Features of the 3D Robotics Solo Quadcopter

The 3D Robotics Solo Aerial Photography Quadcopter was designed as a companion to the GoPro Hero 3 or Hero 4 action camera. As a result, the base model priced at $999 does not include the Solo 3-axis gimbal or camera. You can expect to spend between $1600 – $1900 for the full package. If you prefer a different camera, the Solo is also compatible with other gimbals and cameras.

The drone itself is 3.3 lbs, 3.9 lbs with the gimbal and camera attached. It is 10 inches tall and measures 18 inches motor to motor.

There is a 1 Ghz processor in both the controller and the quadcopter, both of which are Linux based. The processor on the quadcopter drone is the center for autopilot functions while the one on the controller is the main brain of the operation. Having two computers increases response time.

Features – Speed, Flight Time, Distance & More

Max speed is 55 mph and the max altitude is 400 feet; keeping the drone within FAA regulations. The The 3D Robotics Solo Aerial Photography Quadcopter utilizes GPS and information from gyros, accelerators, and other sensors to keep the aircraft flying where you want it to fly.

The Lithium polymer 5200mAh 14.8 Vdc battery takes about 1.5 hours to charge and allows for up to 25 minutes of flight time (up to 20 minutes with camera attached). The Solo app notifies you when the battery is running low and will have the drone fly home automatically so that it doesn’t run out of power.

Several different flight modes are available, including Orbit mode which can circle any object of your choosing, Follow Me which follows wherever you go, and Cable Cam which allows you to set up a virtual line in the sky and have the drone follow it. The 3D Robotics Solo Aerial Photography Quadcopter also has an emergency brake which allows you to freeze the drone during flight.

The controller features two joysticks as well as dedicated dials for operating the Solo gimbal. There are dedicated buttons for takeoff, land, return home, and pause. It can control the camera up to ½ mile (800 m) away. You can tilt the camera either using the controller or the Solo app. You can stream video from the camera to your mobile device as well as stream HD video from the controller to other external screens via an HDMI port.

3D Robotics Solo Aerial Photography Quadcopter is a well-designed, quality quadcopter. It also allows you to start and stop GoPro during flight, reducing the amount of unwanted aerial footage. If you want a drone made to work with GoPro, this is one for you. You can attach a mobile phone or device up to the size of an iPad mini. The controller comes with its own 2600 mAh 7.2 Vdc rechargeable lithium ion battery.

Customer Service

Perhaps the best feature of the 3DR Solo drone is the customer service behind it. 3D Robotics offers a 30 day money back guarantee if you are not happy with your purchase. Provided that the drone is in new or like-new condition, they will refund your money. They also have 100 in-house technicians to help with your support needs. Also, if the flight log shows that a crash was the result of drone malfunction, they will replace your drone.

Another drone we recommend at a similar cost is the DJI Phantom 3 Professional (review) and the DJI Inspire 1 V2.0 (review) which is higher priced.