FIMI (飞米科技), a Xiaomi-affiliated UAV startup, unveiled its latest vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing drone FIMI Manta in the evening of July 31, with a sticker price of 999 yuan (US$139) and a limited-time offer price of 799 yuan.
According to FIMI, the VTOL adopts a tilt-rotor architecture and a bionic structure resembling a skate, with its flat wings tilted upward at the tips.
This design allows the aircraft to possess the merits of both multi-rotors and fixed-wing aerial vehicles. It is capable of taking off, landing, and standing still in mid-air as well as cruising at high speed (12m per second).
Photo courtesy of FIMI
FIMI Manta comes with flight control software that is compatible with mainstream open-source software platforms in the market.
With a wingspan of 700mm and a maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of 500g, it can remain in the air for 60 or 85 minutes, depending on the battery choice (3000mAh or 5000mAh).
Like DJI and other popular consumer drones, FIMI offers a wide range of accessories to go with Manta, such as camera mounts and a remote controller.
The Shenzhen-based company was founded by a group of geek engineers in May 2014 as part of the Xiaomi ecosystem. Aside from the new release Manta, its product line includes a quadcopter called X8 Pro.
