THE BEST DRONES FOR PHOTOGRAMMETRY
WingtraOne vs. multicopter and fixed-wing drones
Since the introduction of the first surveying drones, the number of manufacturers has increased and photogrammetry drone technology has been constantly improving.
Each manufacturer claims different data and achievements regarding their drones, mostly focusing on image quality, coverage and flight time. But how do they perform in real life? And how do they compare to each other based on features most important to the user?
At Wingtra, we aim at achieving excellence in photogrammetry drone technology. To do so, we constantly compare our own drone to the best ones in the world. As we are collecting this data anyway, we compiled it for you in the form of in-depth, figure-based comparisons.
We admire the achievements of all drone companies and believe that there are many great drones available today. We therefore aim to be as objective and impartial as possible in our reports, knowing that these comparisons will ultimately lead to more innovation among leading companies.
Multicopters for aerial mapping
5 to 14x faster surveying operations with fixed-wings
Multicopters like the Phantom 4 RTK are an obvious choice for entry-level drone surveying because of their lower price tag and ease of use. They do a great job surveying small areas, and they excel at vertical mapping and monitoring small construction sites.
However, when projects scale up, multicopters fall short in their performance. Indeed with a low flight efficiency, they require between 5 and 14x more time than fixed-wing drones to map the same area. The savings made when the drone was purchased are eventually overridden by the costs and time needed for a crew to map such large areas.
So in which case is a multicopter like the Phantom 4 RTK the most appropriate, and at what point should you switch to a professional-level fixed-wing drone?
All tests performed with coverage at 1.2 cm (0.4in)/px
DJI Phantom 4 RTK
Coverage: 8 ha (20 ac)
GSD: 1.2 cm/px (0.5 in/px)
Altitude: 44 m (144 ft)
eBee X with Aeria / Delair UX11
Coverage: 70 ha (173 ac)
GSD: 1.2 cm/px (0.5 in/px)
Altitude: 57 m (187 ft)
WingtraOne RX1R II
Coverage: 110 ha (272 ac)
GSD: 1.2 cm/px (0.5 in/px)
Altitude: 93 m (305 ft)
WingtraOne vs. DJI Phantom 4 RTK
In this in-depth comparison we explore the usability, coverage and image quality of both drones. We give recommendations about when a Phantom 4 RTK is suitable for your application and when you would be better off with a more professional drone.
Best fixed-wing drones for aerial mapping
WingtraOne vs. fixed-wing drones
Fixed-wings drones by far outrank multicopters in terms of coverage, but they do feature some striking differences among themselves, too.
Depending on your application, you should carefully assess the drones and think about what level of data quality is necessary for your mapping projects. How large is the area? What are the flying conditions? Is the terrain appropriate for belly landings?
We discuss all these aspects and more in the following surveying drone comparisons.
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Give feedback
Did you find a mistake or inaccurate claims in our reports? Please email us at support@wingtra.com.
Suggest drone comparisons
Do you suggest a drone against which we should benchmark or want to take test images with your own drone? Write your suggestion to support@wingtra.com. Or, let us know if you’d like to take a test image with your drone and share it, and we might be able to send you a test poster free of charge.
Reproduce the same results
Want to reproduce our results? You can download our test pattern here.
