The Droneer X501 is a new 5-inch FPV freestyle drone designed for pilots who want serious 6S power without building an entire quad themselves. I tested the DJI O4 Pro version, and my first impression was simple: this drone looks, feels and flies like a premium machine.
Droneer X501: A Premium FPV Drone
Today we’re taking a look at the Droneer X501. Droneer is a relatively new name in the FPV world, but after spending some time with this quad, I can tell you that the X501 feels like a premium, well-thought-out drone. Click here to learn more about Droneer.
The X501 is a 5-inch freestyle quad powered by 2207 1850KV motors. This is a 6S drone, so it has plenty of power when you want to punch the throttle, throw it into a power loop or knock out some flips and rolls. I actually hadn’t flown a traditional 5-inch FPV quad in a while, and I forgot just how much fun that 6S power can be.
What surprised me, though, was how smooth the X501 was when I slowed things down. It doesn’t have to be flown like a wild freestyle machine all the time. You can cruise around with it, and it feels stable and predictable in the air.
The drone weighs approximately 560 grams without a battery. Droneer recommends a pretty large 6S 4500mAh battery and claims up to 27 minutes of flight time when cruising. Obviously, you shouldn’t expect 27 minutes if you’re hammering the throttle and doing power loops, but the larger battery makes this an interesting option for pilots who want a mix of freestyle performance and longer cruising flights.
My version came equipped with the DJI O4 Air Unit Pro, so the video quality is fantastic. I’m also running ELRS, and there is a GPS module tucked underneath the heat sink. That GPS gives you access to Betaflight GPS Rescue.
What is GPS Rescue?
GPS Rescue isn’t exactly the same as Return to Home on a DJI camera drone. It isn’t going to land perfectly on the exact spot where you took off. However, you can flip a switch and have the drone climb to a preset altitude, fly back toward you and descend in the general area of its launch point. It came configured already in Betaflight, but I did update some of the settings.
I tested GPS Rescue several times, and it worked. During the test I recorded, the X501 came back, floated around a little and then landed reasonably close to where I launched it. It wasn’t perfect, but if you lose your video feed or control signal, getting the drone back into your general area could be the difference between recovering it and losing it completely.
Inside, the X501 uses Droneer’s H743 flight controller with dual gyros, dual barometers and 32MB of Blackbox storage. The frame has 7mm carbon-fiber arms, 2mm plates and 5.1-inch propellers. Droneer also added removable plastic side panels that help keep dirt and debris away from the electronics. There are even covers protecting the DJI O4 USB port and microSD card slot. These are small touches, but they show that some real thought went into the design.
Droneer currently offers the X501 in three main configurations: a PNP version without a camera or video transmitter, an analog version and the DJI O4 Pro version shown here. The official Droneer store currently lists the PNP version at starting around $249, the analog model around $319 and the O4 Pro version around $519. Prices and promotions can change, so check the site for the latest deals and available coupon codes.
Overall, the Droneer X501 is a really nice option if you want a powerful, premium, ready-built 5-inch FPV quad that can handle freestyle flying and smooth cruising.
If a 5-inch freestyle quad isn’t your thing, Droneer also makes the X701, a larger 7-inch drone designed for long-range cruising, and the C2501, a smaller cinewhoop with protected propellers for smoother cinematic flying.
🚁 Check out the X501, X701, C2501 and Droneer’s current discounts here:
👉 https://shop.droneer.com/?ref=HalfChrome
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