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[Misleading Title] INSPIRE 2's Real Flight Time: Buyer Beware!
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WellFlightz
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CONCERNING, AT MINIMUM:

2016-12-19
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RichJ53
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Thank you for sharing. It looks like just a hover test.... but very interesting

It would be nice to see how normal flying and shooting videos would be on the battery

Rich
2016-12-19
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Robin UAV
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Not an accurate test if you ask me:

1. The aircraft's are hoovering. That is not the proper way to test a flight time, I don't care how much time does it hoover because when I'm flying, I'm flying, not just hoovering at fixed point.
2. From all I know the batteries are in different condition: the Inspire 1's battery may be older than the Inspire 2's battery, the Phantom 4's battery may be older than the others, and so on.
3. I can't see if the batteries were all 100% charged. One may charge a battery less than another just to prove that one aircraft is better.
And the list can continue...
2016-12-19
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WellFlightz
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Robin UAV Posted at 2016-12-20 06:31
Not an accurate test if you ask me:

1. The aircraft's are hoovering. That is not the proper way to test a flight time, I don't care how much time does it hoover because when I'm flying, I'm flying, not just hoovering at fixed point.

Yes, sure there are a lot of variables here and your points are relevant...but pick the Phantom 4 Pro's flight time, for instance, and it's very close to another vid I watched on Youtube with a guy flying it normally (It reached 10% in little after 25 minutes...and here on this vid,hovering, it reaches 24 and something....)...let's hope I2 gets a bunch more minutes, say, at least 22-23 (X5s!)...
2016-12-19
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DJI-Jamie
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I would agree that there are a lot of aspects that we're not seeing. I'm sure other comparison videos will come out as the Inspire 2 has become more accessible.
2016-12-19
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fansa84fe8a4
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Seems reasonable.

Inspire 1 @ 15 minutes which I think is normal.  The Inspire 2 with the 4XS camera is spec'd for 27 minutes, but they flew with the heavier and more energy sucking X5S camera model so 21 minutes might be about right.  P4 normal, and P4 Pro with larger battery right behind it seems normal too.
2016-12-19
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WellFlightz
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fansa84fe8a4 Posted at 2016-12-20 09:34
Seems reasonable.

Inspire 1 @ 15minutes which I think is normal.  The Inspire 2 with the 4XS camera is spec'd for 27 minutes, but they flew with the heavier and more energy sucking X5S camera model so 21 minutes might be about right.  P4 normal, and P4 Pro with larger battery right behind it seems normal too.

Fact is, FOR ME, if DJI doesn't launch a 6.000-10.000 mAh, some TB51 model (another battery version for this bird), get ready for the biggest false-propaganda disappointment for a crowd who want to order this ahead...25 minutes promised, 20 delivered: barely 3 minutes ahead of a I1. I even tried to believe that DJI would finally leave this 4-5.000 mAh band in the past with those new birds before announcement, then came the bad news...these guys keep launching low-capacity batteries for their drones! Why not 8.000, 10.000 mAh?! Even Phantom 4 Pro's sole battery is more powerful than a single TB-50...unacceptable.
2016-12-20
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method007
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Hovering in place uses a lot of battery power, its not a realistic test.
2016-12-20
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Robin UAV
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method007 Posted at 2016-12-20 14:50
Hovering in place uses a lot of battery power, its not a realistic test.

That's exactly my concern as I said earlier. I get more than 15 minutes out of my bird cause I fly in ATTI mode and just let it drift in the wind. I know it's kind of cheating but I use the wind in my advantage, it saves battery and video looks way better than flying in GPS mode.
Another fact is we don't know what type of battery did they used: TB47 or TB48? I'm almost sure it was a TB47.
2016-12-20
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DJI-Jamie
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WellFlightz Posted at 2016-12-20 18:52
Fact is, FOR ME, if DJI doesn't launch a 6.000-10.000 mAh, some TB51 model (another battery version for this bird), get ready for the biggest false-propaganda disappointment for a crowd who want to order this ahead...25 minutes promised, 20 delivered: barely 3 minutes ahead of a I1. I even tried to believe that DJI would finally leave this 4-5.000 mAh band in the past with those new birds before announcement, then came the bad news...these guys keep launching low-capacity batteries for their drones! Why not 8.000, 10.000 mAh?! Even Phantom 4 Pro's sole battery is more powerful than a single TB-50...unacceptable.

When you start adding mAh, you start additiing weight that would be counter intuitive to flight time. Larger rigs can benefit from the higher mAh, but not necessarily at the size of this particular craft. There are different mechanics that go into a multi battery system as opposed to a single battery, it would not be accurate to compare a single P4P battery to one I2 battery which was made to be used in pairs. Again, we do not know all the variables with this particulart test, such as low battery settings, this video can only be taken with a grain of salt. For all we know, they had the critical battery settings too high or they landed some units prematurely.
2016-12-20
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Cougar1
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Yes DJI did say UP TO 27 min for the I2, that was in a controlled environment using X4S down to 0.
Don't think anyone that actually fly's the Inspire expects that. More realistic (and what I am hoping for) is 20 minutes flight time using X5S and landing with 20% spare. On my Pro I got 15 min. (at best) so great improvement on a much better drone.

The title of this thread are misleading, nothing to be aware of here.
2016-12-20
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WellFlightz
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Cougar1 Posted at 2016-12-21 04:16
Yes DJI did say UP TO 27 min for the I2, that was in a controlled environment using X4S down to 0.
Don't think anyone that actually fly's the Inspire expects that. More realistic (and what I am hoping for) is 20 minutes flight time using X5S and landing with 20% spare. On my Pro I got 15 min. (at best) so great improvement on a much better drone.

20% SPARE?! Don't want to spoil your joy, but for information, pal, Youtube's vid above shows the I2 landing with a little LESS THAN 20 MINUTES...I asked the video's author which was the percentage reamaining and he answered me "10%" BATTERY REMAINING! Personally, realistically, I'd expect at least 22-23 minutes with X5S till reaching 10%...next days we should have some REAL LIFE battery time again and find it out...
2016-12-20
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WellFlightz
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DJI-Jamie Posted at 2016-12-21 03:18
When you start adding mAh, you start additiing weight that would be counter intuitive to flight time. Larger rigs can benefit from the higher mAh, but not necessarily at the size of this particular craft. There are different mechanics that go into a multi battery system as opposed to a single battery, it would not be accurate to compare a single P4P battery to one I2 battery which was made to be used in pairs. Again, we do not know all the variables with this particulart test, such as low battery settings, this video can only be taken with a grain of salt. For all we know, they had the critical battery settings too high or they landed some units prematurely.

My comparison is absolutely accurate, pal. Let's just compare PHANTOM 4 PRO's battery versus a single TB-50 (INSPIRE 2's): PHANTOM 4 PRO's battery has 5870 mAh (MORE POWER than TB-50), weighing 468g (LIGHTER THAN TB-50); INSPIRE 2's TB-50 (SINGLE) has just 4280 mAh (LESS POWER THAN P4 PRO's battery), weighing 515 grams (WEIGHS MORE THAN P4 PRO's BATTERY). So, Phantom 4 Pro has a better power/weight ratio than Inspire 2! Fact! Here question begins: Why the heck didn't DJI put the same 5870 mAh (or close to it) on TB-50? It's not just for a couple of minutes more but also (one more reason to do so) because the I2 drains more power than P4 Pro. Doing so Inspire 2 would gain some minutes more, keeping its weight acceptable...DJI has worked on power comsumption on Phantom line, but on Inspire line, they seem not have had the same care for flight time...that's fact! And a shame!!!
2016-12-20
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DJI-Jamie
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WellFlightz Posted at 2016-12-21 06:50
My comparison is absolutely accurate, pal. Let's just compare PHANTOM 4 PRO's battery versus a single TB-50 (INSPIRE 2's): PHANTOM 4 PRO's battery has 5870 mAh (MORE POWER than TB-50), weighing 468g (LIGHTER THAN TB-50); INSPIRE 2's TB-50 (SINGLE) has just 4280 mAh (LESS POWER THAN P4 PRO's battery), weighing 515 grams (WEIGHS MORE THAN P4 PRO's BATTERY). So, Phantom 4 Pro has a better power/weight ratio than Inspire 2! Fact! Here question begins: Why the heck didn't DJI put the same 5870 mAh (or close to it) on TB-50? It's not just for a couple of minutes more but also (one more reason to do so) because the I2 drains more power than P4 Pro. Doing so Inspire 2 would gain some minutes more, keeping its weight acceptable...DJI has worked on power comsumption on Phantom line, but on Inspire line, they seem not have had the same care for flight time...that's fact! And a shame!!!

The amount of mAh only determines the unit's capacity, not power. The rest of the P4P's battery's specs are as follows:

Voltage        15.2 V
Battery Type        LiPo 4S
Energy        89.2 Wh

For the Inspire 2:
Voltage        22.8 V
Battery Type        LiPo 6S
Energy        97.58 Wh

The higher voltage and the amount of cells ultimately makes it the more powerful battery despite the smaller capacity. That's ultimately where the Inspire gets the push needed to maneuver the way that the aircraft can with the more powerful propulsion. Adding two of those in a single unit will definitely give you a higher mAh capacity than a single P4P battery, it's getting a lot out of the batteries within weight limits.

As already stated, there will be more comparison videos coming out in the near future as the aircraft enters the market. Videos done by other customers tend to be more thoroughl and show more visual evidence than what this group provided.
2016-12-20
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fans1835a415
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Honestly, I was fine with the Inspire 1 15 min battery life.  It allowed me to recompose, change filters if needed, change lenses if needed.  Regroup if you will.
2016-12-24
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steelej80.googl
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The other consideration is with travel, most airlines have a limit of number of batteries you can fly with over 100wh, the current I2 battery comes in just under that. If it was 5870 mah as you suggested it would be 130wh and becomes a bigger issue when flying.

John.
2016-12-25
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Telrin
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The other reason to limit the battery pack capacity is the 100Wh restriction on carrying these things onboard aircraft.

Right now with the packs at 97.5Wh there is no problem taking them anywhere.

If you push that over 100Wh you are limited to two packs when you travel by air...
2017-1-1
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Aeromirage
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steelej80.googl Posted at 2016-12-25 14:39
The other consideration is with travel, most airlines have a limit of number of batteries you can fly with over 100wh, the current I2 battery comes in just under that. If it was 5870 mah as you suggested it would be 130wh and becomes a bigger issue when flying.

John.

The makers of cordless power tools have found a way around this. They have a switch built into the battery that disconnects parts of it when it is not in the tool.
Something to think about...... DJI, you watching?
Check this video out... at 1:04 the switch is discussed.
2017-1-1
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WellFlightz
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Inspire 2 should be able to fly at least 30 minutes in real life! 20 minutes is so littile for a 3K+ craft! That's fact, like it or not!
2017-1-2
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method007 Posted at 2016-12-20 06:50
Hovering in place uses a lot of battery power, its not a realistic test.

Of course it's a realistic test!  This is exactly how tests are done on any piece of equipment.
If your expecting them to fly them around, that would introduce all sorts of variables into the test, like was the wind speed and flight speed the same for each craft, did this one take the exact same path or did it cut off a few feet around certain corners.

The test done is 100% legit in showing a relative comparison of battery performance.  No matter what other test you devise these drones will each land in the same order so long as your more involved test is repeated exactly the same on each drone.   The average time for the whole may vary but the ratio of flying time for each will be roughly equivalent IOW if the I2 has 10% more time than the I1 it will approx be the same 10% difference no matter what test you devise.  The only variable that can change the outcome would be in a cold climate where the heater on the Inspire 2 will consume more power but at the same time boost battery performance.  Someone would need to do a separate test to see how much of a net gain the heater gives in cold conditions versus other drones in the cold without the heater.

BTW on rewatch the Inspire 2 drops out at 20min and is rated for 25-27min flight time.  The Mavic drops out at 21Min and is rated for 27min.  Most Mavic Pilots report 20-23 Minute fligh times so it seems like these test are overall fairly accurate.
2017-1-7
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E.finlay
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Just a reminder batteries at 100wh and over you start running into problems with the airlines and shippers
2017-1-8
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Mavrick
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E.finlay Posted at 2017-1-8 14:26
Just a reminder batteries at 100wh and over you start running into problems with the airlines and shippers

Also i would remind people that maximum flight times are probably measured with the bare bones configuration.  Adding expensive cameras and memory cards adds weight and lessons the flight time on the Inspire 2.  If you can afford this drone you should have at least 8 battery packs if your serious about using it to make money.
2017-1-9
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WellFlightz
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E.finlay Posted at 2017-1-8 14:26
Just a reminder batteries at 100wh and over you start running into problems with the airlines and shippers

Yeah, but what If the batteries are shipped with low charge? Does it help?

Also, I think it's a matter of market and time that airliners should adapt to this kind of charge, with some specific action, in case they dominate the market, not the opposite...I mean, If those 100 wh became majority, there should be a way to ship by air those batteries...
2017-1-9
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WellFlightz
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Mavrick Posted at 2017-1-7 11:12
Of course it's a realistic test!  This is exactly how tests are done on any piece of equipment.
If your expecting them to fly them around, that would introduce all sorts of variables into the test, like was the wind speed and flight speed the same for each craft, did this one take the exact same path or did it cut off a few feet around certain corners.

FINALLY SOMEONE FIGURED OUT!!! Thank you!
2017-1-9
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sharif0
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Mavrick Posted at 2017-1-7 11:12
Of course it's a realistic test!  This is exactly how tests are done on any piece of equipment.
If your expecting them to fly them around, that would introduce all sorts of variables into the test, like was the wind speed and flight speed the same for each craft, did this one take the exact same path or did it cut off a few feet around certain corners.

Great post.  The title of this thread should be modified as it only creates drama.  

This is one example of a relative type of battery test.  Granted, no mentioned of the condition of each battery, initial charge levels and so forth.

Bottom line, the Inpire 2 is getting about 30% more flight time than the Inpsire1.  I'd venture it's safe to add about 2-3 mins conservatively if the I2 was carrying the X4S camera instead of the larger camera featured in this test.

I am thankful that DJI is keeping the battery limits below the FAA/Airline limits as well so I can travel with as many as I like.

In my opinion, I don't think most I2 owner's are buying the I2 just for the improved flight times.
2017-1-10
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Mavrick
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WellFlightz Posted at 2017-1-9 18:18
Yeah, but what If the batteries are shipped with low charge? Does it help?

Also, I think it's a matter of market and time that airliners should adapt to this kind of charge, with some specific action, in case they dominate the market, not the opposite...I mean, If those 100 wh became majority, there should be a way to ship by air those batteries...

If anything the airlines are getting more restrictive.  No one wants their plane to catch on fire in mid air so I don't see anyway this is going to ever change in our favor.

Look at the energy release from a small cellphone battery.
2017-1-10
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Aeromirage
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Guess we ought to not stab them!!!
I think that any kind of battery that has a sudden complete short circuit would react badly.
2017-1-10
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jimhare
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Were the specs done as a best case scenario, like ATTI with no camera/gimbal attached?     Does your car get the 45MPG listed in the ad?   Do the test again with no camera and ATTI and see how far it gets.
I always look at specs as "best case scenario" rather than "real world example."   Don't you?
2017-1-11
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jetforce
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jimhare Posted at 2017-1-11 15:03
Were the specs done as a best case scenario, like ATTI with no camera/gimbal attached?     Does your car get the 45MPG listed in the ad?   Do the test again with no camera and ATTI and see how far it gets.
I always look at specs as "best case scenario" rather than "real world example."   Don't you?

Absolutely right, besides both Inspire was loaded with the heaviest load possible X5S and X5.

I don´t think Mercedes will put 4 full suitcases in the trunk and  4 people in the car, during fuel consumption test. That´s bad business.
2017-1-11
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jimhare
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jetforce Posted at 2017-1-11 16:02
Absolutely right, besides both Inspire was loaded with the heaviest load possible X5S and X5.

I don´t think Mercedes will put 4 full suitcases in the trunk and  4 people in the car, during fuel consumption test. That´s bad business.

I agree, but would be interesting if WellFlightz redid the experiment with no load and no GPS, just let if float in the wind and not fight to stay in position.
2017-1-11
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jetforce
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jimhare Posted at 2017-1-11 20:46
I agree, but would be interesting if WellFlightz redid the experiment with no load and no GPS, just let if float in the wind and not fight to stay in position.

we have a indoor sport arena where i will try to test both the p4p and Inspire 2 next week. Lets see what happens.
2017-1-11
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jimhare
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jetforce Posted at 2017-1-11 22:51
we have a indoor sport arena where i will try to test both the p4p and Inspire 2 next week. Lets see what happens.

Awesome, look forward to your results!  
2017-1-12
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jetforce
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jimhare Posted at 2017-1-12 16:18
Awesome, look forward to your results!

just fund this, and that's not hovering.

2017-1-15
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Donnie Stugots
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Aeromirage Posted at 2017-1-1 09:38
The makers of cordless power tools have found a way around this. They have a switch built into the battery that disconnects parts of it when it is not in the tool.
Something to think about...... DJI, you watching?
Check this video out... at 1:04 the switch is discussed.

This guy on the video is Hilarious , he had made rolling- eh !

Keep your Dic$  in a vice .....LOL 1

donnie
2017-1-15
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Aeromirage
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Donnie Stugots Posted at 2017-1-15 10:55
This guy on the video is Hilarious , he had made rolling- eh !

Keep your Dic$  in a vice .....LOL 1

Yeah, he's a corker. I forget how I stumbled on him but I have watched a few of his videos and he is quite entertaining. (Knowledgeable too!!)
The interesting thing is that nobody has ever seen his face. He is completely incognito.
2017-1-15
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Donnie Stugots
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Aeromirage Posted at 2017-1-15 16:04
Yeah, he's a corker. I forget how I stumbled on him but I have watched a few of his videos and he is quite entertaining. (Knowledgeable too!!)
The interesting thing is that nobody has ever seen his face. He is completely incognito.

Oh what a hoot, Mean the guy could do standup for sure .... thanks for sharing.

donnie

Still waiting for my Aerial Hood ......Mike promised a week ago be here in 3 days ...  watch as soon as I say something it will arrive today...Murphy's Law.

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2017-1-16
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Aeromirage
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Donnie Stugots Posted at 2017-1-16 04:53
Oh what a hoot, Mean the guy could do standup for sure .... thanks for sharing.

donnie

Murphy never takes a day off.
He's 24/7!
2017-1-16
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