| Spaßfaktor | |
| Flugverhalten | |
| Materialqualität | |
| Aufnahmequalität | |
| Preis-Leistung | |
| Average 0/5 |
The Parrot Disco is an exceptional aircraft. So we took a closer look at it. 45 minutes flight time and a FPV package with FPV glasses provide for long lasting fun and a special flight experience.
It is not a typical quadrocopter with 4 propeller drive, but a wing drone with 1.15 meter wingspan. It is driven by a single propeller at the stern.
This makes it stand out completely from other drone models and makes an impressive impression in the air. The material and the wings are mainly made of high-quality foam plastic and polystyrene.
Although the drone has a similar flight behaviour to the typical remote controlled aircraft known from model flying, it is very easy and uncomplicated to control and is therefore ideal for beginners and advanced pilots.
If you want to take the Parrot Disco with you on holiday, it’s no problem, because the wings can be removed.
The small model airplane weighs only 750 g. A large part of the weight is accounted for by the 2700 mAh battery, which is sufficient for an above average flight time of about 45 minutes. Since the Parrot Disco drone is completely off the typical drone design, the flight time is not a criterion which should be used for comparison with other drones. Due to its different aerodynamics, a model aircraft can stay in the air much longer than a model aircraft. The same is true for quadrocopters and the Parrot Disco Drone.
You can get the elegant aircraft for 800-900 €, depending on where you order the set. The most common package sold with this model is the Skycontroller and FPV glasses.
Scope of delivery of the Parrot Disco Drone
The scope of delivery includes every quantity:
- Parrot Disco Drone
- 2700 mAh battery
- Charging station
- USB cable
- 2 spare propellers
- Parrot Skycontroller 2 (Like the Parrot Bebop 2)
- 2 Smartphone holders
- Parrot FPV glasses (Parrot cockpit glasses)
- Smartphone bag
- Shoulder strap
- Quick start guide
- Manual
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- A long flight time of 45 minutes can be seen almost nowhere in the drone area. Most drones can be flown for 15-25 minutes and then the battery must be replaced. Due to the design of the Parrot Disco, the drive can work very efficiently and with a high degree of efficiency.
- Easy to control (suitable for beginners) she is also. Once in the air, the Parrot Disco glides along comfortably. But you shouldn’t lose sight of it, this is no ordinary drone but rather an airplane
- Good video quality thanks to a sophisticated software gimbal system and an 18 megapixel camera. It can record videos in Full-HD quality (1920 x 1080 pixels).
FPV flight experience is very realistic if you order the drone with an FPV package. This allows you to control the Parrot Disco from the cockpit view.
Disadvantages
- Lack of space despite dismantling the wings Since the wings have a total span of 1.15 meters, the Parrot Disco Drone cannot be transported as space-savingly as a conventional quadrocopter, even with its wings removed. You should also make sure that the wings are well packed and not damaged during transport.
- No Ultra HD video recordingFor highly professional applications it is therefore possibly rather unsuitable.
- Parrot Disco cannot stand in the air, because it is built like a model airplane and must constantly be in motion to generate lift
Parrot Disco Drone controls & flight characteristics
For take-off you do not need a special launch or ejection device. The Quick Start Guide included in the delivery enables you to get started quickly and easily.
The Parrot Disco Drone is controlled via an app and the Skycontroller 2.
You need a smartphone or tablet and you have to download the app “FreeFlight Pro”. This application is available for Apple and Android. Smartphone, Skycontroller and the aircraft can be connected extremely easy and fast. The settings for take-off can be set quickly and easily by every beginner without any problems.
Before take-off, the Parrot Disco must be trimmed on a flat surface so that the sensors can work properly.
Afterwards the drone will fly like a paper airplane. Make sure to launch it in the opposite direction to the wind direction, so it gets the necessary lift even faster to rise quickly into the air.
The start and landing button is located on the remote control (Skycontroller 2). Now you have to press it and the propeller at the stern is started.
Now the Parrot Disco Drone flies automatically by itself. Thanks to the integrated autopilot you don’t have to do much more. Avoid senseless, risky nosedives and you are guaranteed to have a high-quality and reliable drone for a long time.
In flight it can reach top speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour. Which is remarkable for a drone, but is of course due to its aerodynamically favourable shape.
Legal notice
If you want to fly with the cockpit glasses in FPV mode, there must always be a second person present who has an objective view of the Parrot Disco Drone! Your liability insurance will not pay in case of damage, if there is property damage or even personal injury and you cannot prove a second person! A flight without a second person present can also result in additional expensive fines!
The reason for this is the new drone regulation, according to which you always have to fly the drone within sight. With the FPV glasses, however, it is no longer in the visible range, as the glasses block the view and instead provide you with a “virtual image” from the ego perspective of the drone.
Return To Home Function
When the return function is activated by pressing the home button on the skycontroller, the Parrot Disco Drone rises to about 50 meters above the ground and then circles over the homepoint. The homepoint is set at the start.
Ideally try to land on soft ground (for example grass). Now the drone glides gently to the ground.
Parrot Disco Cockpit Glasses – FPV Glasses
Even after 45 minutes of realistic flight experience, the FPV goggles sit comfortably on your face and nose.
The smartphone is used as a screen, on which the app of Parrot 2 displays corresponding windows, which stretch and display the two images from the cockpit glasses (2 lenses) in such a way that a rectangular, nice & sharp image is created in the glasses
The realistic flight experience from the cockpit view is indescribable. It is also a little bit different than for example with the Parrot Bebop 2 FPV or other FPV drones, because the Parrot Disco Drone can be controlled like an airplane.
To use the FPV glasses, the FPV mode must be activated in the app. Afterwards you have to put the smartphone into an appropriate holder, which is then pushed into the slot. When inserting the mobile device, you should make sure that the dotted line of the displayed line on the screen is aligned.
According to Parrot, the following smartphones fit into the slot of the FPV glasses:
- Samsung Galaxy (S5, S6, S7, Note 3, Note 4, Note 5)
- Nexus 5
- iPhone (6, 6 plus, 6s, 6s plus)
- LG (G3, G4)
- HTC One M8
However, in our tests with the Parrot Disco cockpit glasses, many other models also fitted. These must have a screen diagonal of between 4.7 and 5.7 inches and a thickness of 6 and 9.5 mm in order to be compatible with FPV glasses and fit in the slot!
When putting on the FPV glasses you should also pay attention to the correct eye distance and a comfortable fit on the nose bone.
Before extensive flights with the cockpit glasses and the Parrot Disco Drone, you should fly without glasses for the first time to get a good and safe flight feeling.
Distances around FPV mode are often misjudged. Remember the law: You may fly in Germany only on sight! If necessary, the Parrot Disco will fly back to the starting point if you activate the Return To Home function.
Parrot Disco FPV Conclusion
The aerodynamic construction, similar to conventional model aircrafts, results in a higher flight time and speed, but high-quality landscape shots can only be realized with some restrictions, because the Parrot Disco Drone cannot stop in the air on the spot! Furthermore, the aircraft cannot be flown sideways or backwards, which also has disadvantages if you want to shoot high-quality movies from the air.
The internal memory should be emptied regularly. An internal storage capacity of 32 gigabytes ensures that the memory must be formatted every 1-2 flights when filming continuously during the flight. Videos and photos can be easily transferred to a PC or laptop via USB connection.
The Parrot Disco stands out clearly in its form and flight behaviour on the drone market. It is a big seller and quite popular. The manufacturer Parrot has done a great job here.
We were particularly impressed by the values flight duration, range and the FPV goggles. With the Skycontroller 2 you can fly about 2 km, which is not allowed in Germany, you are only allowed to fly as far away as you can see the drone.
Nevertheless, no other drone can offer such a flight experience. The Parrot Disco therefore has a unique selling point and is one of our favourites.
The starting price of approximately 1300 € was quite steep at the beginning, but meanwhile the price has decreased to approximately 800-900 €. The price/performance ratio is therefore quite impressive.
