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Toy drones are inexpensive and fun to fly, then again, they are useless for the enthusiasts who want to take a plunge into aerial photography. There is a huge price gap between toy drones and low-end photography drones for hobbyists. In order to bridge this huge price gap, Parrot has launched its AR Drone 2. Sitting in the mid-price bracket, Parrot AR Drone 2.0 comes with a promise of spectacular performance paired with all cautions taken for safety. It is a compact drone which can make your flying experience class apart.

It is your perfect companion to capture the skies with an inbuilt camera along with the capability to perform flips and tricks to enhance your experience. Plus, you get to control the tab via your smartphone or tab. Well, it is difficult to find all these features in a drone falling in this price bracket, making Parrot AR Drone 2 Elite a favourite amongst enthusiasts.

Parrot is a drone brand which enables you to get the “bird’s eye view of the world!”

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AR Drone 2.0 Technical Specs Taking Your Breath Away

• Flight time: 8-12 Minutes, Up to 36 Minutes with the Power Edition
• Range: 50 Metres
• Controller: Any Smartphone or Tab with the compatible processor and FreeFlight 2.0 App
• Battery:
  • AR Drone 2.0- 1,000 mAh Lithium-ion Battery
  • AR Drone 2.0 Power Edition- 2 x 1500 mAh HD Batteries
• Charge time: 1 hour Approx.
• Charger: Yes
• Weight with External Frame: 420g
• Camera: 720p, 30 fps HD
• Motors: 4 “inrunner” Brushless motors
• Revolutions per minute: 28,500
• Power: 14.5 watts
• Format: JPEG
• USB: Yes (USB 2.0)
• First Person View: Yes
• Connection: Wi-Fi
• Altitude Ultrasound Sensors: Yes
• Magnetometer: yes
• Gyroscope: yes
• Accelerometer: yes
• Vertical Camera: Yes. (60 fps)
• Indoor and Outdoor Hulls: Yes

What’s in the Package?

Now that you know that Parrot AR Drone 2 has all the features to help you capture the world from an all-new angle, here is what you can expect in the package.

• 1 x AR Drone 2.0
• 1 x Indoor hull
• 1 x Outdoor Hull
• 1 x Drone Charger
• 1 x 1,000 mAh Battery

If you have opted for the latest Parrot AR Drone 2.0 Power Edition, then your package will include 2 x 1,500 mAh HD Batteries and 3 sets of coloured propellers.

Built and Design

The stealthy black finish of the AR Drone 2 Elite makes it stands true to its name. With the extra foam and plastic padding provided in the drone via indoor and outdoor hulls, the drone will, without a trouble, last you a lifetime.

Immune to crashes, the Power Edition comes with 3 sets of propellers in 3 different colours, giving you the edge you were looking for. As you make your drone a bit more vibrant, you can trust the hulls to protect it from any crashes.

The manufacturers understand that you might have to replace the parts sometimes, therefore, lots of spares are included. The clips are a part of the package so that you don’t miss out on the right angle of the blades.

Being a lightweight drone (380g), AR Drone 2 might not appear as sturdy at first impression. Then again, it will definitely serve the purpose of the flight in normal weather conditions.

Power and Performance

The embedded sensors such as Altitude Ultrasound Sensors, Magnetometer, and Accelerometer make the flight with AR Drone 2.0 a hi-tech experience. The navigation is easy as the drone remains stable to counter human error in deciding the direction. The intelligent drone maintains its altitude when you’re not operating it. The drone is sturdy and won’t deter an inch unless you do it explicitly even in windy conditions (15 mph).

The incredible performance of this Quadcopter is powered by Parrot AR Drone 2 battery. The AR Drone 2 Elite uses a 1,000 mAh battery to power its 4 “inrunner” brushless motors. The 14.5-watt motors are strong enough to provide the revolution of 28,500 revolutions per minute. The flight time you get here is 8-12 minutes after charging the battery for approximately an hour. The charger is included in the packaging.

If you opt for the AR Drone 2.0 Power Edition, you will receive an unimaginable flight time of 30-36 minutes at one go. This is possible because Parrot knows that you cannot get enough of this drone, therefore, the brand introduced a Power Edition with 2 x 1,500 mAh Power HD batteries. Well, what more do you need than 3 times more power for enhanced performance.

AR Drone 2 Mods

Clicking pictures from an all-new angle is even more fun with AR Drone 2 as it enables you to make your drone flip backwards and forward. Now you can make the clips you record more interesting by making it perform barrel rolls and more such tricks. The intelligent sensors and navigation technology embedded in the drone will enable the drone to assume back its position.

Camera and Controller

The High-Definition Camera embedded in the drone is perfect to put you in the pilot’s seat by sharing with you exactly what the drone sees. You can use the 720p HD camera to capture shots and record videos at 30 fps. The drone has inbuilt technology that stores everything you capture in your smartphone without the need for any external storage device. The vertical camera gives you the wide-angle view of the landscape, a rare feature in drones falling in this price range.

If you’re wondering whether all Parrot AR Drones for sale come without a Radio Controller, then you’ve got to look into your pockets because the controllers lie there. Yes, you can use your Smartphones and tabs with a compatible operating system to control the drone. All you have to do is, download the AR FreeFlight Application. You can download it in your Android, iOS devices, and Linux Version 2.6.32 and further. You can connect with your peers and race with them through the app. You need Wi-Fi to operate the drone through this app so that you can see the live-streaming of everything your drone can see. In addition to receiving the FPV feed, you can use the controller to switch between vertical and regular camera and make the drone do flips and tricks.

The controller can control the drone from up to 50 metres away.

Pros and Cons of AR Drone 2

Though the drone is equipped with the best possible features which render it amongst the top drones for the hobbyists and beginners, both; it is important to study the shortcomings as well as strong points of the drones as highlighted by the reviewers across various platforms.

Cons:

1. Almost 7 on 10 users have put forward the criticism that the flight time offered by the drone is very less. Well, one has to put in a lot of efforts into calibrating the drone and making it take off. All these efforts appear futile when the batteries give up in 8-12 minutes. To counter this issue, Parrot has introduced its latest Parrot AR Drone 2 Power Edition which comes with triple the power than its former version.
2. The camera quality is low which is why the drone is not suited for professional photography. Then again, what more can one expect for a drone which falls in this price bracket?
3. The drone is light, therefore, it is not suitable for flying in harsh weather. Well, AR Drone 2 is built on the grounds of a toy drone which is supposed to be portable. Hence, it is lightweight and not immune to the inevitable crashes.
4. The absence of a dedicated controller is usually sighted as an issue by certain users as a strong and secure Wi-Fi connection is not available all places. If they had a remote controller, that would not have been a problem.

Pros:

While people have critical opinions about this drone, there is a majority which has fallen for how fun this drone is.

1. The forward flip, backward flip, and the barrel roll five you superb video clippings which are equally amazing to watch as to shoot.
2. The AR FreeFlight Application is available for most platforms and is loaded with features which eliminate the use of an external Radio Controller, External Storage Unit, and an additional screen for receiving the FPV transmission.
3. All thanks to the app, it is easy to control the drone. It gives you the experience of a pilot by bringing all the controls and the FPV right in your smartphone. The drone is a boon for beginners.
4. The sensors and navigation system render the drone perfect for exploring the unexplored terrains without the fear of losing it.

Now the question that crops up is whether AR Drone 2 is worth the price. The quadcopter drone falls in the middle price range, ranging from $119-$300. While there are some points which will make you wonder if you should invest in the drone, then again, the price you are about to pay for the drone is certainly worth the features it has to offer.