H520E
Yuneec · China · also known as Yuneec H520E, H520E RTK
The H520E is Yuneec's commercial hexacopter, introduced in 2020 as an upgraded H520 with a continuously rotating gimbal, longer radio range and more onboard processing. It carries hot-swappable thermal, zoom and one-inch-sensor camera payloads and is aimed at inspection, surveying, public safety and search and rescue work.
Overview
Yuneec International, founded in Hong Kong in 1999 and now owned by ATL Global Holding AG of Switzerland, built the H520 line specifically for commercial operators rather than the consumer market it entered with the Typhoon series. The H520E followed the original H520 in 2020. An RTK-equipped version, the H520E RTK, shares the same airframe and user manual and adds centimetre-level positioning for survey work.
Compared with the H520, Yuneec documents three changes: a gimbal that rotates continuously through up to 330 degrees, an extended radio link, and greater onboard compute. The airframe itself is unchanged, with a 520 mm diagonal measured without rotor blades. Take-off weight without a payload is 1,860 g against a stated maximum take-off capacity of 2.5 kg.
Design and capabilities
The aircraft uses a six-rotor layout with a stated five-rotor fail-safe, so it remains controllable after losing one motor. Retractable landing gear clears the camera's field of view for full 360-degree rotation. Six BL3210 brushless motors turn 248 mm propellers, powered by a single four-cell 6200 mAh pack that recharges in roughly two hours on the supplied SC4000-4E charger. Yuneec gives maximum horizontal speed as 13.5 m/s, a maximum flight height of 500 m above the take-off point, and a maximum take-off altitude of 5,000 m above sea level. Hover accuracy is stated as ±1.5 m horizontally and ±0.5 m vertically, with an operating temperature range of 0 to 40 °C.
Payloads attach through Yuneec's X-Connecter interface and can be swapped in the field. The documented options are the E90 and E90X with a one-inch 20-megapixel Sony sensor, the E30Z and E30Zx with 30x optical zoom, the E10T and E10Tvx pairing an RGB camera with a FLIR Boson thermal core at 640 × 512 or 320 × 256, and the CGOET family using the FLIR Lepton. Control is through the ST16S or ST16E ground station, a seven-inch Android unit with the transmitter and receiver built in, which supports a two-operator Team Mode splitting aircraft and camera control between two people.
Mission planning runs on DataPilot, Yuneec's onboard software for survey grids with adjustable front and side overlap, orthomosaic and 3D scan missions. UpdatePilot handles over-the-air software updates.
Use cases and regulatory position
Yuneec lists inspection, search and rescue, security, construction, surveying and mapping, and film production. On 17 May 2021 the company stated that the H520E and H520E RTK would meet the FAA's Remote ID rules through a software update plus a field-installable radio module supplied at no charge; the earlier H520 needed only the software update.
Note that Yuneec's own published figures for flight time and radio range are not consistent. The product overview gives 28 minutes and a 3 km link, the specification page gives 25 to 30 minutes and 3.5 to 7 km, and the user manual gives 30 minutes with the E90 camera and a controller range of 4 km under CE limits or 6 km under FCC limits. The conservative overview figures are used above.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes the H520E?
Yuneec International, a drone manufacturer founded in Hong Kong in 1999 and wholly owned by ATL Global Holding AG of Switzerland.
How long does the H520E fly?
Yuneec's figures differ by document: 28 minutes on the product overview, 25 to 30 minutes on the specification page, and 30 minutes with the E90 camera in the user manual.
What cameras can the H520E carry?
Hot-swappable X-Connecter gimbals: the E90 and E90X one-inch 20-megapixel cameras, the E30Z and E30Zx 30x zoom units, the E10T and E10Tvx RGB-plus-thermal pairs, and the CGOET thermal family.
What is the H520E used for?
Yuneec lists inspection, search and rescue, surveying and mapping, construction, security and film production.
How does the H520E differ from the H520?
Yuneec cites continuous gimbal rotation to 330 degrees, a longer radio link and more onboard processing power, on the same 520 mm hexacopter airframe.
Does the H520E meet FAA Remote ID rules?
Yuneec stated in May 2021 that compliance is achieved through a software update plus a field-installable radio module provided at no charge.
