If you have never flown a drone before and you would like a starter into the hobby, you might consider the Cheerwing U88S quadcopter. It has some cool features such as the 4K camera, two batteries and others. You can learn how to fly and at the same time, learn how to take good aerial footage.
The reason for recommending this quadcopter for a beginner is that it has no learning curve at all. Okay, the user manual is a little hard to decipher, but once you get the hang of it, you can do the set up fast. Since the quadcopter comes pre-assembled, you just need to charge the battery (it comes with two) and start flying it.
This quad looks like it is good value for money. However, it still has some downsides that you should be aware of before you order it.
One of them is that it is not foldable by design. Thus, it is bulky, something that the under-nose attachment of the camera seems to exacerbate. Measuring 8.26 by 8.26 by 5.44 inches, it will consume a considerable amount of space in your backpack when traveling.
Read on to see the other features that this aircraft comes with to see whether it will be a good fit for your needs.
Cheerwing U88S Features & Technical Details
In this section, we shall look at the features that this drone comes with in more detail. It is from the features that you can know whether you are getting good value for money.
Weight, size and build quality
The size of this drone is 8.26 x 8.26 x 5.44 inches. This is not too big, but considering that the U88S does not have a foldable design, it can be quite a hassle to pack when traveling. The saving grace is that it comes with its own storage bag, which keeps everything organized and in one place.
The weight of the U88S drone is 230 grams, which means you do not need to register it with the FAA. You can just set it up and start flying it right away.
About the durability of this quadcopter, it will last a long time. It does not have an obstacle detection system so it is bound to crash into things at one time or another. This one is made of high quality plastic material, which increases its chances of remaining unscathed through crashes.
You will notice the high landing gear. It is designed that way to keep the camera clear off the ground because it is installed under the nose, or the belly.
The color of this drone is black.
Camera quality
This is a camera drone which makes it more appealing to experienced pilots. It has been fitted with a 4K camera. The photo resolution is 3840 by 2160P while the video resolution is 2048 by 1152P.
With a wide field of view at 120 degrees, you can actually get enough background in your footage. Also, the vertical angle of the drone is remotely adjustable by up to 90 degrees.
This drone also gives you a nice real-time FPV experience over 5G WiFi. You can see what the aircraft can see when it flies. You have to download the app first, which is going to unlock more functions to make the drone even more fun to fly.
This drone supports TF card usage, which means you get to store all of your footage in the memory card. You will keep your phone space free.
Batteries, flight time and charging time
You will get this aircraft with two batteries. These are 7.4V 1000mAh batteries and each can give you up to 18 minutes of flight time. Collectively, you can get 36 minutes of flight time. Most people do not need a third battery but if you need it, you can always email Cheerwing and they will sell it to you.
The charging time for one battery is 210 minutes or thereabouts. This is not bad at all if you are going to get 18 minutes. Since they are modular batteries, charge them using the provided USB charging cable.
The batteries have built-in overcharge protection. You can leave them charging without worrying too much if you are not close to disconnect them. Also, they are safe to handle and they slide and click into the drone so nicely.
Remember to charge the batteries before you can fly the drone.
Remote controller
The remote controller has an integrated rechargeable battery. It looks simple enough and the good thing is that it is lightweight and has buttons for many of the functions that this drone is packed with.
The control range of the transmitter is 150 meters – not too far away so flying the Cheerwing U88S blindly is safe since it does not get out of sight. The buttons on the controller are super responsive but they are not too sensitive.
Flight Functions
The U88S comes with many flight functions. These serve different purposes. One, they make the quadcopter a lot of fun for experienced pilots. Two, they make it so simple and safe to fly for beginner pilots. Here are some of them:
GPS follow
This function is so important to people that love the outdoors. You can have the aircraft follow you when you are hiking or mountain biking to capture footage that you can use on your blog or vlog.
Surround flight
With this function, the drone flies around a subject or object keeping a good radius and capturing footage from all angles. Similar to the GPS follow function, this one too is hands-free.
Trajectory flight
On the map (on the app), you can draw a route that you would like the drone to fly along and when you launch it, it will follow that route.
GPS return to home
When the battery voltage runs low or when the signal is disrupted, the drone flies back home to avoid getting lost. This is a safety function that ensures your drone never gets lost.
One key start
With one key start, you can get the drone to take off immediately or come back to land. There is no guesswork or wasting time.
3 speed modes
With three speed modes, you can start to fly this drone at low speed to see how it flies. You can then go to medium and high speeds for more fun.
Fixed Hover
Fixed hovering ensures that the drone maintains position and stays stable when hovering. Thanks to GPS positioning, the U88S hovers steadily to take distortion-free footage.
Headless mode
For a drone like this one that looks all the same from any direction, it can be hard for a beginner to know where the nose is when it is flying far away. However, with headless mode, the drone realigns itself such that the nose is always facing the direction it is flying.
Summary of Feedback from Existing Owners
This drone arrived nicely packaged, picks the GPS signal so well so that you can start having fun immediately. This is a good aircraft for pictures and for all skill levels. Chrystal W.
This was my first drone ever. When I bought it, I had no experience at all but I wanted an aircraft that I can grow with and not have to upgrade soon after. This one fits the bill perfectly. Adam Connolly
I crashed the Cheerwing U88S several times into a tree and a building and it came out intact. It also takes such nice footage. I would recommend this drone for anyone. Tom Wilburn.
I love the features and functions that this drone comes with. They include GPS follow, altitude hold, three speed modes and circle flight. This is good value for money. Daniel Thorne.
I had no trouble at all calibrating this aircraft with the remote controller. I bought a TF card to store my footage and I realized that it retains footage in the high resolution unlike when I store it in the smartphone. Brandon Gibbs.
Cheerwing U88S Pros
- It comes with a sleek carry and storage bag
- It flies well thanks to the powerful motors
- You can use voice commands to fly the quadcopter
- It is easy to fly for beginners yet exciting enough for experienced pilots
- The camera quality is decent for a drone in this price range
- Bonuses such as second battery and extra propeller blades
Cheerwing U88S Cons
- Spare parts for this drone can be hard to find especially outside the USA
- Not foldable, so it is harder to carry
Who Should Buy The Cheerwing U88S Drone?
This is an almost perfect drone for everyone. Beginners find it easy to learn how to fly. Expert pilots love many of the functions such as voice control, stable hover, return to home and others. It is also simple enough to fly for children and safe too. The app is simple to use too, is responsive and it provides important information such as speed of drone, roll and yaw. With two batteries, you are guaranteed enough flight time and fun.
Conclusion and Recommendation
This is a very good drone. Like the other quadcopters, you should start by calibrating it. To do that, you need to switch on the remote controller and then pull the left joystick down all the way.
Release it and take the drone and place it on a flat surface and switch it on. The two red and two green lights of the drone will turn on.
Wait until one red and one green light turns off and then the remote controller will beep a couple of times. Spin the drone 360 degrees in the counterclockwise or clockwise direction until you hear one beep from the remote controller. The lights that had gone off on the drone will also come back on.
Hold the drone facing you and point its nose upwards and the battery will be pointing downward. While still in that position, spin the drone again 360 degrees to the left or right until the remote controller beeps and the lights start blinking.
Put the drone on a flat surface again and wait until the lights stop blinking and turn solid. It is calibrated.
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