Hello, drone enthusiasts! Welcome to my Ruko F11 GIM 2 review.
I’m just going to say off the bat that the Ruko F11 GIM 2 is a fantastic drone. If you are new to drone flying and you are in the market for a drone that can hold its own and be considered an advanced drone without breaking the bank, Then the Ruko F11 GIM 2 is the drone for you.
Ruko is a Chinese drone manufacturer known for selling consumer drones at low prices to the general public. The Ruko brand is known for its excellent customer service. If any part of your drone is damaged or in need of replacement, do not fail to contact the company.
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 can be considered an advanced drone; it boasts a lot of features that you can find in advanced drones.
Beginners who purchase this drone will surely not miss out on enjoying some of the latest features found in drones. The Ruko F11 GIM 2 can give you that flight experience that a lot of budget drones cannot give you.
In this Ruko F11 GIM 2 review, I will go over the features and benefits of this drone to show you if it is the right choice for you before you go ahead and purchase it.
Quick Overview of the Ruko F11 GIM 2
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 comes equipped with a 4K camera capable of taking pictures and videos in crisp quality. The camera has a 2-axis gimbal and an EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) for image stability.
The Ruko F11 GIM is a GPS drone with multiple intelligent flight features like Altitude Hold, Obstacle Avoidance Mode, Geo-Fencing, Headless Mode, Way Points, and many more. The F11 GIM 2 has a smooth 5G transmission and can fly within a 3-mile range.
As I wrote earlier, the Ruko F11 GIM 2 can be considered a budget professional drone. While it may not meet the mark for a lot of professional flyers, a lot of beginners, novice flyers, kids, and teenagers will be thrilled by the F11 GIM 2s flight capacity and cutting-edge features.
What’s Inside The Ruko F11 GIM 2 Box
- 1 x Ruko F11 GIM 2 Drone
- 1 x Rechargeable Transmitter
- 2 x Batteries
- 1 x Carrying Shell Case
- 4 x Propeller Blades
- 1 x Camera Cover
- 1 x Allen Wrench
- 1 x User Manual
- 2 x USB Cables
- 1 x Gift Box
- 8 x Screws
Ruko F11 GIM 2 Specifications
- Weight: 20.6 OZ
- Dimension (Folded): 6.9*4.1*3.15 IN
- Dimension (Unfolded): 17.71*15.94*3.15 IN
- Phone Holder Width: 2.36 to 3.53 IN
- Camera: 4K camera with 2-axis gimbal (Adjusted angle -80°+0°)
- Photo: 4K (3840 x 2160) stored in TF card and phone
- Video: [email protected] stored in TF card, [email protected] stored in phone
- Max Video Transmission Range: 9800ft
- Max Flight Distance: 9800ft
- Max Flight Altitude: 393ft
- Max Flight time: 28 Mins
- Charging Time: about 4.5hours
- Max Supported TF Card: 128GB (not included)
- Operating Temperature: 32° to 104°F （0° to 40°C）
- Obstacle Avoidance Feature: Not Equipped
Features and Benefits of the Ruko F11 GIM 2
Let’s go over the features of the Ruko F11 GIM 2 and its benefits to users.
Design and Build
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 has a similar design to the Ruko F11 GIM. The Ruko F11 GIM 2 camera has a 2-axis gimbal lodged underneath the nose of the drone with a vibration-damping system that helps camera stability. This drone can be classified as a medium-sized drone with a measurement of 17.71 x 15.94 x 3.15 inches.
Just like most advanced Ruko drones, this one weighs more than 250 grams; this helps the Ruko drone stay balanced in windy conditions, and even with its weight, the F11 GIM 2 is pretty fast. Given that it weighs more than 250 grams, you will have to register it with the FAA before flying.
In the spirit of honesty, most drones are going to be difficult to fly in windy conditions. The Ruko F11 GIM 2 is not in that category, with its powerful brushless motor and level 6 wind resistance. You are sure to have a stable and balanced flight.
The detachable battery fits in a hole that can be found on the top of the drone, while the camera is fixed underneath the drone to give it enough clearance to capture footage from different angles.
Battery Flight Time
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 is powered by an 11.1V, 2500mAh Li-Po battery that gives it a 27-minute flight time, which is different from the 28-minute flight time advertised on the sales page.
After testing, the Ruko F11 GIM 2 battery takes around 4.5 hours to charge completely, which is one of the few cons of purchasing a Ruko F11 GIM 2. However, the F11 GIM 2 comes with two batteries.
You can always purchase an extra battery; that way, you have three batteries on hand. You get up to 54 minutes of flight time with two batteries, so purchasing extra batteries may be the way to go. The Ruko F11 GIM 2 batteries have cool lights to indicate the battery power level.
Camera
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 is equipped with a 4K camera with an operational frequency of 5 GHz that is sure to take decent shots and record video in ultra-clear 1080p. In all honesty, the gimbal does move up and down slowly during flight.
The wide-angle lens has a 120-degree field of view that can capture maximum details in your shot, while the 80-degree adjustable camera lens can capture photos and videos from different perspectives.
The F11 GIM 2 camera is equipped with a vibration-damping system to give the camera some stability for overhead shots. Videos recorded on the drone SD card will have a higher resolution than those streamed and saved on your phone.
However, do not expect the videos to be of the same quality as those from other, significantly more expensive drones.
Remote Control
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 remote is great to handle and easy to maneuver. The remote control is not difficult to figure out; it’s pretty straightforward, like the return home button, power button, take off button, and land button.
First, you have to unfold the controller. At the upper part are the antennae for Wi-Fi, then your phone holder, and at the lower part are the grip handles.
The back of the remote controller holds the left-hand side of the camera and underneath it the camera zoom dial. The right-hand side has the video record button and underneath it is the gimbal dial.
The front of the remote controller houses an LCD screen that displays signal strength, power levels, a GPS signal, and other signals. Both joysticks are visible, while to the left-hand side, there is the speed button and emergency stop button (a long press is required to initiate this, but only in an emergency).
The right-hand side has the “power” button (short press to switch on the transmitter and long press to switch off) and the “Return to home” (your drone returns to the point of take-off).
The remote control comes with a battery and charger. You have to download the Ruko drone app, which is available for both Android and iOS devices, to connect your smartphone to the drone and also utilize the FPV feature.
Control Range
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 has a maximum distance of 3 miles and an altitude of 300 feet before it loses connection with your smartphone and remote control. The good thing about this drone is that it will continue to record footage even after it loses connection and save it to the SD card attached to the camera.
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 also saves you money on repairs and replacements by automatically activating its Return to Home mode during low battery, weak signal, or when flying out of range and returning to its initial launch spot so you don’t lose it due to accidents and damages.
GPS-Assisted Flight Experience
The GPS-assisted flight feature provides you with accurate positioning details for your drone. If the GPS is on, it enables the return home function, just in case you lose sight of the drone.
Speed and Power
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 comes with a 3-speed mode that can be adjusted from the remote controller to vary your speed during flight. Ruko doesn’t give a direct specification of the speed on the sales page, but many people who purchased the drone on Amazon have attested to how far it can go.
You should be careful about going into full-speed mode because it doesn’t have an obstacle avoidance mode. Plus, you’re more likely to collide with obstacles if you’re a beginner drone pilot. so, avoid places with trees.
Durability
Like most other drones, the Ruko F11 GIM 2 is made of plastic (reinforced plastic). The drone is light and very easy to carry. The Ruko F11 GIM 2 is fairly durable, despite being made of light and strong plastic; it can even stay together after falling one or two times. However, you should take precautions.
Ruko F11 GIM Pros and Cons
Here, I’ll go over what I like and don’t like about the Ruko F11 GIM 2
Pros: What I Like About the Ruko F11 GIM 2
- The drone is pretty easy to fly.
- Its camera is pretty sharp
- The GPS signal is very strong and does not lag
- Its user interface is pretty basic, and novice fliers will quickly catch up.
- Very reliable and fun to use for beginners and professional
- Doesn’t have glitches or problems.
- It comes right out of the box ready to use
- Very super simple to calibrate
- GPS mode enables precise positioning and prevents losing the drone
- Built-in altitude hold function allows the drone to fly while its height locked
- It has amazing specs like GPS, a “follows me” mode, a return to the home button, and intelligent batteries.
- Instruction manuals are easy to follow (they did a great job transmitting from Chinese to English)
- It records and saves your footage on both the SD card on the drone and your phone’s memory.
Cons: What I Don’t Like About The Ruko F11 GIM 2
- It does not come with a 3-axis gimbal
- The 4k camera drains the battery power faster
- The battery takes a long time to fully charge
- The drone is over 250 grams, so you have to register it with the FAA
- It doesn’t have obstacle avoidance mode, which means you have to fly the drone in open areas without obstacles like lamp posts, tall buildings, electricity lines, trees, and others.
Ruko F11 GIM 2 Set Up
I’ll go over some basic setups for the Ruko F11 GIM 2 if you’re a beginner drone pilot who doesn’t know how to set up the drone. However, you’ll have to exercise patience so you don’t screw things up
1. Charging the Ruko F11 GIM 2
The first step is to charge the Ruko F11 GIM drone battery with the USB cord. Fortunately, it has two USB cables, so you can charge the batteries and the remote controller at the same time.
2. Assembling the Ruko F11 GIM 2
Putting on the propellers: This shouldn’t be too difficult. Ruko provided a magnetic screwdriver to help in attaching the screws to prevent them from falling off. They also provided extra screws in case you misplaced some while attaching the propellers to the body of the drone.
Install the propeller guards if you want
Insert the charged battery in the battery slot of the drone
3. Pairing the Ruko F11 GIM 2 With Your Smartphone
The next step is to pair the Ruko F11 GIM 2 drone with your smartphone
1) Download the Ruko app on your phone – free
2) Turn on the controller.
3) Switch on the drone’s battery. The battery’s lights will show the charge level; four lights indicate a full charge. Before successful pairing and calibration, the drone’s lights will flash white and pink/red.
4) Go to the WiFi section of your phone’s settings and choose the Ruko WiFi signal.
5) Click the “Enter Device” button in the app’s first page’s center after launching the Ruko app.
4. Calibrating the GPS of the Ruko F11 GIM 2
This is the final step you have to take before you can begin flying the drone.
Step #1: Switch on your drone and the remote controller, flip the right joystick 45 degrees upward, and then release. When the drone becomes still, it indicates successful gyro calibration.
Step #2: While the GPS is on, rotate the drone 360 degrees vertically and horizontally two times to connect the drone with the satellite.
Step #3: Press the joystick in and flip it down to switch on the propellers. With that, your drone is ready for flight. Simply step outdoors and choose a space free of obstructions like telephone or power wires.
Best Alternatives to the Ruko F11 GIM 2
In this section, I’ll share with you three alternatives to the Ruko F11 GIM 2 to give you more options:
1. Ruko F11 GIM (Best Advanced Ruko Drone)
The Ruko F11 GIM is one of the best Ruko drones. It’s easy to use, has advanced flight mode, & comes with dual batteries for a more fun time and a 4K camera with EIS technology.
2. DJI Air 2s (Best DJI Alternatives)
The DJI Air 2S is my best DJI alternative to the Ruko F11. What I like about it is that it has a long flight time of 30 minutes. Not just that, it comes with double batteries for double fun and a 4K camera attached to a 3-axis gimbal that provides camera stability and smooth footage.
3. Ruko F11 Mini (Best Budget Holy Stone Drone)
The Ruko F11 Mini is my best-budget Ruko drone. It’s pocket-sized, easy to use, and comes with all the basic features and functions of premium drones on the market without the expensive price tag.
Ruko F11 GIM 2 Safety Tips
Below are some safety tips you should be aware of before flying your Ruko F11 GIM 2 to ensure a fun and safe flight for you and everyone around you:
- For your safety and that of the drone, avoid flying near or over obstacles, high-voltage power lines, crowds, trees, water bodies, and airports.
- The minimum recommended flying age for the Ruko F11 GIM 2 is 16 years.
- You’re advised to fly in open areas, where you can maintain a line of sight and preferably below heights of 120 meters.
- Be careful with rotating motors and propellers, and keep a distance to avoid ear damage by the drone’s nose.
- Avoid flying in extreme weather conditions such as rain, fog, snow, and strong wind.
- Avoid flying the drone when tired, under the influence of alcohol, under medication, or when in any physical discomfort.
- Keep the drone clean and well-maintained.
- Read the user manual thoroughly before flying the Ruko F11 GIM 2.
- Follow the battery safety rules as outlined in the user manual.
- Fly the drone with a fully charged battery, and perform all the recommended pre-flight procedures before takeoff.
- Follow your local laws on drone flying, and avoid flying in No-Fly zones.
- Always check the drone, controller, and battery for damages and correct installation before a flight.
- The onboard compass can be affected by electromagnetic fields near base stations or power lines.
Final Thoughts on the Ruko F11 GIM
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 is a spectacular drone that is sure to make drone flyers happy and satisfied with its flight capabilities. I consider the F11 GIM to be the overall best drone of the Ruko drones. With its cutting-edge capabilities and numerous flight patterns, you are sure to have a wonderful time.
The Ruko F11 GIM 2 should not be your very first drone to fly. As a beginner, you should start with a simple drone before moving on to a more professional one like the F11 GIM 2. Its flight time, flight handle, camera, and several other tweaks make it one of the cutting-edge drones out there.
You can also check out the reviews of various drones from the Ruko series to see what benefits they have in store for you.
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