Bumblebee 550 Review

bumblebee 550 review dronegoproBumblebee 550 is a stylish and high quality quadcopter. It has specifically been designed for aerial photography. This is a drone that requires assembling and some work before flying off to the distance. Obviously the main question is how it compares to the ready built drones such as DJI Phantom 2?

Specifications

  • Width: 550mm
  • Height: 306mm
  • Ground Clearance: 193mm
  • Weight: 950g without battery

In The Box

  • High quality carbon fiber construction pieces
  • Dome cover
  • Foldable arms and landing legs
  • 4 x 35mm motors (brushless)

You also need to buy the following products (some shops such as amazon already include some of the following parts):

  • 1 multi-rotor control board
  • 4 x 20-30A ESC
  • 3S 2200-3300mAh LiPoly battery
  • 4CH transmitter and receiver

Quality

The frame is high quality and made out of carbon fiber. This includes the folding arms and landing skids. Some parts such as the cover, motor holders and blades are made out of strong durable plastic. You also have the choice to order a full aluminium frame if you want a stronger quadcopter. However bare in mind that this makes it heavier.

Assembling the Bumblebee 550

As you know by now Bumblebee 550 comes in separate pieces and need assembling. Don’t be scared, this isn’t a nuclear science and won’t every require any degree at electricity or engineering! The quadcopter comes with a manual and you can also follow instructional videos. It can take around 2-3 hours to build it. Of course this depends on how familiar you are with quadcopters.

After you have built your drone you’ll need to configure it. This is where the following video comes handy:

Flying

Flying is just like all other quadcopters. It’s simple and just takes time to get used to. Of course some of the drone capabilities has to do with the parts used. This is what makes Bumblebee 550 so great. you can customise it to your liking. Wish to add a GPS? No problem just do it and to be honest we recommend that. The flight control board comes with an auto levelling mode and altitude hold. Flight range depends completely on the transmitter you use and flight time on the battery.

Mounting

Mounting is really simple and there is actually a special camera gimbal tilt mount which is not included. It’s actually quite versatile and you don’t have to just use a GoPro Camera. The mount can be found here: HobbyKing and it costs $41.

Bumblebee 550 Review Mount

Credit: HobbyKing.com

Price

Well you can get the frame for $147 with 4 motors. That means you have to buy the control board, battery, transmitter and receiver, GPS etc. The starting price can look cheap but once you start buying everything it can get up to around $500. You can buy the frame and other parts from here: HobbyKing.

Conclusion

Honestly this is an excellent product if you have the time and patience to build a completely custom quadcopter. The price for the frame is decent and nothing too expensive. You can say it requires investment and if you are serious about this then I would recommend you this over DJI Phantom 2.