Summary
The Helimax Form500 Utility Drone is an excellent payload carrying option, providing a rugged, durable, user customizable design. The system’s scores across many of the individual measures indicate it can be useful in conducting outdoor multirotor operations, ensuring safety, and supporting more advanced uses, once it has been custom configured by the user. The system scored higher than average for payload capacity (top scorer), pricing (less-expensive), construction quality, operational ease, and user support; slightly less than average for maximum speed; and less than average for endurance, camera quality (no interface provided, even when using separately purchased camera), communication range (not reported), utility (limited without camera functions), critical metrics, and accuracy and availability of reported values. The Form500 is less appropriate to a novice operator, unless configured, setup, and operated under the direct supervision and assistance of an experienced operator. It can provide advanced functionality and capabilities, through third-party add-ons, which can make the platform useful for indoor or outdoor operations in support of aerial filming, training, or research.
Features
- Tactic TTX810TS radio system
- 2lbs payload capacity
- Actual Direction Control and Intelligent orientation control featuring Return to Home, Headless, Altitude hold, GPS lock, and auto-landing
- Camera mount and two-axis gimbal (aftermarket camera and FPV equipment purchased separately)
- 5,000 mAh battery (3S 11.1 V LiPo)
Additional Specs
- Max Speed: 26.07 kts
- Endurance: 15 mins
- Payload Capacity: 2 lbs
- Price: $362.97 USD (as tested)
- Battery Capacity: 5,000 mAh
More information at the Helimax website.
Strengths
- Very robust system with good lifting capability and durability
- Use of physical orientation indicators (on front legs) is a good alternative to LEDs (reduces complexity)
- Aircraft is highly user serviceable
- Extremely quiet in flight, despite size
Weaknesses
- No camera, gimbal, or software included; FPV setup requires purchase and configuration of an aftermarket system
- Overly sensitive (indoors) and required calibration with every flight (suggest removal of propellers during calibration); takeoff required high throttle setting; novice operators will be challenged to operate, especially in combination with any camera functionality
- Low yaw rate, controllability and responsiveness provide a challenge when flying in a pattern
- Very flimsy main body cover constructed of thin plastic and battery connector should be reinforced to maintain longterm durability
- Generic hobby-grade controller, lacked labels making advanced operation difficult (assignment appeared arbitrary and non-intuitive)
- Battery placement can be imprecise, causing CG issue (should include a physical stop or mark)
- Documentation was minimal, lacking detail of other systems; controller and aircraft information presented in two separate documents
- Maximum Speed was not published, but a speed of 26.07 kts was captured in testing
- Communication Range not published, but default geofence is set to a range of 820.21 ft