Potensic is no strange name in the world of drones. They have produced many stunning drones in the past. When you want to buy a drone that comes ready to fly right out of the box with no assemblage needed, get the Potensic U42 drone.
The U42 is a good drone for beginners. Both adults and children can use it. However, when children are using the drone, please make sure you supervise them so that the drone stays safe. After all, it does not have a return to home button. In fact, you will be forgiven for thinking that the remote controller is a bit basic as compared to many others because it lacks the bells and whistles of multiple knobs and buttons that others come with.
This is a very affordable drone. It is not foldable, but it is very stylish in design and build. Of course, we will look at its physical features in deeper details later on this article.
Potensic U42 Features & Technical Details
Design and build quality
First, you do not need to register this drone with the FAA before you can fly it as it falls low below the threshold weight required for registration.
You will love the rugged design of the U42. First, the high landing gear makes it look real cool. Then there are the propeller guards that make the drone appear larger than it really looks. The propellers come in two colors – dark and green. This is very good for distinguishing the orientation of the drone since the green ones are on the front/nose side.
This is a lightweight drone, so even if it is not foldable, you can still travel with it easily.
The camera
One of the main reasons why we buy drones today is so that we can use them to capture videos and photos. It has a 720P video camera, shoots good videos, not pro quality, but consumable. It has a wide field of view at 120 degrees.
You will also enjoy a good FPV experience with this drone. You will need a smartphone for that. Using the 5.0GHz WiFi frequency, you can have a nice time viewing your videos in real-time transmission just as if you were inside the drone. The controller has a retractable smartphone holder. Just push it back when you are done using it.
Battery and flight time
The Potensic U42 uses a 3.7V 500mAh Li-Po battery. You can see it is a small capacity battery, but you will still be able to get a maximum of 8 minutes of flight time. When the battery runs low, the controller will emit a continuous beep, which means you should bring the drone back home. At the same time, when the battery starts to run low, the flip feature of the drone automatically turns off.
Controller
This is one of the simplest controllers in the market. It has a smartphone holder, and a couple of joysticks. Apart from these features, there is not much else to see on it. However, it is very effective, it can do all the functions that all other controllers do. The ergonomic design makes the controller easy to use over a long time, but in this case, just 8 minutes of the full flight time.
Some people say that the controller feels too small in both hands, but if you have small to medium sized hands, that should not be a problem.
The app
To enjoy the first person view with the Potensic U42 drone, you should download the Flyingsee app on android – Google Play. This will help you execute many functions with the drone. It will also help you share the footage that you capture with your family and friends.
Beginner and flight features
The more the flight features the better, even for a beginner drone like this one, which costs less than $100 on all online marketplaces.
Here are a few of the flight features that you should look forward to:
Accurate hover – This is enhanced by the barometer height set function. The drone hovers accurately to take good footage at a preset height. This is one of the best features for beginners because they do not have to worry about keeping the drone stable at any height.
The gravity sensor mode – This feature makes flying this drone fun. When you engage the feature, you can control the drone by waving your smartphone to the left or to the right and it will work very well.
Headless mode – This is another feature for beginners. In addition to the green colored propellers for the nose side of the drone, you also get headless mode, which means you do not have to worry about which direction the nose faces.
One key takeoff and landing – When you press this key, the drone just takes off or initiates landing, depending on what it was doing. It is another of the favorite beginner features.
Flips – The drone can perform flips mid-flight. However, the flips will stop as soon as the battery runs low. This is a fun feature and your kids should enjoy it quite a lot.
VR Mode – Your Potensic U42 has virtual reality mode. You will get such an immersive experience with VR. However, the VR goggles are not sold with the drone. Just find a compatible set and buy it.
Prop guards – Because this is a beginner drone, there will be some abuse in the form of crashes here and there. Thankfully, the drone comes with propeller guards as well as a spare set of propellers, four of them because this is a quadcopter.
Short Summary of Feedback from Existing Owners
I have been supervising my 12-year-old son flying this drone and I have seen the kind of abuse that it can take. It has come through every crash without a scathe. Pim W.
This is a good beginner drone, I cut my teeth flying drones on it and then I bought a Potensic D80 drone, which is more advanced. I would recommend it for any beginner. Jibril K.
The camera is not professional quality, but it is still good for such a low price drone. The flight experience is quite good and enjoyable. Steve P.
Beware, this drone lacks the return to home button, so you should never fly it in the wind. If you are buying it for your kid, do not let them fly it unsupervised. Hanil M.
This is a good basic drone, but I am afraid you will soon outgrow it. Thankfully, the price is very affordable! Ambrose H.
There are no downsides to this drone. It flies well, the controller is responsive and the FPV experience is quite good. James B.
You will get good value for money with this drone. You will enjoy flying it and the good thing is that it is so easy to use, even for kids. Jennifer C.
Pros of Potensic U42
- Comes fully assembled
- It is easy to fly for kids and beginners
- Light in weight for traveling
- Designed with propeller guards
- Low battery alarm is good for safety
- Battery is easy to remove and insert
- Good camera quality
- Very stylish design
- You can order an extra battery online
- Stable altitude hold
Cons of Potensic U42
- No return to home function
- You have to store footage in your smartphone, no SD card slot
Who Should Buy The Potensic U42?
You can buy the Potensic U42 drone if you would like to give your son or daughter a gift, but please note the manufacturer’s age recommendation, which is 14 years. If younger than that, make sure they only fly your drone under your supervision. If you are a drone enthusiast, you can buy this drone to add it to your collection. It flies well and is very responsive, but do not let it get out of the range of remote signal.
Conclusion and Recommendation
This is a good drone, and while it lacks a return to home button, it has been equipped with one key takeoff and landing. However, apart from that, this drone flies quite well. You can check on the company website to see whether you can buy a spare battery to increase the flight time. You may also read the user manual before you fly it, especially if this is the first drone for you. Apart from the precautions that you would take with any drones, the Potensic U42 is a simple drone to fly anytime.