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+When it comes to consumer-level drones, DJI's Phantom line (most recently the [Phantom 3](http://www.wired.com/2015/06/review-dji-phantom-3-professional-drone/)) rules the skies. 
+
+It's taken a while but erstwhile competitors are finally starting to emerge. One of the newest entries comes from Chinese aircraft maker, Yuneec, which recently released its Phantom competitor, the Typhoon Q500 4K.
+
+Though similar in size, weight and prices, the Typhoon is no Phantom knockoff. It's not a Phantom killer either. Both have their strengths and weaknesses and which is best depends a little on what you plan to do with it.
+
+The Typhoon looks a bit more aggressive than DJI's shining happy drones, with sleeker lines and a back end that resembles the head of the creatures in Alien. It's also a larger drone than the more familiar Phantoms. 
+
+The Typhoon -- particularly the landing gear -- is much flimsier plastic than I'm used to coming from the Phantoms. That's partly due to the fact that the Typhoon landing gear (and gimbal) can be snapped off with no special tools and stored in a much flatter package than DJI craft.
+
+## Specs and Controls
+
+The Typhoon comes in a variety of models, including the one I tested which is the Typhoon Q500 4K. As the name implies it's capable of shooting 4K video and it comes with the CGO Steadygrip, so you can use the camera and gimbal on the ground as well. The Steadygrip worked well enough, but it's more of the same, somewhat flimsy plastic that might or might not last through more adventurous uses than chasing my kids around the yard. It also requires eight AA rechargeable batteries.
+
+Unlike DJI's offerings the Typhoon's base controller ships with a built-in screen in the form of a small Android device sporting 480p resolution. On one hand it's nice not have to so many different parts to keep track of, but on the other hand there's no way to add a bigger, clearer screen when, for example, a new iPad mini is released (currently what I use with the Phantom 3).
+
+The screen is bright, though flying in direct sunlight is still difficult. To be fair that's true of every screen I've ever used to fly a drone. Yuneec helpfully includes a sunshade that awkwardly attaches to the controller with suction cups. It doesn't completely solve the problem, but it does help.
+
+The controller itself is similar enough to others I've used that here was essentially no learning curve. The Typhoon's video and still image capture buttons are chunkier than anything I've used in the past, but on the plus side that makes them easier to find without looking down at your hands.
+
+The included app is intuitive enough that I never cracked the manual. The touch screen is responsive as well, which is good because some of the menus and buttons are really tiny. 
+
+The Typhoon's flight control system is great overall, it makes flying dead simple and trumps everything I've used save the new controller for the Phantom 3. My only complaint is that you're locked in. Two years from now when there's a dozen 7 inch 4K tablets for under $200, you'll still be stuck with a 5 inch, 480p screen.
+
+
+## Flight
+
+It's dead simple to get started. I pulled it out of the case, turned everything on, waited for the wifi to connect the base station and aircraft and was in the air within 2 minutes. There was no calibrating anything and no apps to download. I read through the quick start guide, set it in the middle of field and lifted off.
+
+That simplicity continues in the air as well. Being primarily accustomed to flying DJI's phantom line, the Typhoon was immediately different. I started out in "Smart Mode" which make the drone fly relative to what you see on the screen in front of you. That is, if you want to go up you push the left hand joystick up and the drone goes up. If you want to go side to side you push it left or right. There's no need to worry about where the front and back of the drone are, the control translates everything in terms of the display on the screen.
+
+Flying drones is intimidating. They're expensive and often very complicated to control. The  result is that, unless you're so rich you don't care, you spend most of your learning time in a nervous sweat. At least that was my experience with Phantoms. The Typhoon however, manages to get around this and is a pleasure to fly right from the start. 
+
+Even after many hours of practice I still don't feel as confident with a Phantom as I did after ten minutes with the Typhoon. The Phantom 3 comes closest to this ease of use, but is still more nerve wracking to control in my experience.
+
+But drone flight isn't all good or all bad; it's a series of trade offs. While I can without hesitation say that the Typhoon is easier to fly than any of the Phantoms I've used, that doesn't necessarily make it better. That ease of use comes with a big trade off -- it's far more sluggish in the air. It takes longer to respond to input from the controller and it was not capable of the tight turns or the top speed of the Phantom 3. Its max flight range is also considerably less. 
+
+If you're just learning to fly, that "sluggishness" is a plus. It makes for a more forgiving aircraft that you're less likely to fly into a tree. If you're already comfortable flying drones the Typhoon will likely feel like a step backward. To get some aerial shots of the Typhoon I enlisted [Barrelman Productions](http://www.barrelmanproductions.com) pilot Mike Lord who was able to literally fly circles around the Typhoon with his Phantom 3. 
+
+The other place the Typhoon lags well behind the Phantom 3 is range. The Phantom 3 can not only out pace, but out distance the Typhoon. And the Phantom 3's ability to send back live 720p feed at over a mile blows the Typhoon out of the water.
+
+## Image and Video Quality
+
+The Typhoon Q500 I tested was the 4K video model. There's also the 500+ model, which shoots 1080p and the 500, which is more or less the same but doesn't come with the Steadygrip. On paper that sounds good, but part of what makes or breaks images (and video) from drones is not resolution, but stabilization. In that regard the gimbal on the Typhon is on par with the field, which is to say that it does a good job of holding the camera still, though at times it felt a bit slower at panning.
+
+The images it produces are 12MP with pretty good clarity though there is noticeable falloff in sharpness toward the edges. That's not unexpected for extreme wide angle lenses, but it's significantly more noticeable than the cameras on the Phantom 3. Whether its an optics problem or a shortcoming of the distortion correction Yuneec is applying is hard to say, but unfortunately it extends to the 4K video as well.
+
+Rating: 7
+
+Wired: Great set up experience. Easy to fly even for those who've never laid eyes on a drone before. Controller includes a nice, if a little small, Android display, no need for phones or battery-draining mobile apps.
+
+Tired: Big, heavy and slow. What makes it great for beginners makes it less great for those used to the nimbleness of Phantoms. The range is limited compared to similarly specced models from other manufacturers.