Hands-on: Yuneec’s new HD Racer, Typhoon H Plus, and Firebird FPV up close [Gallery]

Stephen Hall | Jan 12 2018 - 2:39 pm PT

Yunnec made a big splash at CES 2018 with the introduction of three brand new drones. The HD Racer is a racing drone that probably fits in the “toy” category, the Typhoon H Plus is a full-size professional drone that’s priced in the same category as drones like the DJI Inspire 1, and the Firebird FPV is the company’s first winged drone. We got a chance to see all three drones up close and personal on the CES 2018 show floor…

Yuneec HD Racer

The first of the three, and probably the most relevant to the widest audience of consumers, is the new HD Racer. The little racing drone has built-in flight stabilization, protected blades, an HD video downlink, and records 1080p video @ 60 fps. It’s a pretty well-specced drone for its size, and even has a ‘Flip-Up’ mode in case you find yourself stuck upside down on the floor while you’re flying. And, indeed, at Yuneec’s booth at CES, that was demoed many a time as it was shown flying through obstacles.

As we mentioned earlier this week, the drone is going to retail for $180 and will be shipping in the second half of the year. Check out a small gallery of the drone from different angles below, in which you can also see the drone’s remote:

Yuneec Typhoon H Plus

The big bad drone of Yuneec’s new offerings is the Typhoon H Plus. This is the successor to the currently-available Yuneec Typhoon, and is obviously aimed at professionals.

In comparison to the original Typhoon, the H Plus has rotors that produce 40% less noise and can fly in up to 30mph winds, there’s Intel RealSense for obstacle avoidance, and the company says that the low-light photos and videos that you can capture with its 20-megapixel sensor have been greatly improved.

As you can see below, the drone also sports a huge Android-based remote control with a 7-inch display. While the RC doesn’t help make the drone at more portable, it’s nice that you don’t have to keep track of and charge your phone — Yuneec sees a standalone controller that’s optimized for the experience to be an advantage. The drone is coming soon and is priced at $1,800.

Yuneec Firebird FPV

Finally, there’s the least drone-like of the new Yuneec drones. The Firebird FPV is the company’s first fixed-wing drone. At first glance, it might appear to look like just any other RC airplane, but rest assured that there are many smart elements to this winged flyer. The drone can do a plethora of acrobatic moves, and even has an automated return home feature — just like any other modern drone you might buy. There are also geofencing and other safety modes to make this super-easy to fly.

We got a chance to see the drone up-close, and as you can see, the wings are made entirely of styrofoam, while the body of the drone is a light plastic. There’s also a tail, which seems to be made of some kind of carbon fiber. The drone’s remote, unlike the Typhoon, does not have its own internal display — so you’re going to have to dock your phone. The drone will ship soon for $700.