Ruko F11MINI Drone with Camera 4K, Under 249g, 60 Mins Flight with 2 batteries, 5GHz Transmission, GPS Auto Return, Brushless Motor, Foldable and Lightweight, FPV Quadcopter for Beginner, AdultsGlobal Recycled StandardGlobal Recycled StandardGlobal Recycled Standard

Ruko F11 GIM Drone ReviewBefore I get started. I'm 52 years old and flying this drone had to be one of the funniest thing I have done in a long time.Cost: Amazon $287 plus $16 off coupon. (Lightning Deal)Shipment: Recieved from Amazon in one day. (Prime)Box Opening:Packaged very well. The box itself has good graphics with shrink wrap around the box. The drone case is covered with a zip lock bag.What's in the Box:The F11 GIM case is a semi rigid hard case with a double zipper, its super nice. The case is molded so the drone, controller and battery fits securely in the case with a zipper compartment for added accessories.Instruction Booklet(s): (English)Disclaimer and Saftey Guidelines.Quick Start GuideUser ManualF11 GIM DroneController2 Batteries2 USB B cables4 Extra PropsExtra Screws and Allen Wrench.Suggestions:I watched just about every YouTube video before I purchased the drone. I thought I could just pull the drone out of the box and fly. The only problem, is that I was forgetting basic simple steps. So, for the best performance read the user manual before flying and get familiar with the remote and drone. @s It's super simple and and easy for beginner pilots to fly but it's all in the details of the instructions. Example: I kept turning on the remote first and then the drone, which kept the two from up.First and Second Flight:My first flight was a little rough as I did not read the instructions as I explained above. My second flight was probably the most fun I have in long time. Just flying the drone gave me this unexplained feeling of excitement with a big smile on my face. I'm new to the hobby, so learning the controls will take a little time to master but that's on me and not the remote. I cannot wait to take it out again tomorrow. The two batteries lasted approximately 60 minutes.It's was windy today, about 15 mph winds. The drone was stable and flew fantastic.The drone will be in beginner mode as a defualt and will shorten the flying range, which I totally recommend for a Newby. Once you get more comfortable you can turn off the begginer mode and set custom parameters.GPS Follow Me worked as described.Image Follow is a really cool function and worked well.Return to Home, Low Battery Return to home, landed within 3 feet of the launch site.Because the F11 GIM is heavier than .55 LBs, make sure you register your drone through the FAA. The registration cost $5 and you'll get a registration number which needs to be placed on your drone. Also you need to take the TRUST test which is also easy and it's free.The drone is built very well. The remote is very nice and the screen is easy to read even in the sun. The app is well designed and walks you through step by step. Just remember to read the directions.The drone is super fun to fly, easy for beginners like myself. After reading the instructions it was super easy to fly and I can't wait to fly it again soon.Hands down the best drone for the money.

I did quite a bit of research before I decided on this drone and since this is the first drone I have purchased, I must say I am very happy with it. From the moment I opened the box, I was blown away by how simple the setup process was. The instructions were clear and concise, making it a breeze to get everything ready for takeoff. Flying the drone was an absolute delight – it responded smoothly to my commands and maintained a stable flight throughout. What's even better is that this top-notch quality comes at an affordable price, which is a huge plus. I'm beyond impressed with the value this drone offers and how accessible it is for both beginners and experienced users. If you're looking for an easy-to-fly, easy-to-setup, high-quality drone that won't break the bank, this is definitely the one to go for! Even the case that you store the drone in is very well built and everything fits in it perfectly. This particular drone does require that you remove the gimbles before you store it which is just a couple of turns on each one, but it would be nice if you didn't have to remove them to store it, not a big deal. I can't get over how steady this drone is hovering and even in the wind it is easy to control. Flying it over the Bay I accidentally lost site of it but the home button feature saved me, what a great feature. The video and picture quality are amazing. This is really a great entry level drone and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a high quality product. Lastly, I liked this Ruko drone so much, that I purchased the more expensive Ruko F11 GIM2 drone 1 week later and absolutely love it as well.

PROS:• Very nice carrying case, supplies• Fairly easy to get started• Decent camera, especially in this price range (4096 x 3072 =~ 12.5MP; JPG files are 3-4.5Mb each)• Battery life is good enough, comes with extra battery• Android App works pretty well; lots of options for paths, follow, circle, return to home...CONS:• Broke on second flight...• Apparently a 'headless' display would help meMy first mini-drone, so I did quite a bit of research before buying this one. Mainly I was concerned about losing it or breaking it, so I wanted a return home feature, one that people said a beginner to get used to, and one that was durable. I also wanted one with a decent camera, especially for stills. The ~$100 drones clearly weren't sufficient, and I didn't want to spend $300 or more. This Ruko F11Mini fit the bill and had good reviews. I also saw a bunch of videos of people intentionally crashing the drone, and they were impressed with its surprising ruggedness. (There’s a video on the Ruko.net product webpage.)My second time using it, I went in my backyard of a 1/2 acre lot which is open in the middle and trees along the edges. There was a mild wind (~7mph), and I was flying at 35'. Between a little gust of wind and my poor navigating skills, it just clipped a little branch in a tree. (Here's where 'headless' would be helpful for beginners. I was intuitively trying to steer away, but since the drone was facing me, I steered it closer to the tree.) One set of propellers came off, but those are easily replaced with ones that came with the kit. It must have fallen oddly on the grass, because the left front arm cracked. I see that replacement arms are available for $26, but the repair process is rather involved. (Lots of screws, and I’ll need to buy a soldering pen.) I don’t know when I’ll get around to repairing it.It's a nice mini-drone, and does seem to be a good value in its price range, but I’m disappointed with the durability.BTW, I used my Amazon Visa card to purchase the drone, and I submitted a claim under their breakage policy. It was denied because they said the policy does not cover “cars, boats, aircraft…”UPDATE (6/5/2023) with repair experience:I purchased the replacement arm from Ruko here on Amazaon ($26 - https://www.amazon.com/Ruko-Original-Replacement-Including-Propellers/dp/B0BDRNGYTP/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=ruko+f11+mini+drone+original+replacement+arm&qid=1685980941&sr=8-14)There is a video on the Ruko site showing the steps for repair. Pay close attention! Here's what you need to do in step-by-step format:1) Remove foot pads and 3 screws under the foot pads. Remove back plate.2) Remove protective camera cover3) There are TEN screws that need to be removed. You will see 8 of them clearly. I missed 2 of them that are under the back plate on either side of the circuit board. They are down deep and are not immediately visible.4) Once all the screws are removed, the top plate should come off easily.5) Unsolder wires from broken arm6) Remove arm. Keep plastic piece from arm that wires go through and put it on the new arm.7) Resolder wires making sure wires are in proper color order.8) Reassemble and replace all screws, foot pads, etc. >> Good to go!When I tried to replace the arm, I had trouble getting the top cover off. I had not noticed those two buried screws. I want to commend Ruko support for helping me. They responded via email to a voice message I left. They walked me through the steps and identified the problem. Prompt and courteous.I'm flying again (and being more careful) and have changed my rating from 1 star to 4 stars, both because of Ruko support and because this is really a decent value-oriented minidrone. The quality of pictures is really good for this price range. (Attached photo is unedited shot.)