"Flamed?" So here's some conversation...
First...what was this post all about, bottomline? Unless you are flying a DJI Inspire, doesn't that little phantom look at least a bit toy like? You now know that you are an Autodesk expert and not a UAV expert....that was a good thing you got your firm some consulting help.
You also likely surmised that the ChiCom DJI product line/SDK has as much stolen code in it as their developers can ferret out of the open system developer sites all over the world. I'm with the other guys in this group - OPEN SYSTEMS from FREE PEOPLE developers...= the future of sUAS
I got on board with 3DR when I bought an Iris+ and have been impressed ever since. Wind-tunnel tested airframes and well functioning open source software that turned a novelty item (multi-copter) into a useable tool. And the Solo, with the Solex or Tower apps, makes a great tool, albeit one that takes skill to master. Too bad 3DRs management made the decisions they did...but that's history. And that's my perspective/opinion...we all got one.
Now, DJI is not the only game in town....IdeaFly is cranking out Pixhawk-powered multicopters from Shenzhen (
ShenZhen Idea-fly Technology Co., Ltd) ...making our point that the sUAS biz will be well-served by Pixhawk and Pixhawk-2 FMS' in the future. I don't see any reason a startup can't take the 3DR and IdeaFly designs and start making some good product in San Diego or Austin under license...start as a parts supplier, like 3DR did way back when. IMHO, the Shenzen crowd doesn't play on a level-playing field...so there's that.
btw: did you ever notice that it seems like most of the "drones" flying illegally in controlled airspace are DJI phantoms either on a fly-away or being piloted by guys who are too stupid to know better? The new client I have said the US EPA came out one day with their little Phantom ("to do an inspection") and promptly crashed into the company's equipment....without operator input.....geez.
At any rate, the FAA could take their usual precision approach to regulation and ground all Phantoms flying commercially due to "lack of confidence in the software safety of the Naze FMS used by DJI." And then were would DJI be? This is not a far-fetched possibility...the Part 107 system will eventually have links back to Part 23, aircraft airworthiness standards.
Conversation end.