Parrot is all set to release the Disco, the first fixed-wing consumer drone, next month for a price tag of $1,299.
The Disco was first unveiled as a prototype in CES 2016 early this year, with the fixed-wing drone then described by a Parrot representative to be an unmanned aircraft vehicle that is easy to fly and ready to soar right out of the box.
In the official press release of Parrot on the release of the Disco, the company highlighted the fact that the fixed-wing drone is capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 miles per hour and resisting winds of speeds up to 24 miles per hour. The drone also has a flight time of as long as 45 minutes, which is far longer than the maximum 28 minutes of rival DJI's Phantom 4.
Powering the drone is a single propeller at its back, replacing the multiple rotors that are seen in the company's and the industry's previous offerings. The Disco itself is made out of a lightweight material known as expanded polypropylene, reinforced by carbon tubes, with the wings constructed with exclusive aerodynamic airfoil.
Parrot added that there is no need to be an experienced drone pilot when flying the Disco, as the drone can take off and land automatically. The Disco also comes with an autopilot system known as C.H.U.C.K., or Control Hub & Universal Computer Kit, which will correct certain aspects of the drone's flight as the pilot controls it.
The Disco also comes with what is known as the Parrot Cockpitglasses, which is a headset that will provide pilots with a first-person wide-angle view of the drone's flight by inserting the user's smartphone, similar to virtual reality headsets. The pilot will be seeing what the drone sees through the footage captured by the 14 MP Full HD camera installed at the front of the Disco, with radar and telemetric data shown on the display. The drone also features an internal memory of 32 GB to record the shots taken by the Disco's camera.
The Disco will also come with the Parrot Skycontroller 2, which is a new remote control developed by the company that can provide pilots with high precision through dual joysticks. For model aircraft hobbyists, they can also use their own remote control in full manual mode by simply connecting a Parrot-developed module, though that does not come with the purchase of the Disco.
The $1,299 price tag for the Disco includes the drone, the Parrot Cockpitglasses and the Parrot Skycontroller 2. The package will be released next month.
Discover Parrot Disco, the first smart flying wing with Cockpitglasses for an immersive experience #LifeElevatedhttps://t.co/OPC94pkSOz
— Parrot (@Parrot) Aug. 23, 2016
