It Is TIME to FLY! ATTOP W80 Wolvy Pro Drone Review
6In this episode, we unbox and test fly the ATTOP W80 Wolvy Pro RC Camera drone.
For almost as long as I've been involved in video games I've also been involved with radio controlled models. I started with RC cars and trucks from RadioShack like many kids my age, moved on to Tyco, and eventually got into the world of competitive RC car and truck racing. In the early 2000s, I started writing for an RC magazine, making my hobby a job. Not too long after that, I joined the team at Horizon Hobby where I expanded my experiences from cars and trucks to also include airplanes, helicopters, and eventually drones.
I've had a 4K camera drone since about 2013, and it's getting a little bit long in the tooth. The batteries don't last as long, and there have been improvements in camera technology, so when I have the opportunity to get my hands on an Attop Wolvy W80 to test out I leaped at the chance.
It comes out of the box as an RTF, which stands for Ready-to-fly. This means everything you need to be successful is included in the box. The model itself, which comes pre-assembled, all of the electronics, the camera and gimbal, your transmitter, battery charger, and two batteries. They also include some rudimentary tools, an extra set of rotor blades, and a comprehensive user manual. Read the manual!
From the box, one of the things the manual stresses is that you need to make sure that you utilize the charging cable that the model comes with. I can confirm that the batteries charge faster and more completely when you do this. Also, while a battery charger is included a power supply is not. You'll need to utilize a 2amp or higher USB power supply for this charger. If you don't, bad things could happen including a possible fire.
After charging the batteries, which took almost 4 hours to charge both of them, I decided to take a test flight in my backyard. I was impressed with the lift & the acceleration of the drone as it climbed, and rolling side to side or front and back was also very responsive. Rotating giving what would traditionally be rudder input on an RC airplane's transmitter was very slow, however. I looked through the manual and there were ways to speed up the responsiveness of the W80, but no matter what I did it never pivoted any faster.
Shooting some initial footage, I was shocked looking at it on my computer. This promised to be a 4K drone but the footage looked anything but 4K. I confirmed looking in the metadata on my phone that the downlink video was only 720p, and 720p ain't 4K. I looked at the footage off of the SD card, and that was 1440p. While sharper than 1080p, still ain't 4K. I reached out to the manufacturer who confirmed that 1440p, 30fps is the maximum resolution. I asked if they would be updating their product information to reflect this data and they assured me they would. I will hold them accountable if they do not.
The gimbal is only a two-axis variety, meaning it'll control pitch front and back and roll side to side, but you cannot angle it separately from where the drone's nose is pointing. On my initial flights it worked quite well, but in later flights I've run into an issue where the gimbal gets locked in a 25° clockwise orientation. I don't know why and I don't know how to fix it.
Why it RoX:
- Completely ready to fly
- Small and compact
- Has Follow Me tracking technology
- Video down link so you can set up shots
What could be improved:
- It's not 4K
- Battery charger takes a long time
- Slow rotation
- A bit expensive for what it is
Should you buy one?
As strictly a quadcopter or a multirotor, the W80 flies very well. It's stable, easy to control, and can handle a decent amount of wind. However, being advertised as a 4K drone that only does 1440p left me very disappointed. This thing has 4K plastered everywhere and it absolutely 100% will not do 4K, and the manufacturer has even confirmed this. They need to change their product information and their pricing accordingly. If and when these changes and updates are made to the description, box, and pricing, then it might be worth considering. As a training aircraft to get the hang of things, it is a good enough aircraft you can definitely learn from. Just keep your video and photo expectations in-check.
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