Are DJI being a bit naughty?

Drone Rules and Regulations
1

DJI Mini 4 Pro

‌< 249 g
‌Standard aircraft weight (including the Intelligent Flight Battery, propellers, and a microSD card).

DJI Mini 5 Pro

249.9 g

‌Product weight may vary due to differences in batch materials and other factors. The actual weight is approximately 249.9 g ± 4 g and is subject to the actual product.

So it’s quite clear that the 4 pro with an SD card will be under the 250 gram limit as legislated in many countries around the world.

However the 5 pro could be up to 253.9 grams without an SD card. How is this legally a sub 250 gram drone ?

2

Interesting!

I wonder what DJI has to say on the topic?!

3

I see someone on here has already posted one at 253 grams !

( although not sure how accurate domestic albeit digital scales are )

4

Hmmm, that’s not ideal.

I bet people quickly work out where you can shave off 3 grams. Surprising that it has come to this!

5

Although a lot of people, I’m sure, will simply buy it and trust that DJI have done their due dilligence in making it legal in the intended catagory…

Am sure the more serious hobby’ists will figure out how to shave weight if their example is slighly over,

But that#s not the point, it’s being sold as a sub 250 gram that complies with regulations.

7

Just watched one being unboxed and weighed online with the scales calibration being checked with test weights first. It came in a 252 grams.

An interesting debate came up:

One camp sayings it’s over the 250 grams and just can’t be flown as a sub 250 gm drone.

The other camp saying that the drone has been forwarded for EU type approval and isseed with a C0 certification and that makes it legal as it’s type approved, irrelavent of the odd gram or two over.

Under UK law though i think the 250 gram limit carries weight, but anyone here with better drone law understanding to cast light on the situation ?

8

It’s a good point. Apparently UK will be recognising EU class marking for a period of two years, to 2028. Whilst the CAA’s own MSA gets up to speed.

That from my regular chat with the CAA this week.

9

Am I right in saying that come first of January 2028 there will be UK0 UK1 classifications and that will be for drones under 400 grams? No 250g rule anymore
If so there will be there zero separation (etc) for even things like the Avatar 2.

10

Yes i beleive from next year in the UK anything over 100 grams will require both operator ID and flyer ID’s. So the 250 gram threshold may be less significant for us in the UK. However many parts of the world will retain 250 gram legislation. So for a company to market a drone as sub 250 gram that isnt is still a bit naughty…

Interestingly the 4 pro standard battery was marked 249gm so when installed if anyone questioned the weight of the drone you could just shiow them. The extended battery had no such weight marking. On the 5 pro neither battery size has any weight markings.

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