Yuneec International Typhoon H

Lore & Background

The Typhoon H was introduced by Yuneec International in April 2016 as a ready-to-fly multicopter aimed at professional aerial cinematography. Its design includes folding rotor arms, retractable landing gear, and a 3-axis anti-vibration gimbal camera with full 360° rotation and up to 4K resolution. The aircraft features front-facing ultrasonic collision detection, with an optional Intel RealSense vision-based collision avoidance system demonstrated at CES 2016. The ST16 radio transmitter incorporates a built-in 7-inch Android tablet that provides telemetry and a video streaming feed directly from the Typhoon H. The drone also supports autonomous flight modes including waypoints, orbit, follow me, and tracking, as well as GPS-based altitude and position holding and a return-to-home function. A notable safety feature is the 5-rotor mode, which allows the pilot to land safely if one motor is damaged during flight. On 9 January 2018, Yuneec announced an upgraded version called the Typhoon H Plus, with the same design but an improved camera, larger frame, and longer flight times.

Reader's Guide

The Typhoon H has been successful in the aerial cinematography world and is often preferred to models like DJI's Phantom and Inspire, primarily because of the built-in Android tablet integrated into the 2.4 GHz transmitter. This provides built-in telemetry and direct camera streaming, which many professional cinematographers have cited as a key advantage. The drone is also known for its unusually high camera quality out of the box, an area where companies such as DJI have been perceived as lacking. Although the range on the Typhoon H is not as far as the DJI Phantom lineup, many professional cinematographers have stated they prefer the low-latency transmission. Both drones operate with full control well beyond eyesight. The Typhoon H is constructed from durable carbon fiber and hard plastic materials. Its significance lies in offering an integrated, ready-to-fly solution for aerial photography with features like retractable landing gear, a 360° rotating gimbal, and optional Intel RealSense collision avoidance, positioning it as a direct competitor to DJI's high-end consumer and prosumer models.

Did You Know?

• The Typhoon H can land safely using only five rotors if one motor is damaged during flight.
• Its ST16 transmitter includes a built-in 7-inch Android tablet for telemetry and video streaming.
• An upgraded version called the Typhoon H Plus was announced on 9 January 2018.