Xiaomi FIMI A3: everything is unique in the simple.

Introduction

Xiaomi FIMI A3 is a new portable drone model from Xiaomi Corporation andFIMI Technology Ltd,whose arsenal of advantages will be able to compete with the premium Spark. Based on the experience of previous unmanned solutions ( MiTu drone, Mi drone 4K ), the developers managed to implement a worthy competitor at an affordable price using the A3 as an example. By tradition, let's start with the features.

Features

• Portable
• 3rd Generation FIMI Flight Controllerbased on coreCortex M7
• Positioning GPS GLONASS
• Brushless Propulsion
• Quick Release Rotor
• 1080P 8MP 1 / 3.2 ″ CMOS camera controlled by Ambarella processor
• Image stabilization: 2-axis mechanical gimbal 3-axis EIS
• Max. bit rate 60Mbps
• 40-channel analog VTX 5.8GHz
• Video quality 480p
• Max. removal distance 1 km
• Max. flight altitude 500m
• Max. horizontal flight speed 64 km / h
• Max.flight time 25 min
• Control equipment with built-in 4.3-inch LCD FPV display, 40-channel 5.8GHz VRX and GPS module
• 2 × DVR supporting MicroSD (Drone / Remote Control)
• 3 × flight modes
• 6 × Smart modes
• DIY port (for connecting additional payload)
• Weight 560g
• Dimensions 22.9 × 28.5 × 6.9cm
• Ready for FPV flight out of the box

Package contents

1. Xiaomi Quadcopter FIMI A3
2. Rechargeable battery 11.1V 2000mAh 22.2Wh LiHV
3. Control equipment with built-in 4.3-inch LCD FPV display
4. USB cable
5. 6 × quick release carriers screws
6. Balance charger
7. Charging connection cable
8. Manual ( in English

Specification

Drone

Control equipment

Gimbal

Camera

Balance charger

Carrying screws

Appearance

[31 9]

Motors

The drone is equipped with brushless motors. At the moment, the developer does not specify information about performance. The power plant is adapted for quick-release 7.5 inch rotors

Camera

Onboard 8MP FHD camera built on 1 / 3.2-inch Sony CMOS sensor with f / 2.0 aperture under control Ambarella ISP processor. Fits into a 2-axis mechanical gimbal working in tandem with 3-axis digital image stabilization (EIS). Provides stabilized video recording at maximum resolution: 1920 × 1080 @ 25/30 fps. Recording at 60Mbps. Max. photo resolution: 3264 × 2448. The footage is saved on the microSD card installed in the DVR port of the drone.

FPV

First person flight for Xiaomi FIMI A3 is implemented at an analog 5.8 GHz frequency using a 40-channel video transmitter. The picture from the camera is transmitted in real time without delay to the 4.3-inch LCD display built into the control equipment. The quality of the video stream is 480p. The maximum transmission distance of the video stream is 1 km.

To fly in FPV goggles or helmetsany device

Flight modes

Drone piloting is possible in three modes:

1. GPS (default) - provides maximum stabilization and positioning. Autonomous flight modes are available. Max. horizontal flight speed - 36 km / h; Max. takeoff and landing speed - 10 km / h.
2. SPORT - unleashes the full potential of the drone. The angles are maximum. The GPS module is used to achieve accurate position hold. Autonomous flight modes are available. Max. horizontal flight speed - 64 km / h; Max. takeoff speed - 21 km / h; Max. landing speed - 18 km / h.
3. ATTI - activated if there is no GPS connection or because the compass is not working correctly. In this mode, the drone does not hold its position and will drift horizontally. Offline modes are not available. Flight in ATTI mode is allowed in open areas away from people and animals at a direct line of sight of the drone.

Smart Modes

There are 6 user modes available:

1. Follow me (Following) - the drone follows the control equipment keeping the owner in the center of the frame. Available in GPS and SPORT modes. Active if the control equipment and the quadcopter find 6 or more satellites for communication. The user can set the desired altitude and distance between the drone and the remote control for the follow mode.
2. Orbit (Around-point) - allows you to fly around the selected point. The user can change the flight radius, altitude and flight speed with the sticks on the equipment.
3. Fixed-wing - when the mode is activated, the drone can fly exclusively in a forward direction and at a constant speed. The user can control the speed and route of the drone using the control sticks on the remote control.
4. Droni (Self-timer) - before activation, the user sets the position of the drone, so that the subject for shooting is in the center of the frame. Then the tilt angle of the camera is set. After activating the mode, the quadrocopter will autonomously move away from the object in an ascending straight line at a distance of 150 meters and a height of 120 meters. Upon reaching the peak, the drone will automatically return to its original position.
5. Return to Home (RTH) - activated automatically upon loss of communication, insufficient voltage in the drone battery and forced by the pilot's request. Provides autonomous return of the drone to the take-off point with subsequent landing.
6. Headless - disables the front / rear orientation of the drone, allowing the beginner to quickly adapt to UAV control, and the advanced pilot to focus on shooting.

Power supply

The FIMI A3 drone has a powerful, intelligent 3-cell (11.1V) high-voltage lithium-polymer battery (LiHV) with a capacity of 2000mAh 22.2Wh with standard charging port

DIY port

Connects various payloads for remote control of the latter. The developer already offers three options

• Electronic igniter for remote ignition of fireworks
• LED backlight
• Servo drive

)

Control

tandem with an analog video receiver. The video signal frequency is 5.8GHz. Radio control at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. Powered by built-in 1S 2950mAh LiPo battery. Working time on a single charge is about 2.5 hours. Charge from the included USB cable. Provides a maximum removal distance of 1 km.

• For precise execution of Smart modes, the control equipment received its own GPS module.
• The built-in DVR on the control equipment supports the installation of microSD cards for storing video stream data taking into account flight telemetry in 720 × 480 resolution.

Price

Xiaomi FIMI A3 is available for purchase on various Internet marketplaces at prices ranging from $ 299 - $ 360.

Output

Xiaomi Fimi A3from $300

8.2777777777778

Price

7/10

Camera

7/10

Functionality

9/10

Flight time

9/10

Flight performance

8/10

Compactness

6/10

Options

10/10

Reliability

9/10

Price / Quality

10/10 [4 79]

Pros

• Quality / Design
(487
• OSD information / Built-in DVR / DIY port for 3 accessories
• Auto flight and capture modes
• Flight time / Ready for FPV flight out of the box
• Price

Cons

• Non-collapsible reference beam design
• No 1080p @ 60fps
• Movie / Photo is not sharp (edges are blurred)
• Color rendering (too much blue and white)
• Blue screen when FPV signal is lost or weak
• The screen built into the remote control requires a sun visor
• The presence of “ghostly video clips ov ”at the end of each FPV DVR file

Certainly a good solution for entry-level users. Today, this is the only drone sold for less than $ 300 in the arsenal of which there is a mechanical image stabilization system, while other manufacturers offer, at best, only electronic stabilization EIS, which has been killing such popular copter models as Hubsan for 2 years. H501S or any recent MJX Bugs"Toilet bowl" effect. The build quality is also very good. Of course, it's a shame that there is no 1080p @ 60fps or 4K, but 1080p @ 30fps is already pretty good. There is a lack of foldable beam design, but this fact is generally bearable. With a balance of all the positive and negative aspects, the FIMI A3 can easily be recommended as the first drone after the user has honed his piloting skills on simple toy models.

Video

Video from the Xiaomi FIMI A3 quadcopter.

Video review of Xiaomi FIMI A3.