Ruko F11 Gim Drone Short Review
The Ruko F11 Gim is a medium-sized foldable drone that comes with an HD camera that can record video footage in 4k and capture still images in 8MP. It has a wide-angle lens with a 100° field of view and is stabilised by a 2-axis gimbal and has an electronic image stabilisation feature. The drone has a dual GNSS module and comes with 3 intelligent flight modes. The flight time is around 25 minutes with a control range of 1km.
Key Features
- HD camera records in 4k
- 8M still images
- 2-axis gimbal Electronic image stabilisation
- Dual GPS module
- Autonomous flight modes
- Automatic return to home feature
- 25 minutes of flight time
- 1km range
Hi and welcome to this review of the Ruko F11 Gim Drone, a relatively new drone that comes with some impressive features and a drone that has proven to be quite popular on Amazon with a 4*+ star rating.
Ruko (not to be confused with Roku TV) have a range of drones in different price ranges and they are geared towards beginners and people looking to have some fun while being able to capture decent videos and photos.
I have reviewed a couple of their drones such as the U11 and F11 Pro, both are good drones for what they do and the price they are selling for.
The Ruko F11 Gim (I have no idea why they gave it that name), is one of their more advanced and expensive drones. If you have a decent budget (it does cost just under $400), this may be a drone worth considering, but I do believe there are better options at similar price points, which I shall mention near the end of this review.
Also, please do remember, if you live in the USA, you will need to register it with the FAA, since this drone weighs more than 250 grams and the same rule applies in the UK as well.
Ruko F11 Gim Drone Review
The first thing I want to mention about the Ruko F11 Gim drone is that there seem to be at least a couple of companies that sell the same drone under a different brand. For example, the Deerc DE22 and the SJRC F11 4K Pro (which is significantly cheaper on Banggood) seems to be the exact same drone as the F11 Gim but sold at different price points.
I only mention this because there are other drones that are the same but sold under different brands, but the prices differ, sometimes significantly. So, if you like a drone from a small brand, do your research because there may be cheaper versions under a different brand.
On a personal note, even though the Roku F11 Gim is a foldable drone, which is my favourite type of drone, its bulky body (because of its large battery) isn’t very aesthetically pleasing to the eyes in contrast to something like the Holy Stone HS720E which has a more streamlined design and looks amazing.
This is just a personal preference and shouldn’t really be a deciding factor on whether to purchase this drone or not.
Like I mentioned it is a foldable drone, so it is compact and easy to store away, this is a good feature for people who want a drone they can easily travel around with. It will not take up too much space in your luggage, however, the good thing is, you get a lunch box-shaped carry case, so you don’t need the extra luggage space.
The drone comes with 1806 brushless motors, these have powerful revolutions which allow the drone to stay stable during flight and hover accurately which will allow you to capture better quality photos/videos. Brushless motors are efficient and last longer than their brushed counterparts and don’t require regular cleaning and maintenance. Although you should still do it, to keep them in optimal conditions.
Another advanced feature of this drone is its dual GNSS receiver which will connect with both GPS and GLONASS satellite systems, so you will have better satellite coverage and reduce the chances of flying in areas with a weak GPS signal. The benefits of having a dual GNSS module includes more precise tracking, autonomous flight modes, and reducing the risks of losing the drone through its automatic return to home feature.
You can switch off GPS mode via the remote controller and enter altitude hold mode with the help of its optical flow sensor which allows the drone to hover without the need for a GPS signal.
There is a memory card slot on the side of the drone and its recommended you purchase a class 10 card (or above) to record the best quality videos and photos.
The drone has a pretty good flight time of around 25 minutes, this is comparable to other drones in its price range and the good thing is, you get an extra battery so you can extend the flight time without having to wait for the battery to fully recharge.
The battery is pretty large, and it goes on top of the drone, it has some LED lights on top to indicate its power level and takes around 4 hours to fully recharge.
The controller is small and has a large LCD screen that displays data about the drone, like its height/distance, battery level, GPS mode, and flight mode. There is a smartphone holder on top and a pair of handles that pull out from the bottom. It has an internal battery that you can charge with a USB cable (which is provided) and has buttons for take-off/emergency landing, automatic return home, speed switch, and a couple of buttons on the top to record videos and capture images. There is also a dial that controls the angle of the 2-axis gimbal.
To get access to the drones FPV feature and autonomous flight modes, you will need to download the Ruko Drone app, its available for both Android (5.0 or later) and iOS (9.0 or later) devices. It’s a decent drone app that’s easy to use and as well as giving you access to the features I just mentioned, you can also control the drone flight parameters.
Ruko F11 Gim Drone Camera
Now we come to the best feature of this drone and that is its HD camera which can actually record in 4k. The quality is also good for a smaller drone brand, it records 4k at 30fps, and with its 2-axis gimbal and electronic image stabilisation feature, the video footage is smooth with little noticeable distortion. Images are captured in 8MP in JPEG format, and you can store your videos/photos on your smartphone over WiFi or the better option is to store them locally on a memory card that is at least class 10 or above.
This is an impressive camera, especially for its price and you can capture some very good video footage, it’s not suitable for professional use, but still very good, nonetheless.
Ruko F11 Gim Drone – Intelligent Flight Modes
One of the advanced features it comes with is the GPS enabled autonomous or intelligent flight modes that will allow you to fly this drone totally hands-free. They are fun to use and will make for good YouTube videos, although these flight modes only work in areas with a strong GPS signal.
The three intelligent flight modes include follow me, orbit mode and waypoint.
Follow me is self-explanatory, the drone locks on to your smartphone and follows you, orbit mode is similar but instead of following you, it circles you automatically. Waypoint mode allows you to draw a flight path on the drone app and the drone fly’s along it autonomously.
Another intelligent feature is the drones automatic return to home function, this is activated whenever the drone goes out of range or when the drone battery gets too low.
The Ruko F11 Gim also comes with an image tracking feature, this is a cool feature that does not require a GPS signal.
Flight Performance
Overall, this drone’s flight performance is good, it even does well in slightly windy conditions thanks to its bulky design. Although if you are an absolute beginner, I would advise against flying in any kind of windy conditions. Most of the features work, although sometimes the intelligent flight modes can be a bit hit and miss because of weak GPS signal. It has several speed modes to test your flying skills and the FPV is streamed at 720p resolution and as long as the weather is good and there are no obstructions, the live video feed is good quality. It should be noted that while the control range of the drone is around 1km (depending on weather conditions), the range for FPV is around 500 meters.
Final Thoughts
Ruko make some good drones at reasonable prices and the F11 Gim is no different. It’s suitable for everyone including beginners and comes with many cool features. It’s not the cheapest drone, especially for a small brand but it is worth considering. However, if you want some alternatives, click on the button below for a list of the best drones for beginners.
I really do like the gim2 f11drone I will fly it later and so far is a very nice looking drone