The Airpeak S1 is still under development, but Sony has released some information ahead of the fall launch. It’s a larger aircraft, similar in size and shape to the DJI Inspire 2, but with more power for heavier payloads, faster acceleration, and full camera remote control.
Onboard cameras record the surroundings to brake when obstacles are detected and to keep them stable when GPS is not available. With GPS enabled, it has a return to home, customizable geofence, and other basic security features.
The S1 is more likely to be used in production environments and starts at $ 8,999.99 without a camera, lens, gimbal, or even a spare propeller. You get the S1, a single remote control, two flight batteries and four propellers in the kit.
The Airpeak S1 supports dual operator control. For use in the cinema, this means that you have a licensed pilot to operate the aircraft and a cameraman to control the camera and gimbal.
The S1 accelerates from 0 to 80 km / h in 3.5 seconds, is stable at 104.7 km / h wind and can fly at almost 90 km / h without a payload. The S1 is powered by two flight batteries, but only lasts for about 22 minutes of flight time without a payload.
The S1 supports the Sony a1, a9 II, a7S III, a7R IV as well as FX3 and FE fixed focal lengths from 14 mm to 85 mm. Airpeak S1 requires an iOS device to run its control app, and Sony has not yet committed to developing a version for Android devices. The S1 remote is big enough to hold a tablet and Sony expects more operators to use iPads as a display due to the large screen size.
Web-based software is also included. Airpeak Base is a cloud app for fleet management – useful for rental houses and production studios. It also includes mission planning tools for preset waypoints and camera movements, as well as a logbook so you can review previous flights.
Sony expects the devices to be delivered in the fall.
