamlessly navigate through any obstacle with an optimized, all-digital, low latency HD video downlink,” explains the announcement. “Additionally, pilots can record and share their best racing moments in high resolution 1080p at 60fps. If pilots do catch an obstacle, ‘Flip-Up’ mode automatically uprights the downed HD Racer to maximize flying and minimize downtime.”

Typhoon H Plus

While they’ve clearly invested in their recreational drone wheelhouse, Yuneec is also busy expanding into the commercial market with the Typhoon H Plus.  Introduced last year, the Typhoon is a cost-effective , drone with professional level cameras and collision avoidance technology.

The new version is larger than the old and emphasizes stability.  Stable in winds up to 30 mph and quieter than previous models, “H Plus leads its category in stable flight and quiet operation,” says Yuneec.

“…Typhoon H Plus is equipped with a high aperture one-inch sensor camera capable of 20 megapixel stills and 4K resolution video at 60fps,” says the announcement. “The new model also boasts an improved low-light performance compared to previous models. A continuous rotation gimbal combined with retractable landing gear provides seamless 360-degree unobstructed views.”

“…Additionally, the Typhoon H Plus is accompanied by a newly redesigned Android-based ST16S controller, which includes a large, high brightness seven-inch integrated display and HD 720p video downlink for stunning real-time video reception.”

The Typhoon H Plus will retail at $1799.99 and the Firebird FPV will retail at $699.99, both slated to be available in the first half of 2018. The HD Racer will retail at $179.99, and will be in the second half of 2018.