Parrot's fixed-wing Disco drone goes on sale for $1,300

Parrot's fixed-wing Disco drone has finally gone on sale for $1,299. The French company unveiled the UAV at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and it has generated some buzz since then. The good news for those who have been waiting patiently and might now have sticker shock is that the Disco drone comes bundled with a first-person view system. Coming with the drone itself are Parrot's Skycontroller 2 remote control and Cockpit Glasses mobile VR headset.

The drone has not changed since CES. It is 55cm long with a 114cm wingspan, and weighs 0.72kg. It is made out of PP and carbon fiber. The Disco drone also includes its own 14MP camera with a wide-angle lens.

To advertise the Disco drone, Parrot has focused on speed, range and the drone's autopilot feature. Higher speed and longer range are convenient features of fixed-wing UAVs that the more common quadcopter drones simply cannot match. This, however, has some drawbacks. Most commercial uses of drones rely on quadcopters because they are better suited for these needs. Those who really require the extra speed and range, though, know where to turn.

Autopilot also seems like a necessity for this kind of aircraft. Autopilot makes sure the Disco drone does not get too far away from the use and lose contact. The Skycontroller 2 bundled with the drone has a range of up to 2km.

Autopilot is becoming a popular feature in drones in general. DJI showed it off with obstacle avoidance to great fanfare when it unveiled the Phantom 4. While the Parrot Disco drone seems expensive at its current price, some Phantom 4 models cost more.

At this point, many people expect to pay around $1,000 for a top-of-the-line drone. Other high-end models can be had for $700 to $800. China makers have done well bidding the price of drones down, but the latest technology will always cost more. Autopilot still largely remains a premium feature, but some smaller suppliers are offering autopilot drones for around $300.