DJI Flamewheel F550 RTF?

Quickly off the top of my head:

Higher lift capacity
6 motors with ability to land under control in the event of a single rotor failure
Modular construction (break an arm, replace and arm)
Longer flight time possible with flexible battery options
 
LandYachtMedia said:
Quickly off the top of my head:

Higher lift capacity
6 motors with ability to land under control in the event of a single rotor failure
Modular construction (break an arm, replace and arm)
Longer flight time possible with flexible battery options


Thank you. Is the software basically the same as the Phantom series? I'm assuming it is. I downloaded the manual from Helical and its very brief, nothing compared to the Phantom software. Its nots a "Pretty" as the Phantom but I'm looking for functionality (filming from a GoPro 3). I was pretty much set on the Phantom 2 but after looking at the 550 I think it fits the bill better.
 
I just started assembling one of these. It's a bit larger than the Phantom. I've only install what came with the kit so far, Frame, ESC's and Motors. The Naza, GPS and *Landing Gear (*needed if you going to do video) should be here this week.
Make sure you have some Thread Locker like Blue Loctite for the screws.
Software should be the same as it's the same NAZA M V2 that comes in newer Phantoms. The only difference is the Externally Mounted GPS.
 
Thanks, the package deal seems to be close to the same price of package for the Phantom 2. The batter life from what I'm reading with a FPV installed is 8-10min, about half that of the P2 but then again the batteries are half the price.
 
realize though that you're talking about two completely different machines. Where the Phantom, despite all it's abilities is still and "entry level" multi, whereas the 550 is an intermediate, "prosumer" multi.

The Phantom does have a number of limitations that cannot be resolved in the current form factor; lift capacity, battery choice, and the ability to handle wind. A direct comparison is more appropriate between the Phantom and the f330...same approximate size, lift capacity, although the 330 has much greater choice in terms of battery used.

If you attempt to add features to the Phantom...iOSD, Bluetooth, just to name two...you will almost immediately run out of space internally, and be much closer to the max AUW. The 550 has both capacity to lift this sort of thing easily, and the room to mount it and more without jury-rigging anything.

The choice of cameras in the Phantom is also very limited. As good as the GoPro is, there are some significant limitations inherent in it or any other "micro" camera system. The 550 can easily carry a Sony NEX 7 with one of several different lenses mounted.

Battery flexibility is a significant difference. You simply can't carry much more than 5000mah on a Phantom and get it airborne. You're limited by either space or proprietary batteries, where the 550 commonly flies dual batteries of 5000mah or more, making flight times closer to 15 minutes a reality, while carrying greater loads.

Having said all of this, I don't want you to assume I'm knocking the Phantom; I'm not. I own two of them; one that I occasionally hard mount a GoPro on, and the other with a Zenmuse gimbal. I also own a 550, with a zenmuse gimbal, Bluetooth, iOSD, FPV system, etc and I normally fly with two 5000mah batteries. The Phantom does have a place; there are spots too tight to fight an f550 into comfortably...it is significantly bigger than a Phantom. If you want to shoot semi-professional video the 550 wins hands down. It's larger, heaver and more stable. It has much better load capacity and with 4S batteries (something you can't do with the Phantom) it's a screaming quick machine, even loaded up.
 
WReimer said:
realize though that you're talking about two completely different machines. Where the Phantom, despite all it's abilities is still and "entry level" multi, whereas the 550 is an intermediate, "prosumer" multi.

The Phantom does have a number of limitations that cannot be resolved in the current form factor; lift capacity, battery choice, and the ability to handle wind. A direct comparison is more appropriate between the Phantom and the f330...same approximate size, lift capacity, although the 330 has much greater choice in terms of battery used.

If you attempt to add features to the Phantom...iOSD, Bluetooth, just to name two...you will almost immediately run out of space internally, and be much closer to the max AUW. The 550 has both capacity to lift this sort of thing easily, and the room to mount it and more without jury-rigging anything.

The choice of cameras in the Phantom is also very limited. As good as the GoPro is, there are some significant limitations inherent in it or any other "micro" camera system. The 550 can easily carry a Sony NEX 7 with one of several different lenses mounted.

Battery flexibility is a significant difference. You simply can't carry much more than 5000mah on a Phantom and get it airborne. You're limited by either space or proprietary batteries, where the 550 commonly flies dual batteries of 5000mah or more, making flight times closer to 15 minutes a reality, while carrying greater loads.

Having said all of this, I don't want you to assume I'm knocking the Phantom; I'm not. I own two of them; one that I occasionally hard mount a GoPro on, and the other with a Zenmuse gimbal. I also own a 550, with a zenmuse gimbal, Bluetooth, iOSD, FPV system, etc and I normally fly with two 5000mah batteries. The Phantom does have a place; there are spots too tight to fight an f550 into comfortably...it is significantly bigger than a Phantom. If you want to shoot semi-professional video the 550 wins hands down. It's larger, heaver and more stable. It has much better load capacity and with 4S batteries (something you can't do with the Phantom) it's a screaming quick machine, even loaded up.


Thanks for the excellent info. I had a Phantom 1 which was lost back in the fall. I wanted to wait until the Phantom 2 and Vision came out to make another purchase. I thought I was going to purchase the Phantom 2 with gimbal and FPV but the more I look at the F550 the more I like it. I did a build on a few online sites and the 550 is only a little more expensive than a P2 with the same equipment. Helipal has a nice RTF package, I'm not thrilled with the radio they supply but thats not a deal breaker. Trying to find a case for the 550 that won't break the bank seems to be the biggest hurdle :lol:
 
I have a Vision, a Phantom 2 and a F550 with ground station. The F550 is so much more stable. You can tell by flying them side by side in high winds. The F550 is solid as a rock.
 
rmklaw said:
I have a Vision, a Phantom 2 and a F550 with ground station. The F550 is so much more stable. You can tell by flying them side by side in high winds. The F550 is solid as a rock.

Good to know, are you using a FPV on the F550? Is so which unit? 8 or 10 inch blades?

I did not notice any lights on the F550, how do you tell if you have a GPS lock? How about compass?

Thanks
 
F550 is very nice, i have both phantom 2 and the F550, but At this time i would no get a F550, tarot frames are much better and can go with 13 props with slower Kv motors. This will give you better flight times and better stability.

Personal opinion. Get a Tarot Hexa frame, some Sunnysky motors (very good for the price), NAZA V2 and Afro ESC and you will get a better machine.
 
GhostMaster said:
F550 is very nice, i have both phantom 2 and the F550, but At this time i would no get a F550, tarot frames are much better and can go with 13 props with slower Kv motors. This will give you better flight times and better stability.

Personal opinion. Get a Tarot Hexa frame, some Sunnysky motors (very good for the price), NAZA V2 and Afro ESC and you will get a better machine.


Oh No another one to take a look at :lol: Thanks for the info
 
FASTFJR said:
GhostMaster said:
F550 is very nice, i have both phantom 2 and the F550, but At this time i would no get a F550, tarot frames are much better and can go with 13 props with slower Kv motors. This will give you better flight times and better stability.

Personal opinion. Get a Tarot Hexa frame, some Sunnysky motors (very good for the price), NAZA V2 and Afro ESC and you will get a better machine.


Oh No another one to take a look at :lol: Thanks for the info


The price is not so much higher... And you get a really great machine, and best its foldable, so for transport is better that the F550.

Check the Tarot 680Pro for about 150$
SUNNYSKY V3508 580KV for about 30$ each
Afro 30A ESC 13.97$ x 6
NAZA V2 - arround 300$ (i think)


Add the gimbal and the camera, rádio, receiver and some FPV setup.

For FPV the boscam setups are nice and cheap, the RC305 + TS353 work very good and you can get about 2/3km range.
 
GhostMaster said:
FASTFJR said:
GhostMaster said:
F550 is very nice, i have both phantom 2 and the F550, but At this time i would no get a F550, tarot frames are much better and can go with 13 props with slower Kv motors. This will give you better flight times and better stability.

Personal opinion. Get a Tarot Hexa frame, some Sunnysky motors (very good for the price), NAZA V2 and Afro ESC and you will get a better machine.


Oh No another one to take a look at :lol: Thanks for the info


The price is not so much higher... And you get a really great machine, and best its foldable, so for transport is better that the F550.

Check the Tarot 680Pro for about 150$
SUNNYSKY V3508 580KV for about 30$ each
Afro 30A ESC 13.97$ x 6
NAZA V2 - arround 300$ (i think)


Add the gimbal and the camera, rádio, receiver and some FPV setup.

For FPV the boscam setups are nice and cheap, the RC305 + TS353 work very good and you can get about 2/3km range.

You know of any dealers who build packages? I did a quick search and could not find anyone. I would really like to have something which is RTF……..if possible. I'm terrible with electronics and soldering.

Thanks
 
FASTFJR said:
You know of any dealers who build packages? I did a quick search and could not find anyone. I would really like to have something which is RTF……..if possible. I'm terrible with electronics and soldering.

Thanks

I dont know any on EUA, but in sure there are anything, im in Europe, here in Europe there are several stores that build multis...

For example quadcopters.co.uk
 
After much gnashing of molars and reading everything I could find... and then getting 'not in stock' on two Phantom setups in a row... I plunked down the cash for a F550 with osd and FPV. In the end, it cost less than the dream setup for the Phantom and it has its own capabilities. The two machines are not apples and oranges but are different enough that my buyer's remorse is not horrible right now (I would have had three Phantoms the other way). Can't wait to take it on a flight... it will be a couple of weeks before it is delivered...
 
The 550 is an excellent platform, and I love mine...without affecting my fondness for the Phantom one bit. I imagine each will end up getting about equal flight time, both personally and professionally.

One of the biggest benefits of the 550 platform is its extensibility...the volume and breadth of options available put those for the Phantom (and many others) to shame. I have extended arms on mine (not to be confused with arm extensions), so it's effectively a 650 now, and I'm using a 4S power system with 700kv motors and 11" props. I've only barely begun exploring the range of things I can carry/mount.

The Tarot 680Pro GhostMaster mentioned is an excellent platform too, I was THIS close to getting that instead of the 550, and Tarot's 810 will probably be my next airframe. However, I don't think there's any ATF/RTF kits for the Tarot frames that will match the value in the ones for the 550.
 
ladykate said:
After much gnashing of molars and reading everything I could find... and then getting 'not in stock' on two Phantom setups in a row... I plunked down the cash for a F550 with osd and FPV. In the end, it cost less than the dream setup for the Phantom and it has its own capabilities. The two machines are not apples and oranges but are different enough that my buyer's remorse is not horrible right now (I would have had three Phantoms the other way). Can't wait to take it on a flight... it will be a couple of weeks before it is delivered...

Where did you get yours from? Heilpal has a nice package deal http://www.helipal.com/dji-flamewheel-f ... e-rtf.html

I'm not sure about the radio that comes with the package.......any idea's ???



The only thing that stops me in the convenience of the Phantom 2 and fitting it in a normal size case. Taking the F550 apart to fit in a similar case looks like a PITA if your doing it a few days a week like I would be. Correct me if I'm wrong. I've googled cases for the F550 and the only thing I can find is one for $650
 
FASTFJR said:
The only thing that stops me in the convenience of the Phantom 2 and fitting it in a normal size case. Taking the F550 apart to fit in a similar case looks like a PITA if your doing it a few days a week like I would be. Correct me if I'm wrong. I've googled cases for the F550 and the only thing I can find is one for $650

I'm getting mine from Helipal. Just got the confirmation a few hours ago. I got a few extras. I looked up the transmitter and it is not terrible but it isn't high end at all. I may replace that later depending on my experience with it.

Around the area, I keep the airframes in large plastic tubs (I have a P1 and a P2). For travel, you are right, unless you are driving, packing the Flamewheel would be a PITA. I have a travel case for the P2 and that is for trips that require air travel to where I'll be flying. Even with the Phantom, the tubs are much easier to use than stuffing everything into that travel case. I think the Flamewheel will fit in a plastic tub and not have to disassemble it. May have to make something from a plastic barrel or really large storage tub but it won't have to be compact since I'll just throw it in the back of the pickup when driving to a site.

I figured if I bought another airframe, it should be something different enough that I would want to fly it regularly - I have a travel airframe that is great (the P2). So... Flamewheel it was.
 
ladykate said:
FASTFJR said:
The only thing that stops me in the convenience of the Phantom 2 and fitting it in a normal size case. Taking the F550 apart to fit in a similar case looks like a PITA if your doing it a few days a week like I would be. Correct me if I'm wrong. I've googled cases for the F550 and the only thing I can find is one for $650

I'm getting mine from Helipal. Just got the confirmation a few hours ago. I got a few extras. I looked up the transmitter and it is not terrible but it isn't high end at all. I may replace that later depending on my experience with it.

Around the area, I keep the airframes in large plastic tubs (I have a P1 and a P2). For travel, you are right, unless you are driving, packing the Flamewheel would be a PITA. I have a travel case for the P2 and that is for trips that require air travel to where I'll be flying. Even with the Phantom, the tubs are much easier to use than stuffing everything into that travel case. I think the Flamewheel will fit in a plastic tub and not have to disassemble it. May have to make something from a plastic barrel or really large storage tub but it won't have to be compact since I'll just throw it in the back of the pickup when driving to a site.

I figured if I bought another airframe, it should be something different enough that I would want to fly it regularly - I have a travel airframe that is great (the P2). So... Flamewheel it was.

Cool, you must have bought the same package I was looking at. Keep us posted, I'm still not sure what I want to get, another phantom or something different, maybe something like a large rubbermaid container. Post some pics when you have it
 
FASTFJR said:
rmklaw said:
I have a Vision, a Phantom 2 and a F550 with ground station. The F550 is so much more stable. You can tell by flying them side by side in high winds. The F550 is solid as a rock.

Good to know, are you using a FPV on the F550? Is so which unit? 8 or 10 inch blades?

I did not notice any lights on the F550, how do you tell if you have a GPS lock? How about compass?

Thanks

Have not hooked up the FPV yet, but have the DJI Data Link ground station active. I am using 8" props with 5000mah 4s cells as recommended. Installed the battery under the bottom plate since I have the dome on top. I installed the LED on one of the rear legs and it is visible from distance and at altitude. The LED sequence tells you if you have GPS and how many or ATI, etc.
 

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