This is a Mavic Air 2 Range test using Phantomrain wetsuit + rescue jacket in severe wind conditions (over 20mph wind). Smart Controller + Alientech DUO II.

Thank you to my 3 spotters from the ground, my wife, daughter, and my brother that allow me to make this possible.

Nicely done.    

Interesting demmo

Now thats a set up - thanks for sharing

Thanks for the comments !!! I want to thanks @120ccpm for his help with the DashWare templates and configuration! Thanks, buddy !!

Interesting, thanks for sharing

Hello there ZeuS-FL. Thank you for reaching out and for posting this interesting video you have created for the DJI Mavic Air 2. Just a reminder that the DJI Mavic Air 2 has a Maximum Wind Resistance of 8.5 to 10.5 m/s ( Level 5 ). Great flying and fly safe always.

Thanks for the demo. And thanks to the "spotters", nice disclaimer ;-)

Nice demo!

PS, I subscribed to your channel via 2 channels .
Mine are http://www.youtube.com/c/tricksandtipsnl
http://www.youtube.com/c/PeterMontfrooij

ZeuS-FL Posted at 10-26 10:35
Thanks for the comments !!! I want to thanks @120ccpm for his help with the DashWare templates and configuration! Thanks, buddy !!

You're welcome

Something doesn't add up.

The Air 2 has a max speed in Normal Mode of 27 mph and you are making 20 mph flying out.
Without the wind catcher, if you were making 20 mph flying into the wind at max speed, that would indicate you were flying against a wind of 7 mph, not the 20 mph number you are getting from Airdata.

You say that it's very, very windy and use the numbers given by Airdata to support this.
But it doesn't look like a very, very windy day at all in your video.
At 2:42 the water surface shows no sign of a strong wind.
The water surface is glassy with small ripples.
The vegetation doesn't appear to be affected by a strong wind either.
At 3:55 the water surface looks like the wind is just a gentle breeze, as it does at 12:44 when you were returning.
At 13:02, there's no sign of any wind blowing the branches of the trees.
See the table here for some clues about how winds of different speeds affect the water surface.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale

Your Airdata wind data is suspect.
It took Airdata a while to update to show wind properly for the Mavic Mini.
I'm not sure if they have updated to correctly show wind speed with the Air 2.
It's also possible that dragging that wind catcher causes the drone to pitch more than without it.
This would give a false wind speed reading in Airdata.

To properly test you really need to fly with an without that dumb wind catcher strapped to the drone to be able to show what difference it makes to performance and to Airdata wind data.
Doing it in calm conditions would be OK.

Labroides Posted at 10-27 04:51
Something doesn't add up.

The Air 2 has a max speed in Normal Mode of 27 mph and you are making 20 mph flying out.

You are not taking in consideration the Wind Altitude Profile.
The wind on the ground is not the same wind at 50FT - 100FT - 150FT -200FT ECT.

It can be super calm on the ground and very windy at 200FT. I know when is windy because of the speed of the drone. I know the drone makes 28mph without too much wind and when I read 12-18 mph when should be making 28mph I know is VERY windy.

You can check the flight data from airdata here.

https://app.airdata.com/share/YCgxMj

ZeuS-FL Posted at 10-27 05:36
You are not taking in consideration the Wind Altitude Profile.
The wind on the ground is not the same wind at 50FT - 100FT - 150FT -200FT ECT.

You are not taking in consideration the Wind Altitude Profile.
The wind on the ground is not the same wind at 50FT - 100FT - 150FT -200FT ECT.
I've been flying drones a long time in all conditions and I understand how wind at altitude is different from down low.
You didn't understand what I wrote.

Your wind story just doesn't add up.
The Air 2 can make 27 mph in still air.
If you fly it straight into a 20 mph wind, it's only going to show a speed of 7 mph (and even less with that dumb wind catcher).
You could not fly into a 20 mph wind and still make the speed you did.
It's not possible that the wind up there was anywhere near the 20 mph you think it was.

Read my earlier post again and think about it.

Labroides Posted at 10-27 06:08
You are not taking in consideration the Wind Altitude Profile.
The wind on the ground is not the same wind at 50FT - 100FT - 150FT -200FT ECT.
I've been flying drones a long time in all conditions and I understand how wind at altitude is different from down low.

I understand your point.
The Wind average was 16mph with almost 24mph gust.

When DJI says the MA2 can handle winds of 10.5 meters per second = 23.48 Mph they refer that you can still go forward. If the top speed is about 42mph from the air 2 minus 23.48 that leaves you 18mph of forwarding movement that is the speed the drone was flying.
I know I was flying in P mode (normal) where 27-28mph is the limit but the drone will try to compensate up the max current limit to keep up with the speed.

This is pure theory and there are a lot of factors involved like wind drag (because of the rescue jacket) and the DJI numbers are base on a stock drone. Still is impressive how capable is the MA2 with the Rescue Jacket on it.

ZeuS-FL Posted at 10-27 06:19
I understand your point.
The Wind average was 16mph with almost 24mph gust.

When DJI says the MA2 can handle winds of 10.5 meters per seconds = 23.48 Mph they refer that you can still go forward.
I'm not sure what you mean there.
What DJI says in the specs is : Max Wind Resistance  8.5-10.5 m/s
They've never defined this but it sounds like the drone can hold position in winds of 8.5-10.5 m/s.
With a top speed in Normal Mode of 12 m/s, the drone (unencumbered by strapping a plank to it) isn't going to be able to go very fast at all if flying against the wind.

So I'm wondering how yours could manage the speed it did if it was pushing against a 20 mph wind.
It could not .. and the wind speed you are trusting cannot have been correct.

I'd very much like to see a proper test to see how much that thing affects your drone's speed.

Will be nice to have a Wind Meter on top of the drone leaving the drone hovering at 100ft and compare what Air Data says.
Air data calculate wind speed by the drone angle vs the ground speed that's the algorithm v2.2

How accurate is I.? I am not 100% sure. Probably you have a very good point but need to be tested.

ZeuS-FL Posted at 10-27 06:38
Will be nice to have a Wind Meter on top of the drone leaving the drone hovering at 100ft and compare what Air Data says.
Air data calculate wind speed by the drone angle vs the ground speed that's the algorithm v2.2

Air data calculate wind speed by the drone angle vs the ground speed.
But what does that having that thing strapped onto the drone do to the pitch angle?
It's most unlikely to have no effect.

Nicely done.  Interesting set up.

With the rescue jacket, you can land in the water. Check this video that I made. I got from http://www.phantomrain.org/

Montfrooij Posted at 10-26 23:25
PS, I subscribed to your channel via 2 channels .
Mine are http://www.youtube.com/c/tricksandtipsnl
http://www.youtube.com/c/PeterMontfrooij

Thank you !!!

ZeuS-FL Posted at 10-27 07:20
Thank you !!!

You're welcome
(PS, if you want, and have not already, please consider subbing back)

Montfrooij Posted at 10-27 07:44
You're welcome
(PS, if you want, and have not already, please consider subbing back)

Yes, I did !!!!

Very nice video

ZeuS-FL Posted at 10-27 08:34
Yes, I did !!!!

Thanks a lot.
Slowly growing!

ZeuS-FL Posted at 10-27 07:10
With the rescue jacket, you can land in the water. Check this video that I made. I got from http://www.phantomrain.org/

I hope that was a fresh water area. I would never advise anyone to land their drone on water because of the spray/mist that would be created and invade the motors. I bought a used Mini earlier this year that looked perfect and flew perfect, until months later when both front motors froze up with some considerable oxidation in the motors. I wonder if it got wet, even in fresh water, with the prior owner. My other Mini is older and more used and has no such symptoms. Both are stored in the same place.

I agree the saltwater may corrode the motors. This was a freshwater lake.