According to the specifications published on the official website and the information contained in the user manual, the new Inspire 3 drone has the class marking of the European drone regulation. Good thing given that from 1 January 2024 the new drones placed on the European market will have to have the class marking. At the end of this video all the possibilities of regulatory use of Inspire 3 in Europe. English subtitles can be activated

Do we know why it didn't get the C2 marking?

The fully loaded drone weight is 3995g which would fit in the C2 category?

The manual also said it has the remote ID installed.

I was ready to hit go on ordering this drone but having a C3 label changes it from a great drone to useless in many of the jobs I have. I'll just keep flying the I2 with the chutes and FTS rather than spend 15k+ to have no improvement in the situation.

Mike9129 Posted at 4-14 01:44
Do we know why it didn't get the C2 marking?

The fully loaded drone weight is 3995g which would fit in the C2 category?

That was exactly my question as well.

Maybe it has something to do with the sound the drone produces. It could be to loud for C2.
When you calculate with this formula you will get a max dB value of 96,98 at a take off weight of 3,99kg and in the manual it is written that it would 98dB loud. This is just my guess. If this would be true then it would be a shame that this was the reason not to get a C2 marking.

Maybe it is possible to solve this with a firmware update, like it was with the Mavic 3. Just an idea.

Mike9129 Posted at 4-14 01:44
Do we know why it didn't get the C2 marking?

The fully loaded drone weight is 3995g which would fit in the C2 category?

The MTOM is higher than 4kg.  It's explained in the video posted by the OP.

Mike9129 Posted at 4-14 01:44
Do we know why it didn't get the C2 marking?

The fully loaded drone weight is 3995g which would fit in the C2 category?

Its mostly irrelevant what class marking this has,  most film makes will be getting an OSC certified pilot to fly this type of drone and that will allow then to fly up to 5m from uninvolved people.  

LV_Forestry Posted at 4-14 04:22
The MTOM is higher than 4kg.  It's explained in the video posted by the OP.

That is true but why? For DJI it would have been no problem to say that the EU Version from the Inspire has a MTOW of 3999g and just don’t sell any accessories in Europe that would exceed these limit. This was also made wirh the Mavic 3. You can buy prop guards for the Mavic 3 directly from DJI in the China Store but not in Europe. That is the perfect example how it should have been made with the I3.

Let’s hope that this will be somehow changed with a recertification.

Johnny1000 Posted at 4-14 04:44
That is true but why? For DJI it would have been no problem to say that the EU Version from the Inspire has a MTOW of 3999g and just don’t sell any accessories in Europe that would exceed these limit. This was also made wirh the Mavic 3. You can buy prop guards for the Mavic 3 directly from DJI in the China Store but not in Europe. That is the perfect example how it should have been made with the I3.

Let’s hope that this will be somehow changed with a recertification.

The payload is changeable on Inspire 3. Maybe this is the reason.
Anyway it is the manufacturer who declares the MTOM. Surely they had good reason.

DAFlys Posted at 4-14 04:40
Its mostly irrelevant what class marking this has,  most film makes will be getting an OSC certified pilot to fly this type of drone and that will allow then to fly up to 5m from uninvolved people.

It makes a massive difference here.

Its the difference between flying in the open category in built up areas with the bare drone or having to go into the specific category with an FTS and chute added to the drone just to fly anywhere close to a city.

Idk about you, but my I2 has very different flight charachteristics when you have to bolt on the chute vs when its off. Plus its 3rd party which dji's user manual *explicitly* says not to use.

So which is it? You put it on and youre out of manufacturer spec and over the mtom of the drone. You keep it off and you can only fly 150m from a city.

LV_Forestry Posted at 4-14 04:22
The MTOM is higher than 4kg.  It's explained in the video posted by the OP.

The mass with everytning attached is in the manual as 3995g

So theyre going with the maximum the drone could carry as the spec rather than the weight with everything attached?

Mike9129 Posted at 4-14 04:58
It makes a massive difference here.

Its the difference between flying in the open category in built up areas with the bare drone or having to go into the specific category with an FTS and chute added to the drone just to fly anywhere close to a city.

My point is that these are not marketed to people to fly in the open category,  they are marketed to qualified pilots that have qualifications like the OSC which allows you to fly very close to people etc without needing extras like chutes.  

Mike9129 Posted at 4-14 05:13
The mass with everytning attached is in the manual as 3995g

So theyre going with the maximum the drone could carry as the spec rather than the weight with everything attached?

Yes it is the Maximum Take Off Mass which is taken into account for the certification.

DAFlys Posted at 4-14 05:15
My point is that these are not marketed to people to fly in the open category,  they are marketed to qualified pilots that have qualifications like the OSC which allows you to fly very close to people etc without needing extras like chutes.

I am qualified under the EASA regs, I will still fly in the open category as often as possible.

Im sure there are plenty more who do the same. Having a drone which can take advantage of the open category is a big advantage. Thats the issue im having with the I3.

For the specific category you *have* to have parachutes and FTS installed to fly closer to people. Thats additional weight from a 3rd party which the drone isnt designed for, and if im not wrong, the installation of which would likely void your warrenty (the FTS in particular).

LV_Forestry Posted at 4-14 05:17
Yes it is the Maximum Take Off Mass which is taken into account for the certification.

Thanks for the clarification.

Maybe theyll go for C2 with an approved 3995g payload. It would be an extremely useful box to tick. I wish they would say.

DAFlys Posted at 4-14 05:15
My point is that these are not marketed to people to fly in the open category,  they are marketed to qualified pilots that have qualifications like the OSC which allows you to fly very close to people etc without needing extras like chutes.

In Germany we have to get approval for every place we fly in the specific category, which is connected with a high demand in time and money of course. The time factor is the worst. For a first time permit the waiting time at the moment is 20 weeks! In general there is no permit you can easily get with just an exam and then fly anywhere. This is why this makes such a big deal.
A C3 drone makes so many things more complicated.

Mike9129 Posted at 4-14 05:26
I am qualified under the EASA regs, I will still fly in the open category as often as possible.

Im sure there are plenty more who do the same. Having a drone which can take advantage of the open category is a big advantage. Thats the issue im having with the I3.

I guess there were some benefits of Brexit after all.    Here we dont recognise the EU class system and the categories are just flying weight based.

Mike9129 Posted at 4-14 05:27
Thanks for the clarification.

Maybe theyll go for C2 with an approved 3995g payload. It would be an extremely useful box to tick. I wish they would say.

I do not believe that there is provision for sub-certification for particular configurations.

If you want all the official info you can go here:

https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/do ... tems-regulations-eu

DAFlys Posted at 4-14 05:45
I guess there were some benefits of Brexit after all.    Here we dont recognise the EU class system and the categories are just flying weight based.

I heard that was thrown out not so long ago alrite! Ye did try and carry them over for a while first did ye?

In theory the EU sytem is a good system but its only supported by the mavic 3 series really so far. The C1 classification just makes it easy.

The fact that this isnt, so far, getting the c2 rating is a big big problem.

LV_Forestry Posted at 4-14 05:51
I do not believe that there is provision for sub-certification for particular configurations.

If you want all the official info you can go here:

Thank you, ive been going through some of the docs since yesterday when i saw about the c3 category to see if there is any possibility that it will change.

I was ready to buy it but i think that now i am unfortunately not going to be going ahead with it unless something from DJI can tell me otherwise.

Mike9129 Posted at 4-14 05:54
Thank you, ive been going through some of the docs since yesterday when i saw about the c3 category to see if there is any possibility that it will change.

I was ready to buy it but i think that now i am unfortunately not going to be going ahead with it unless something from DJI can tell me otherwise.

Yes, as another user pointed out earlier in the thread, it is not enough to have passed the STS exam and to have fullfilled an operating manual.

A request relating to the PDRA and SORA risk study must also be validated.

In an urban environment, with people moving near the drone, it is not impossible to obtain authorizations, but it will take a long time.
The trick is to reduce the risk by using a parachute. Which is absurd a few meters above the ground, but it's the law!

This drone is definitely for pro users who have the time and the resource to make the proper demands. The prohibitive price will re-orient more traditional users towards the Mavic 3 cine and that's a good thing.

LV_Forestry Posted at 4-14 06:02
Yes, as another user pointed out earlier in the thread, it is not enough to have passed the STS exam and to have fullfilled an operating manual.

A request relating to the PDRA and SORA risk study must also be validated.

I am used to a certain amount of it with the Inspire 2 and parachute setup that I normally fly. I was really hoping to avoid the same headache with a new drone.

An aweful lot of what I do would not be at much of an altitude, maybe up to 20-30m, so I could happily fly in the open category if the drone had the correct marking & the location allows for it.

The issue is no one wants to fly in wide open fields, everyone I work for wants to film in the cities!

Mike9129 Posted at 4-14 06:08
I am used to a certain amount of it with the Inspire 2 and parachute setup that I normally fly. I was really hoping to avoid the same headache with a new drone.

An aweful lot of what I do would not be at much of an altitude, maybe up to 20-30m, so I could happily fly in the open category if the drone had the correct marking & the location allows for it.

I understand your constraints. I have the same thing with the M300. It has become impossible to work on LiDAR in the city. The deadlines requested by the clients are too short compared to the deadlines that the Authorities take to give their approval.

It's not even the CAA that is the problem, my feeling is that they are doing everything to make things easier. In the other hand Municipalities seem to take a dim view of the proliferation of drones and other technological advances.

Mike9129 Posted at 4-14 05:52
I heard that was thrown out not so long ago alrite! Ye did try and carry them over for a while first did ye?

In theory the EU sytem is a good system but its only supported by the mavic 3 series really so far. The C1 classification just makes it easy.

They pulled it when the C1 certification was done retrospectively on the Mavic 3,  so it had a 3 month grace period before going back to the A3 category.