The Unmanned Systems Center Of Excellence, Xelevate, held its Grand Opening event October 20th, 2021 in Leesburg Virginia. The event assembles leaders of the drone industry, both federal and state agencies, the Governor of Virginia, and more. While many of the largest brands were in attendance (DJI, Autel, FLIR, Autel and more), many attendees noticed a new drone in the Adorama Drones booth — the Sony Airpeak.
The Airpeak is Sony’s first foray into the drone market. Not just that — it boasts some impressive specs which both consumers and professionals alike can take advantage of. The Airpeak is the world‘s smallest drone that can carry a full frame Alpha series mirrorless camera. This provides new possibilities to photographers and cinematographers alike.
“We’re excited to soon be able to bring Airpeak S1 to market in the U.S. and partner with Adorama as key dealer for the product, given their expertise in drones. We look forward to how it will further enable what’s possible with the Alpha camera line and what can be realized in the drone space overall,” said Gabriel Johnson, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Mobile Communications / UAV, with Sony North America.
Key Features of the Sony Airpeak Drone
- Maximum speed of 55.9 mph
- Maximum angular velocity of 180°/s and attitude angle up to 55°
- Sony-developed propulsion device and flight-control system
- Flying time of up to 22 minutes without payload
- Stability in winds up to 44.7 mph
- Landing gear with open/ close legs
- Detachable propellers ensure fast, easy replacement and transport
- Sony’s stereo cameras and vision sensing processor provide algorithm for real-time 3D spatial awareness
- Comes with an obstacle-braking function
- The world’s smallest drone in its class to carry Alpha series full-frame mirrorless cameras
- Works with Airpeak Flight mobile app for controlling, camera, and in-flight gimbal
- RCR-VH1 remote controller for aircraft and camera operation also available
Speedy, Wind Resistant, and Sturdy
The 17-inch propeller and brushless motor make the Airpeak speedy, wind resistant, and sturdy. The airframe is supported by a remote controller, an app, and cloud service. This allows for easy storage of pictures and videos captured during flight.
The Airpeak’s controller provides live viewing during flight, and real-time control over the aircraft and gimbal. The device holder on the Sony controller fits up to a 178.5 mm screen making it compatible with both smartphones and tablets, in addition to the HDMI port for connection to external screens.
Also, it features “Dual Operation Mode” allowing two operators to control the aircraft and gimbal/camera separately for more precision and control in complex shooting situations.
“The Adorama Drones team was thrilled to be able to, for the first time ever, show Sony’s new drone to an in-person audience. The Sony Airpeak will change the game for professional photographers and cinematographers, who want to use existing Sony cameras — such as the Alpha line — as a payload in their drones,” said Chad Collier, Chief UAS Pilot at Adorama.
The pre-order launch dates are not yet available. Although, Adorama Drones will be one of the first places where both hobbyists and professionals can purchase the Airpeak and accompanying accessories to take their photo and cinema capabilities to the next level.
